Anything Strobist

[Viggo]

Hi all! Let me know if there's a thread like this that I missed.

I wanted to create a thread where we post our strobist pictures (speedlites and or studio strobes) ONLY, and give info about how it was made, perhaps a BTS shot and where we positioned the light and how we modified and perhaps some post process tips. I find it's a great way to learn for newbies and a great way for experienced users to pick up new ideas.

I'll start with two simple shots from today of my kids having fun.

They are all done with two bare bulb (no modifier) 600 RT triggered by the st-e3 camera left. I used HSS (highspeed sync) to bring down the ambient to be able to use a 1.4 aperture. Camera right I used the sun for edge/rim light. I really like hard light, and I have been kind of worried about it before as it can be absolutely horrible, but found that it actually can be really cool. Adds lots of punch and contrast, and for flat children's faces it creates more definition.

50 Art, f1.4 (no filter) iso 100 and 1/2500s

Exif same as the previous one.

 

[RLPhoto]

Does strobist only include speedlites and not studio strobes? (Ironic?)

 

[Viggo]

Does strobist only include speedlites and not studio strobes? (Ironic?)

Strobes and speedlites ;D

 

[RLPhoto]

OK I'll add three but it's hard to choose when the majority of your stuff is strobist. These are currently my fav 3 photos at this time.

1. Two 36" stripboxes on each side of the chair and an 47" octo just above the subject. 5d3+17-40L @ 17mm. ISO 100 - 1/200th - f11

2. 2x 600rts and a reflector below. Set at 8 feet plus a smoke machine. 5d3+24-105 @ 24 mm - iso 400 - 1\200th - f/5.6

3. One 47" octo as the key and a gridded for the BG light. Processed for the strip light in front. 5d3+17-40 @ 17mm - iso 100 - 1/200th - f8

 

[Viggo]

Excellent RLPhoto, thanks for sharing. Fantastic shots and great info. Well played!

 

[madspihl]

Hi guys

Here are two shots, both with a 5D III and Sigma 35 1.4 DG HSM combo. Both shot in Nuuk, Greenland, where I live.

The shot of the girl is done walking backwards with a 600EX-RT in an Apollo Orb and triggered with the ST-E3-RT. I did multiple shots in the same walking sequence, and I picked this one which I liked the best. A friend of mine was carrying the Apollo to camera left, and the speedlite was in high speed sync mode and dialed down to -2 EV. Exif is 35mm, 1/2500 sec, f/1.4, ISO 125.

For the group shot I used two Bowens Gemini 500r triggered wirelessly, each mounted with a Westcott Rapid Box XXL on c-stands and shot a wee bit above the group to my right and left. Exif is 35mm, 1/160, f/1.4, ISO 50 and with a 0.9ND IR Tiffen filter on the lens. Ambient light was underexposed by -0.7EV. Focused manually on a tripod (the lens-camera combo reeeally struggles with nailing autofocus with this type of filter, even in good light, much to my (mild) frustration, since other combos have no issues at all).

Lovely shots in this thread. I hope to see more good stuff

 

[Viggo]

Thanks for sharing madsphil! Just the kind of detailed info I was hoping to see here, and learn from. The group shot is awesome!

 

[privatebydesign]

So anything shot with artificial lights and, or not, ambient? Isn't that a bit broad?

Like RL I have always considered "Strobists" as small hotshoe mountable flashes users, though normally not on the hotshoe.

 

[Viggo]

So anything shot with artificial lights and, or not, ambient? Isn't that a bit broad?

Like RL I have always considered "Strobists" as small hotshoe mountable flashes users, though normally not on the hotshoe.

Well, the title brought you here didn't it? They point of this thread is to share technique and experiences with different lightning gear and how to utilize them in different ways. So if you have a strobe or a speedlite doesn't matter in that case. It's not show what you can do with the cheapest gear, although I highly recommend people sharing ANYTHING shot with any light. The more we limit the less we learn.

I have learned a lot from using speedlites and transferred that to strobes and also the other way around, the way light acts with a subject is the same.

