DSLR Shots and Discussions

Huck

So I was finally able to get a decent lightening pic tonight, right before the stupid cop came and told me I couldn't park on the top of the bridge lol.

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Huck

And I really like the look of this one, even though everywhere I post it (facebook, photobucket, hosted on this forum) makes it come out splotchy and weird looking *sigh*

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saber

angle is a bit off on the car. if you centered it and had the car dead on, that photo would have been better. that line in the foreground is pretty awkward too, it's like the z is sticking its tongue out at me.

i see what you were going for, though! and totally see why you might have done the angle, since it's the side of the road. still, just my thoughts.

so when you're in A, you're usually +0.3 EV?

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6spd

On camera or off?

For off camera, you can make a beauty dish out of plastic bowls and buy a white foam or plastic board. I'd splurge on a cheap beauty dish and reflector. The round catch light in the eyes is well worth the $40 layout.

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LunaZ

Whatever this translates to in Nikon-speak:




Your settings may vary depending on preferences you've set up in your menus. I have my exposure increments set up for 1/3 stop.

Attached Images

settings-.JPG (162.4 KB, 58 views)

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LunaZ

Are you shooting with a speedlite on the camera or an off-camera flash?
For on-camera speedlites, definitely diffuse or bounce. A bracket is great for getting the flash off center and creating more flattering light.
I have one of these: Gary Fong LightSphere Collapsible at Roberts Camera
It does the job.
A Fong Bong can be home grown out of leftover take-out containers for the cost of last night's dinner.

For off-camera speedlite use, there's a lot of Google-able tutorials on how to fabricate a DIY beauty dish, which you could then apply fabric to for diffusion. (Let's be realistic: A beauty dish and its specular light isn't for every subject that you put in front of your camera!)
At the end of the day, the DIY beauty dish may cost as much in materials and your time as an inexpensive model out of the box. It's up to you.
Finally, there's no comparing a cheap, flat beauty dish like a Paul C. Buff to an Elinchrom or a Mola Setti. But now I'm not talking about speedlites anymore

Other quick and easy on-camera speedlite diffusion options include a plastic flash diffuser cap and or a collapsible softbox: Fotodiox 6"x8" Foldable Flash Softbox for Nikon Flash, Canon Speedlight & ALL Standard Flashes

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saber

I'm probably more interested right now in on-camera speedlites. I use an SB-700, and because right now it's more event coverage, I don't have time to set up a shoot area.

However, I am looking for an economical way to expand, and thought about an umbrella or diffuser dish. Just don't know if A) I need more speedlights (I only have my little SB-700 for now), and B) If that's really the next place I want to go with this.

are there pros/cons to a circular diffuser cap vs a box?

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boarderbob

You were correct. That's 2/3 of a stop higher. However, I've always heard it's better to underexpose than overexpose when shooting digital.

LunaZ

Which is why I said I follow the "debatable expose to the right rule".
I've heard what you've heard as well. As with 6spd, I've found my Canon 7D and 5D MkII to underexpose a little when I set it to expose "in the middle". I know this because I constantly found myself increasing the exposure anywhere from +0.50-1.00 in Lightroom in order to get what I saw when making the shot.
In my personal experiences, raising the exposure on an underexposed shot created noise, particularly in the underexposed areas... such as when you're trying to lighten up an area that shows too much shadow. Recovering "slightly" overexposed areas or hot spots by reducing the exposure or sliding the highlights adjuster down, or using dodge and burn techniques to add shadows to an area did not result in added noise.
So I decided to take what "they" say with a grain of salt. I'm sure there's instances where exposing to the right can create blown-out highlights, but I'd like to think I'm smart enough to identify those situations and adjust my exposure accordingly!

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boarderbob

You make some good points. What ISO do you typically shoot at?

LunaZ

For on the camera I really think the best bet is a bracket to get the flash off-center. The positioning results in shots with more pleasant lighting that don't look like you're trying to be Terry Richardson.
As far as diffusion goes, it really depends on your subject matter. A convention such as Comic-Con may call for a beauty dish or even just the bare flash to bring out the detail of the costumes and put a catch-light in the eyes that mimics anime. For something like a wedding, you might want something softer.

A quick and easy way to use multiple speedlites is:

• Get another speedlite.
• Can your camera remotely fire additional speedlites? If not, you'll need a transmitter/receiver system.
• Get a lightweight lightstand.
• You need one of these to mount your speedlite and an umbrella on the lightstand: F.J. Westcott Company Westcott 5015 Adjustable Shoe Mount Bracket for Speedlites Light Stands, Mounts & Clamps at Markertek.com
• Finally, an umbrella. Ideally, one that can convert from reflector to shoot-through for the most versatility.

This setup will be fairly lightweight and portable, and the accessories will be less than the additional speedlite itself.

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LunaZ

Depends.
If I'm shooting a portrait, a model, etc., in a studio situation or on a well lit stage (such as at a beauty convention), always 100 so I have the least noise possible. It makes skin touch-ups and post-shot cropping easier.

If I've got a moving target such as a car, plane or wildlife, I'll bump it up as high as necessary for the lighting conditions while still allowing for the shutter speed I need to capture said moving target. Sometimes I'm unable to complete the exposure triangle fast enough in my head and I'll set my ISO on auto for a couple of shots and let technology point me in the right direction.

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Cmike2780

If you want to create a diffuser, a cheap solution is to head out to home depot and buy a piece of thin plexiglass. It's about $5 a sheet depending on the size and thickness. Then get some sandpaper and a sanding block. Remove the protective film and lightly & evenly sand one side and leave the other side shiny. This works better if you can get the flash off the camera. It's ghetto & a bit cumbersome, but it works if you just want to experiment.

Portraits are subjective. You can create some great shots with single strobe or go all out with 3 or more. If you're on a tight budget, there are a few options:

-Try a mini softbox for your speedlight. It's around $8-$25. My Westcott 8x12" was about $20 at B&H. I recommend investing on a TTL Remote Cord for your speedlight to really get it off the camera. The flash straight on is very unflattering in most cases. A diffusion dome still creates a hot spot if you aim straight on. You're still bouncing light, although it's a bit more, well.....diffused.

-Skip speedlights and use natural lighting. You can achieve great results with an indoor portrait next to a window on a sunny day. Outdoors, a collapsible reflector and/or diffuser can get you great result. You'll just have to work on how to position them properly and may require an assistant. You can also use them indoors with your speedlight with some experimenting. The Lastolite Trigrips are my favorite, but they're a bit more expensive. Westcott makes some reasonably priced circular ones.

-Rent out a studio. Look around and see if there are places near you. They usually have lighting equipment you can rent. Rentals run anywhere from $15 to $30 or more per hour, but you'll have access to professional lighting equipment. Nice to try at least once instead of investing hundreds on your own equipment.

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6spd

Yeah there really are endless options for portraits.

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6spd

You can buy a cheap speedlight, and use a wireless transmitter, for rim lighting and bounce it off a reflector in front of the subject. That's cheap and gives you many more varying options.

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-Jay- jonathanjamesphotographer.com