Digital SLR / DSLR Camera Question / DSLR Thread 2

[Joebar4000]

DUDE!

This happened to me at my last gig! After quoting for 40 hours of web work, I ended up doing 60, just to try to keep a good relationship.

They were STILL requesting material changes and complained I hadn't done a style-pass yet, while they were still moving the spec, basically

THEN, they asked if I could do their case-studies, and, if they liked them, they'd consider paying me... or could I at least come up with a template they'd like.

Funnily enough, I heard they went through 2 more contractors while complaining 'we just can't seem to find a good fit'...

I might have to send that link. Anonymously, of course.

 

[CHUM]

so....effin'...true!

/

Watch and think.

[flamesuit]

[youtube]R2a8TRSgzZY[/youtube]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2a8TRSgzZY

 

[zypher]

whens the next strobist gig?..

 

[Cycle61]

Unloading one of my flashes. SB-900 for sale

Discount for barfers.

 

[Rambeezi]

A few shots from the subZERO festival.

 

[wannabe]

Just a couple from yesterday's shoot...

edit: I'm getting more and more excited as I clean up the shots from yesterday's shoot. I've got so much awesomeness to work with. It really helps to work with someone with real modeling experience. (Yes, same girl in all three pics.) This is my little homage to the Guess Jeans ads:

 

[zypher]

great set man...

 

[wannabe]

Here's the topper from the set. I felt like Joe McNally. I explained what I wanted in this last pic, and she ends up saying in a thick Bulgarian accent, "So, I will be nude in this one, yes?" I know her boyfriend, so my answer was no. But, I didn't think that it took anything away from the picture.

 

[wannabe]

On a more technical note, I did finally find the limit to the Cactus triggers. It's the battery life. I was hoping that I wouldn't have to do the battery mod, but this last shoot showed me that I will need to modify the receivers to use 2 AA batteries instead of the butt expensive CR2 battery that doesn't last very long. When the battery starts to die, the receivers just start triggering the strobe. Unfortunately, I didn't have another CR2 battery handy. I'm modifying them tonight.

 

[Joebar4000]

Shoulda done the nude! It's only implied, anyway...

Great shots Aris

You're really nailing the white, seamless backdrop, and keeping great separation. I'm envious

 

[wannabe]

Shoulda done the nude! It's only implied, anyway...

Great shots Aris

You're really nailing the white, seamless backdrop, and keeping great separation. I'm envious

I don't know. I've got it in my head that nudes are too easy. I want to be a lot more subtle. I'm gonna try to stay away from them for now. It's going to be weird because the shoot this Sunday is with a burlesque dancer.

As for the white seamless, yeah, I've pretty much got it down. I tried to play with color gels on the background lights to play with different colors, but I kept getting a lot of light spill from the umbrellas. I really need to get some soft boxes, but they're not in the budget right now.

I have to be careful. I'm getting a little too comfortable doing the studio shoots. I need to get outside and work some location shoots. The problem is that everyone sees the studio shots, and that's all anyone wants from me right now.

Oh well. I guess that's a good problem to have.

 

[Joebar4000]

I don't know. I've got it in my head that nudes are too easy. I want to be a lot more subtle. I'm gonna try to stay away from them for now. It's going to be weird because the shoot this Sunday is with a burlesque dancer.

As for the white seamless, yeah, I've pretty much got it down. I tried to play with color gels on the background lights to play with different colors, but I kept getting a lot of light spill from the umbrellas. I really need to get some soft boxes, but they're not in the budget right now.

I have to be careful. I'm getting a little too comfortable doing the studio shoots. I need to get outside and work some location shoots. The problem is that everyone sees the studio shots, and that's all anyone wants from me right now.

Oh well. I guess that's a good problem to have.

Nudes, easy? Euch. Maybe if you have a 20-year old model with perfect skin, otherwise dramatic lighting is a biatch.

The easiest nude shoot I ever did was my friend Mikey, who has about ~10% body fat I'm guessing, and is a contractor/avid mountain biker. Hard, dramatic light? No problem.

Same for my 22-year-old skinny model/friend? Ack!

FYI, I just had a friend buy two of these, they arrive today - will let you know how they work out.

So far, having a biaaatch of a time trying to side-light evenly using 1, 2x2 softbox and a 46" brolly. Just, meh.

I'm guessing I'll probably still have to stack these to get something even, but hopefully the results will be good enough, without having to drop north of $400 on a hoooge softbox, which would be a pain to take anywhere, anyway.