 

[WillThompson]

1st photo model
2nd photo gear X2, some ebay, some home depot, some KEH. Custom cable and custom 12V modeling light mod to studio heads by me.

Will T.

 

[Viggo]

1st photo model
2nd photo gear X2, some ebay, some home depot, some KEH. Custom cable and custom 12V modeling light mod to studio heads by me.

Will T.

Cool setup! I have tried some DIY gear myself, for example my mount bracket for my two 600's, I'll post a shot later. Thanks for sharing!

 

[arcanej]

A single Einstein fitted with a gridded beauty dish. (I edited out the catch light from the crystal globe in Photoshop.)

Viktoria by Evan's Pix, on Flickr

 

[Viggo]

A single Einstein fitted with a gridded beauty dish. (I edited out the catch light from the crystal globe in Photoshop.)

Viktoria by Evan's Pix, on Flickr

Cool shot! Like the background color for the subject, nicely done with one light, I would have almost thought you had one second one for the background. What size is the BD?

 

[arcanej]

It is the 22 inch high output white beauty dish by Paul C. Buff fitted with the 30 degree grid. I turn my apartment into a "studio" by moving all the furniture out of my living room and into the hallway and setting up a continuous paper roll (fashion gray in this shot). While it may look like I lit the backdrop, it's just spill from the beauty dish -- I don't have enough space for the model and the lighting to be very far from the backdrop.

http://www.paulcbuff.com/22hobd-w.php
http://www.paulcbuff.com/22hg30.php

 

[Viggo]

It is the 22 inch high output white beauty dish by Paul C. Buff fitted with the 30 degree grid. I turn my apartment into a "studio" by moving all the furniture out of my living room and into the hallway and setting up a continuous paper roll (fashion gray in this shot). While it may look like I lit the backdrop, it's just spill from the beauty dish -- I don't have enough space for the model and the lighting to be very far from the backdrop.

http://www.paulcbuff.com/22hobd-w.php
http://www.paulcbuff.com/22hg30.php

Sweet, thanks for the info!

 

[Viggo]

Here's a shot from earlier today, I have rediscovered hard light, and I love it!

Two Canon 600 RT bare bulb to the back left at 1/1 power, zoomed to 50mm. Triggered by the Canon ST-E3. Sigma 50 Art at f1.4, iso 100, 1/8000s.

 

[sagittariansrock]

Here's a shot from earlier today, I have rediscovered hard light, and I love it!

Two Canon 600 RT bare bulb to the back left at 1/1 power, zoomed to 50mm. Triggered by the Canon ST-E3. Sigma 50 Art at f1.4, iso 100, 1/8000s.

How did you bare-bulb your 600s? Just Sto-fen or some mod?
Also, is there any advantage to bare-bulbing your Speedlites in the open instead of using them as-is?

 

[Viggo]

Here's a shot from earlier today, I have rediscovered hard light, and I love it!

Two Canon 600 RT bare bulb to the back left at 1/1 power, zoomed to 50mm. Triggered by the Canon ST-E3. Sigma 50 Art at f1.4, iso 100, 1/8000s.

How did you bare-bulb your 600s? Just Sto-fen or some mod?
Also, is there any advantage to bare-bulbing your Speedlites in the open instead of using them as-is?

Well, I have read and learned that "bare bulb" is as is, no modifier when it comes to speedlites. Which means they are used as out of the box. Only zoomed to 50mm.

 

[sagittariansrock]

Well, I have read and learned that "bare bulb" is as is, no modifier when it comes to speedlites. Which means they are used as out of the box. Only zoomed to 50mm.

Ok, I now know what you meant, and it makes sense, of course.
However, AFAIK 'bare bulb' is when the light is non-directional as in monolights or the Sunpak 120J. They allow the light to spread in all directions instead of being directional as a speedlite is. There are some permanent mods online for speedlites (unlike the quick DIY below), all quite complicated- so I asked.

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101-bare-tube-style-lighting.html

 

[sagittariansrock]

Bare bulb mod

@Viggo: This might be quite coincidental, but this thread was posted just today (a thanks and a shout-out, Hannes!)

Bare bulb mod of YN-560 III (with pictures)
http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=21859.msg416144#msg416144