E-Vener wrote:
Also except for the the out of focus bit in the lower right corner I like the engine, belt & pulley image c.d. embrey posted above.
Thanks ... I think
The PLMs have a square end on the shaft. I'd taken them over to a friends R&D company to have them remove the ends and chuck them up on a lathe to round the ends Square ends won't work with a Profoto head. You could also use a file to do this.
I went into the dyno room to shoot a few photos to show how the PLMs worked with a shiny surface. These were never intended to be anything other than demos guess I could have cropped the pix, but then it would not have had as much value as a teaching tool.
A dyno room is filled with lots of wires, hoses, etc. What you are seeing in the lower right is a water return hose. The reason the PLM is six feet away is that these wires, hoses, etc would have cast shadows if it were in a different position.
Next time I post a demo shot I'll send it over to Kim Herrera so she can work her magic.
Out of curiosity, why did you decide to make the model fuzzy but not the hotel rather than keep everything sharp (I'm still trying to understand "fashion")?
Paul Buff wrote:
Also, I don't understand "I'm sure he'll take that as a compliment given your taste in branding. "
I have never expressed a taste in branding nor suggested that my brand is better than another brand. Most photographers I know of use whatever brand best suits the results they want to achieve, the cost, reliability, service, etc.. Branding does not a photographer make, though spending huge amounts of money on a particular brand might offer some level of personal ego and status within a certain group of shooters.
Deezie,
Paul doesn't understand good branding and I lay a guess that he doesn't see a value in it.
kenyee wrote:
Out of curiosity, why did you decide to make the model fuzzy but not the hotel rather than keep everything sharp (I'm still trying to understand "fashion")?
i assume its to show motion. Since it looks as if the Gondala is moving forward.
I like the shot. Its odd this day and age that everything has to be sharp. Some of my best pictures are not technically sound (sharp, free of CA, free of distrotion, etc) but they are composed well and have rich colors. And convey emotion
The boat and girl, and background, were seperate images (perhaps more than two) that have been combined in post. Anyway, this wasn't meant as an image critique.
I'm looking forward to playing with our set, which arrived today. I'm also amused that in it''s very short life, this thread has already received double the posts, and more views than the "Why I Hate Umbrellas" thread did! (Don't know how it ended, don't care, I stopped reading it.)
Ok Paul so you want to see Nikon speed light photos here are some of my armchair expert photos as you would call them.
I have a few hundred thousand if you need some more..
I was not cracking down on your new PLM just the photos posted so far but i see you took this wrong to like most things.
Paul Buff wrote:
Can you say "armchair expert?" For the intended purpose, I found Embrey's work just fine. Let's see examples of how you can do these shots at 15' with a speedlight, (or 5' for that matter). You must like hard shadows and pin size catchlights. Oh, BTW - it's called a "diffuser dome". A defuser is for taking fuses out of your electrical panel if you live in a really old house.
E-Vener wrote:
"The PLMs have a square end on the shaft."
They sent me both the smallest and largest PLM's for review and the shafts on both is round for it's entire length with no square end.
I don't know about Kim Herrera but I want Christie Turlington for my test photos.
8-0 I can't believe this!!! Lets try this again. The shaft maybe round, but the tip is cut square. Look at your two and you will see what I mean. Because the end is cut square it jams if you try to insert it into a Profoto Acute or Pro head.
digitaled wrote:
I was not cracking down on your new PLM just the photos posted so far but i see you took this wrong to like most things.
Reading comprehension is needed if you are going to participate in a forum. Please reread what I said:
Here are a few from Friday.
No PhotoShop. Cropped in DPP3.6. Web sizing and copyright added with IrfanView 4.10
Not often a woman will let you take photos with no makeup except lipstick and a little eye makeup So what you are seeing is the light period.
These were not finished photos. They were shot to show how the light worked on various skin types. Old man with lots of wrinkles, middle aged woman with no make up and a man with deep set eyes. It was all about the quality of the light.
The light is at the height it is because this is the height you would have it in a normal room with 8' ceilings. Most people don't have a studio with 20' ceilings, so I thought this would be helpful.
But it seems like I was wrong
For those who don't know. I'm retired from Hollywood where I did lighting for commercials, MOWs, feature films both small budget and BIG budget. One of them was even nominated for an Academy Award. So I do know just a little about lighting.
Did anyone read Thoughts of a Bohemian today. http://blog.melchersystem.com/ "Full Frontal disclosure" Here are some great quotes:
Hide your best work. Only your clients should see it. no one else.
Do not share or post your techniques. You will only be popular with the ones that have no imaginations. Like leeches, they feed on others knowledge.
Never, ever ask for the opinion of another photographer. If its good, they will copy you, if it’s bad, they won’t tell you.
Sounds like words to live by.
As one of my favorite Assistant Directors once said, as he ripped the pages from the script "We'll shoot this scene in another lifetime"
glenthegay's comment is a pure ad hominem attack by an anonymous coward, but I am sure he'll just respond that we aren't getting the joke. I get it that he is trying to be funny, but I also get it that he isn't actually being funny, just vile.
denoise wrote:
Can anyone tell the dimensions of the shipped PLM package (width, height, weight) ?
I read it was sent inside a cardboard tube, is this true ?
Thanks
Which size? Mine were delivered in a long standard cardboard box but inside each was packed in a 3 +3/16 inch diameter Uline manufactured heavy duty shipping tubes with nearly 1/4 inch thick walls. The 86" PLM came in a 49 inch long tube. The PLM itself is 43 inches long and comes in a black protective fabric sleeve sewn closed on on end and the open end closes with a draw string. Inside the shipping tube the PLM and it's protective sleeve were in a clear plastic plastic sleeve.
Overall I'd say the packing is better than other higher end lighting products I've bought or received recently.
c.d.embrey wrote: 8-0 I can't believe this!!! Lets try this again. The shaft maybe round, but the tip is cut square. Look at your two and you will see what I mean. Because the end is cut square it jams if you try to insert it into a Profoto Acute or Pro head.
I admit it: I misunderstood what you wrote. The end of the PLM shaft indeed is flat and not tapered as with some other brands of umbrellas. Tapering the end of the shaft would make for easier insertion. I'll try it with some Profoto heads later today.
Sean Baker wrote:
I guess I'm wondering how even the light coming out of it is. Early tests on another site showed very even light, within 1 stop or so across the undiffused face at a few feet distance, and I was wondering whether you'd found something similar or otherwise.
At 10 feet the variation in illumination level from edge to center to edge across a seven foot circle was within 2/10ths stop. That is without the diffusion cover on the 86" PLM
It did not take long for this thread to become completely unreadable and retarded - No, I am not blaming Paul for this in any way, shape, or form.
Paul, it would be wonderful if in the future your company showed the effects of your modifiers using actual models - show the setup, the tech specs, and the finished image without photoshop. In fact, I would suggest the same to all lighting equipment manufacturers and have done so with the manufacturer of the lighting equipment I use.
It is hard for a person to determine if a product is going to suit their needs without actually seeing it function in the real world. I am tempted by this new product but am unwilling to spend any money until I see some decent planned shots using the product - not meant to slam anyone posting thus far.
E-Vener wrote:
At 10 feet the variation in illumination level from edge to center to edge across a seven foot circle was within 2/10ths stop. That is without the diffusion cover on the 86" PLM That is impressive.
Littlebike, you're absolutely right. I don't about any others but Elinchrom, Lastolite, Photoflex, and Profoto have good representations of what their products can produce on their web sites. This makes choosing much easier.
"
That is impressive.