At least these are affordable, and convertible.

And yeah, my studio/outside work ratio is lousy too. But I'm still at the very start of the learning curve on the studio stuff, and it's relatively easy to get decent results once you get the setup you like.

I did a shoot with Ana for a fashion contest, results were pretty meh - but it was fun using my lowly Vivitar flash with a remote and yellow gel held on with a rubber band, lol! Makes a hooge difference when you have to shoot near midday (babysitting can be hard to arrange... sigh...).

 

[zypher]

Nudes, easy? Euch. Maybe if you have a 20-year old model with perfect skin, otherwise dramatic lighting is a biatch.

The easiest nude shoot I ever did was my friend Mikey, who has about ~10% body fat I'm guessing, and is a contractor/avid mountain biker. Hard, dramatic light? No problem.

Same for my 22-year-old skinny model/friend? Ack!

FYI, I just had a friend buy two of these, they arrive today - will let you know how they work out.

So far, having a biaaatch of a time trying to side-light evenly using 1, 2x2 softbox and a 46" brolly. Just, meh.

I'm guessing I'll probably still have to stack these to get something even, but hopefully the results will be good enough, without having to drop north of $400 on a hoooge softbox, which would be a pain to take anywhere, anyway.

At least these are affordable, and convertible.

And yeah, my studio/outside work ratio is lousy too. But I'm still at the very start of the learning curve on the studio stuff, and it's relatively easy to get decent results once you get the setup you like.

I did a shoot with Ana for a fashion contest, results were pretty meh - but it was fun using my lowly Vivitar flash with a remote and yellow gel held on with a rubber band, lol! Makes a hooge difference when you have to shoot near midday (babysitting can be hard to arrange... sigh...).

i got those softlighter II, so far i like it...

 

[wannabe]

Wahoo!! An old friend of mine that is an artistic director wants to buy one of my shots as a stock photo for one of the projects that she is currently working on:

 

[VeloceMoto]

Ignorant question: Can anyone explain to me why photojournalists seem to carry Canons more than other manufacturers? This is just my own observation but I have heard this echoed before as well. Nikons/Canons for example seem to have competitively priced bodies/glass, no?

I promise, I'm not trolling for a brand debate, but those white lenses always seem to outnumber the black ones at press conferences...






.

 

[Rambeezi]

Ooohhh...you're gonna get some strong opinions. For me, I was handed down a Canon AE-1 back in 1984 and pretty much just stuck to it. When I took a little break from photography it was also the same time DSLR just starting getting mainstream so wjen it was time for me to pick up a DSLR I got a Canon (Rebel XT to be exact).

IMO, in the long telephoto range Canon glass is much better hence its popularity in sports photography. Macro, wide, normal to normal-telephoto you will find exceptional and equal quality on both sides. In my experience, I've seen Nikon and Canon in fine art, commercial, wedding, news, street, ...etc. photography and you will see more balance in choice there.

 

[Joebar4000]

I told you they were good, Aris

Vis a vis Nikon/Canon - never entered my head. If anything, it was a Pentax/Other Brand thing, as my bro always had Pentax.

I'd had a Canon film SLR before (still do), but use Fuji, Sony, Olympus P&S camera's.

The Rebel came along at the right time, at the right price. Now I have 4 lenses so it's unlikely I'll change, unless I win the lottery.

Tho, I have to say, the 5D II is looking mighty tasty. I need a job

 

[Joebar4000]

i got those softlighter II, so far i like it...

Any major differences to what you had before? I'm hoping I can get away with just 1 for sidelit nudes, then using the second as a really soft fill...

If not, then stacked for sidelight and my 46" brolly for fill.

 

[wannabe]

Can you tell, I'm really into motion right now?

As for the Canon vs. Nikon, on the lower end, there is really very little differrence. It just comes down to personal preference. The story is the same with just about everyone else. Once you pick one, you usually just stay with it all the way through. I started with my Xti, so there is a good chance that I'm gonna stick with Canon the rest of the way... but, the low light focus issues with the Canon still bug the living crap out of me.

 

[hiccup]

Just finished editing my portfolio, so I want to share a few!

Most of these are with a D300 and various Nikon primes. Film frames are with an F4.

I'm right at the point where I need to decide to go full-time or not... tough decision. Getting a quality site up soon and will reassess in a year's time. The market is overcrowded with inexperienced photogs as it is...