p.5 #7 · Kaylee - Gorgeous Senior Rep + My 1st Attempt at OCF
benee wrote:
i have a 47' softlighter. It works just fine with a speedlight. For outdoor work, though, I think a simple shoot throughh is easiest to deal with.
Come on Benee, I mean really? You are calling me out on this? Would you seriously recommend a 60" modifier with a 550EX II for outdoor location work for someone like Lisa, with what she shoots, where she shoots, and how she shoots. Then add in the the fact she has had an aversion towards OCF in general and is finally breaking through it. Oh and for the record there is a significant size difference between a 47" modifier and a 60".
I do agree with you that there is nothing wrong with a shoot through umbrella other than returning to the earlier point in the thread where she works a lot in wind and has already stated that has been a problem.
p.5 #10 · Kaylee - Gorgeous Senior Rep + My 1st Attempt at OCF
SGallant wrote:
Come on Benee, I mean really? You are calling me out on this? Would you seriously recommend a 60" modifier with a 550EX II for outdoor location work for someone like Lisa, with what she shoots, where she shoots, and how she shoots. Then add in the the fact she has had an aversion towards OCF in general and is finally breaking through it. Oh and for the record there is a significant size difference between a 47" modifier and a 60".
I do agree with you that there is nothing wrong with a shoot through umbrella other than returning to the earlier point in the thread where she works a lot in wind and has already stated that has been a problem....Show more →
whoa there.... I am not calling you out on anything.... just saying that my 47 inch softlighter is fine with a speedlight. Perhaps the 47 incher would work for her, particularly with the silver or gold insert. mI think wind is always going to be an issue... and you really do need an assistant or some serious sandbags for outdoors. Personally, i prefer a simple shoot through because if/when it gets knocked over and damaged, its easy and cheap to replace. take it easy man...
p.5 #11 · Kaylee - Gorgeous Senior Rep + My 1st Attempt at OCF
benee wrote:
whoa there.... I am not calling you out on anything.... just saying that my 47 inch softlighter is fine with a speedlight. Perhaps the 47 incher would work for her, particularly with the silver or gold insert. mI think wind is always going to be an issue... and you really do need an assistant or some serious sandbags for outdoors. Personally, i prefer a simple shoot through because if/when it gets knocked over and damaged, its easy and cheap to replace. take it easy man...
DUDE did not know you were the authority on ocf....I will check in with you next time I make a purchase. I make 2 suggestions and you shoot down both of them.....FYI I have shot a 430 ex thru both of these modifiers..She also mentioned she might put a small studio in a spare room......next time I decide to make a post about OCF modifiers I will PM you the post first to make sure it is worthy of posting.....have the best day
p.5 #13 · Kaylee - Gorgeous Senior Rep + My 1st Attempt at OCF
I've been "lurking" your postings for some time now and I just have to say how much I really enjoy viewing your photography. To me it doesn't matter much if you use natural light or flash, nor does the manner in which you process your images. You're very competent at what you do and how you do it. You have a very photographic eye and you have an innate understanding of how to put all the elements together. In the end what ultimately matters is that you produce an image that people want to look at.
What makes your work special is your ability to connect with your subjects and to bring out and capture their best qualities. You have that in spades and you're able to do it consistently time and time again. That is the sign of a true professional.
Some of your most vocal critics may have decent technical skills but none of their portraits are anywhere near as compelling as yours. I'm amazed not only at the consistent high quality in your work but also at the volume you're able to produce.
I don't get to spend a lot of time here on FM, but when I do get a chance to visit your images are mainly what draws me to the People forum. I really appreciate you sharing your work and I'm eagerly looking forward to your future posts.
Last but not least, I used the Nikon SB 80DX speedlight in the Westcott Apollo 50" softbox. As we all know, softbox will suck light output considerably. So I bumped up my ISO to 800 or something and opened up my aperture to let more light in. http://pcdn.500px.net/2919954/2a31b9b1c857046b6bc618726a592c843ad0f523/4.jpg
Note that I've listed my photos in order from sunset time to complete darkness at night. I use both available light and artificial. A speedlight using 4 AA batteries will never overpower the sun. But dial in your flash output power, ISO settings, and aperture and wait until the sun is barely gone, then you pull out a speedlight to lengthen your session with your client and create gorgeous OCF portraits.
Moral of the story? Learn through trial and error to know the limitations of your gear. Lisa will figure it out on her own just fine.
BTW, the Photoflex 60" convertible umbrella is great and has withstood several falling over in my experience. The inner rods are made of fiberglass as opposed to steel or aluminum that can bend to render an entire umbrella obsolete when it falls over.
p.5 #15 · Kaylee - Gorgeous Senior Rep + My 1st Attempt at OCF
@ Lisa - Have been an admirer of your work for some time now. I did want to point out if you are considering purchasing the
Lastolite Joe McNally Ezybox Hot Shoe - 24 x 24" (61 x 61 cm)
you may consider Calumet Photographic's version.
