I use a flashpoint xplor 600 in a cheap Selens parabolic softbox , 48” from amazon , you can beat them. They are cheap as chips and I did a comparison with them and the expensive ones from a company’s and the selens light was even softer!
Blakehfreeman wrote:
What's the lighting set up for this?..
Used the 105 and 58 for my sons 4 year session, used the heck out of the 58 and just love the way it renders light and colors in the bokeh. it has a certain richness that I dont get with the sigma 35 or 50 1.4 or even the 105 sometimes.
That said, the 105 really gets me close up for the nice face shots that I love.
5. this was the last shot of the day, no light, sun all the way down and wooded area. just an open pond camera right that gave us a nice side light here. had to crank the ISO up to 1600. I hate how at 1600 I can see grain when I see so many people shooting 3200 or 6400 and you dont see grain or as much grain.
charles.K wrote:
Stunning images Shawn! I would appreciate if you would share your post processing of the images as they are incredibly rich in color.
---------------------------------------------
cope07 wrote:
Seconded!
thanks guys.
in lightroom I use Mastin Labs portra 400 preset and usually use the HSL sliders and up the luminescence by dragging on the skin tones channel. correct WB and add some sharpening. Use radial filters on eye sockets usually to help lift shadows since I dont use OCF much.
then bring the image over the photoshop and use a plugin called DXO Filmpack 3 which was free a long time ago under some special. there's a film emulation U particularly like a lot which is called Kodak Elite Chrome 400. it really adds contrast in a good way and a lot of depth where I like. It usually adds a bit too much red on the skin tones so I just use a saturation layer in photoshop with a mask to reduce reds in the skin IF it happens. it doesn't always.
Need to remember to switch to the highlight weighted metering mode on the D850 for a white dog, but quite enjoying the 105/1.4 and the ability to grab the camera, run outside while the sig. other is taking the dog out, snap a few shots, to which she later claims "there is no way that is the picture you took in the backyard earlier, it looks so good".
With the application of a little talent and purpose I might just produce something really special one of these days lol
in lightroom I use Mastin Labs portra 400 preset and usually use the HSL sliders and up the luminescence by dragging on the skin tones channel. correct WB and add some sharpening. Use radial filters on eye sockets usually to help lift shadows since I dont use OCF much.
then bring the image over the photoshop and use a plugin called DXO Filmpack 3 which was free a long time ago under some special. there's a film emulation U particularly like a lot which is called Kodak Elite Chrome 400. it really adds contrast in a good way and a lot of depth where I like. It usually adds a bit too much red on the skin tones so I just use a saturation layer in photoshop with a mask to reduce reds in the skin IF it happens. it doesn't always.
Thank you very much for sharing I have now downloaded the Mastin Labs presets as I really like the simplicity and how it is implemented in Lr CC Classic. I have had the VSCO presets but none really excited me, so I ended not using them.
That said I will eventually pick up a A7rIII for travel, but my lens selection will be very limited to small/light lenses and I have not interest in the fast lenses anymore. I find the fast lenses with Sony A7's are very long, torpedo like and awkward as you walk around. There is a good reason why the Canon 50L, 85L, Nikon 58G are short and squat and just feel right.
I second that, and am in a very similar predicament to yours - I would move over to Sony entirely but am in love with the Nikon 105mm f/1.4 and 14-24 f/2.8. I also suspect I will love the D850 when it arrives in a few days. That said, I've been shooting an A9 with Leica lenses on an AF adapter, and have a hard time putting the camera down. It's so good and I find it hard to believe I can shoot images like what I am getting with a camera that is so light and portable. AF has its limitations with the adapted manual-focus lenses but I'm always amazed at how many more keepers I get of moving subjects than I do if I manually focus. As a result, the kit stays nice and compact, something I have resolved to maintain with my Sony setup - lightweight yet capable for traveling and walking around.
But still, I can't wait to get a Nikon camera back into my kit again (I sold all of my Nikon cameras when the D850 was announced, so I've been missing my 105 especially during the fall season).
Arka, I haven't shot with the Sony E mount since I sold my A7r... let me know which system you like better once you receive your D850... I'm very curious!
I can't ask most Sony fanboys as they normally hyperventilate or flame out mid argument/discussion.
EDIT: My biggest issue is I'll never part with my 200mm 2.0VRII and am worried how that would work adapted to Sony. Also, the 105mm 1.4 is killer! Arka wrote:
I second that, and am in a very similar predicament to yours - I would move over to Sony entirely but am in love with the Nikon 105mm f/1.4 and 14-24 f/2.8. I also suspect I will love the D850 when it arrives in a few days. That said, I've been shooting an A9 with Leica lenses on an AF adapter, and have a hard time putting the camera down. It's so good and I find it hard to believe I can shoot images like what I am getting with a camera that is so light and portable. AF has its limitations with the adapted manual-focus lenses but I'm always amazed at how many more keepers I get of moving subjects than I do if I manually focus. As a result, the kit stays nice and compact, something I have resolved to maintain with my Sony setup - lightweight yet capable for traveling and walking around.
But still, I can't wait to get a Nikon camera back into my kit again (I sold all of my Nikon cameras when the D850 was announced, so I've been missing my 105 especially during the fall season). ...Show more →