I just bought it recently and works fantastic. I am quite lucky as I have two of their stores here in my area. Unfortunately they have none near you, but be assured they have great products.
p.5 #16 · Kaylee - Gorgeous Senior Rep + My 1st Attempt at OCF
The difference between the Joe McNally EZbox and the regular Lastolite and Calumet versions is the Joe McNally version has a white interior, while the others are silver. They're more punchy where the McNally version is a bit smoother. He worked with Lastolite to create the McNally version for just this reason.
p.5 #17 · Kaylee - Gorgeous Senior Rep + My 1st Attempt at OCF
I think it doesn't matter if the umbrella is too big if you shoot it trough IMO. Maybe I'm wrong. Honorerdieu, what zoom setting do you use on the speedlite?
Last but not least, I used the Nikon SB 80DX speedlight in the Westcott Apollo 50" softbox. As we all know, softbox will suck light output considerably. So I bumped up my ISO to 800 or something and opened up my aperture to let more light in. http://pcdn.500px.net/2919954/2a31b9b1c857046b6bc618726a592c843ad0f523/4.jpg
Note that I've listed my photos in order from sunset time to complete darkness at night. I use both available light and artificial. A speedlight using 4 AA batteries will never overpower the sun. But dial in your flash output power, ISO settings, and aperture and wait until the sun is barely gone, then you pull out a speedlight to lengthen your session with your client and create gorgeous OCF portraits.
Moral of the story? Learn through trial and error to know the limitations of your gear. Lisa will figure it out on her own just fine.
BTW, the Photoflex 60" convertible umbrella is great and has withstood several falling over in my experience. The inner rods are made of fiberglass as opposed to steel or aluminum that can bend to render an entire umbrella obsolete when it falls over....Show more →
Thank you......beautiful work on your site. I have phottix Odins and have used it in brighter sun at a pretty high sync speed
p.5 #19 · Kaylee - Gorgeous Senior Rep + My 1st Attempt at OCF
Strobo wrote:
I've been "lurking" your postings for some time now and I just have to say how much I really enjoy viewing your photography. To me it doesn't matter much if you use natural light or flash, nor does the manner in which you process your images. You're very competent at what you do and how you do it. You have a very photographic eye and you have an innate understanding of how to put all the elements together. In the end what ultimately matters is that you produce an image that people want to look at.
What makes your work special is your ability to connect with your subjects and to bring out and capture their best qualities. You have that in spades and you're able to do it consistently time and time again. That is the sign of a true professional.
Some of your most vocal critics may have decent technical skills but none of their portraits are anywhere near as compelling as yours. I'm amazed not only at the consistent high quality in your work but also at the volume you're able to produce.
I don't get to spend a lot of time here on FM, but when I do get a chance to visit your images are mainly what draws me to the People forum. I really appreciate you sharing your work and I'm eagerly looking forward to your future posts....Show more →
p.5 #20 · Kaylee - Gorgeous Senior Rep + My 1st Attempt at OCF
SGallant wrote:
Come on Benee, I mean really? You are calling me out on this? Would you seriously recommend a 60" modifier with a 550EX II for outdoor location work for someone like Lisa, with what she shoots, where she shoots, and how she shoots. Then add in the the fact she has had an aversion towards OCF in general and is finally breaking through it. Oh and for the record there is a significant size difference between a 47" modifier and a 60".
I do agree with you that there is nothing wrong with a shoot through umbrella other than returning to the earlier point in the thread where she works a lot in wind and has already stated that has been a problem....Show more →
I use a 60" softlighter for outdoor portraits all the time. My 550 EX does fine, so I'm sure the 580 II would do at least as well if not better. I do use an external battery pack (from Pixel) so I don't have to worry too much about shooting near full power.
I'd say this would work very well for Lisa's style. The light in her images is always very soft, so I think a big modifier makes sense for her (unless she wants to use the OCF to do something significantly different than her other stuff).
There are two issues that I can see Lisa having. One is that she doesn't usually have an assistant or parent on site to help hold things. The softlighter will blow over very easily, and it is kinda fragile (one fall and the umbrella ribs will be bend, though not ruin). The other issue is time of day. I shoot most of my seniors in the 2 hours leading up to sunset, so I have plenty of power. If Lisa shoots earlier in the day, the 580 in a 60" may not have enough power. But if she wants to shoot earlier, she will probably need to look into a monolight anyhow, and the softlighter would be perfect for that.
