John Ricard wrote:
I'm the guy who made the video you are referring to
and I'm a bit confused by your comment.
For one thing, I'm not aware of there being a "right" way to
use any piece of equipment. If I am shooting for a client
and the client likes the image, is there any more to it
than that? If I can state as a fact that I have sold images
to clients using certain lighting methods, can it really be
said that the equipment is being used the wrong way?
Every photographer I know puts his Ring Flash on his
camera. If one day some guy decides to take it off
camera and put it a 90 degree angle to the client, and
the client likes the image, would you say he "doesn't
know how to use" a Ring Flash?
Second, it's really easy to sit back and watch You Tube and
say, "Well, that guy doesn't know what he is talking about."
But the real challenge is to put yourself out there and make
a tutorial video. If you have never made one, I would suggest
you try. You start second guessing yourself about things
you really thought you knew. You worry about making a
complete ass of yourself on a World Wide web. It's easy to
post stuff on the internet using a fake name. It takes a lot
more courage to use your real name and really put yourself out there.
Believe it or not making the videos and subjecting yourself
to the critiques, is a very healthy experience.
I don't claim to be an expert, and if you check my You Tube
videos you'll see that I leave up a LOT of negative comments
about my videos. I don't claim to be an expert on lighting or
photography. I enjoy the challenge of making videos and I am
only showing techniques that have worked for me. The videos
aren't intended to come across as some sort of expert
explaining the "right" way to do something.
And, if you can enlighten me on a better way to use the
Octabank than what I showed, I'd be eager to learn.
And that sentence is not intended to be sarcastic, btw.
These are the images from the video in question.
No image adjustments have been made.
img215.imageshack.us/img215/3572/debbie0109jr003oyziwh.jpg
img200.imageshack.us/img200/4694/debbie0109jr018.jpg
200.imageshack.us/img200/9921/debbie0109jr030.jpg...Show more →
Your video was well done. Hopefully the fact that you "don't claim to be an expert" on lighting techniques, also means you won't take my comment along similar lines, as a personal attack.
A vast number of beautiful images have been created with this modifer either as a primary or solo light source. I'm sure your's will improve with time and practice, and that you'll share your journey.
I think what you are seeing is the right edge of the light, then him, then his shadow. Fro mI can tell fro mthat photo where you'd see the another brighter area to his right cjust happens to co-incide with the the right edge of the backdrop.. To me it does not look like the PLM is angled to point at him and not the center of the backdrop. I base this conclusion on two things:
the direction the PLM is pointing in (based on being able t oseethat much of the shaft and the shadow of it's edge on the floor
shoebox9 wrote:
With all respect, the guy in the linked vid appears to have very little idea at all, how to use the Big Octa he is singing the prases of.
Could you elaborate on what you would have done with it so it's used better?
Seems ok to me (I've seen people use a giant umbrella by standing in front of it so it creates a ringlight effect, which I think is what he did in the initial segment), but I'm a relative noob...
John Ricard wrote:
I'm the guy who made the video you are referring to
and I'm a bit confused by your comment.
For one thing, I'm not aware of there being a "right" way to
use any piece of equipment. If I am shooting for a client
and the client likes the image, is there any more to it
than that? If I can state as a fact that I have sold images
to clients using certain lighting methods, can it really be
said that the equipment is being used the wrong way?
Every photographer I know puts his Ring Flash on his
camera. If one day some guy decides to take it off
camera and put it a 90 degree angle to the client, and
the client likes the image, would you say he "doesn't
know how to use" a Ring Flash?
Second, it's really easy to sit back and watch You Tube and
say, "Well, that guy doesn't know what he is talking about."
But the real challenge is to put yourself out there and make
a tutorial video. If you have never made one, I would suggest
you try. You start second guessing yourself about things
you really thought you knew. You worry about making a
complete ass of yourself on a World Wide web. It's easy to
post stuff on the internet using a fake name. It takes a lot
more courage to use your real name and really put yourself out there.
Believe it or not making the videos and subjecting yourself
to the critiques, is a very healthy experience.
I don't claim to be an expert, and if you check my You Tube
videos you'll see that I leave up a LOT of negative comments
about my videos. I don't claim to be an expert on lighting or
photography. I enjoy the challenge of making videos and I am
only showing techniques that have worked for me. The videos
aren't intended to come across as some sort of expert
explaining the "right" way to do something.
And, if you can enlighten me on a better way to use the
Octabank than what I showed, I'd be eager to learn.
And that sentence is not intended to be sarcastic, btw.
These are the images from the video in question.
No image adjustments have been made.
I think you did a great job and put yourself out there which takes some guts. It is interesting to me that the people ripping on you offer no advice on how they would have used the mod any differently in a one light setup.
I come here to learn and offer help when i can but i guess others come here to just bash people.
preshovich wrote:
The beam should be homogeneous...
if you did a diagram of his set up you'd see that the side that is brighter ( to the guy's left -- right side of the photo) is a lot closer to the left edge of the PLM than the part of the back drop that is t ohis right of the backdrop is to the other edge of the PLM . What you are seeing is a natural fall off at close range.
I don't claim to be an expert, and if you check my You Tube
videos you'll see that I leave up a LOT of negative comments
about my videos. I don't claim to be an expert on lighting or
photography.
But you feel free to instruct people on lighting and photography? Your video skills are fine, and you are right it isn't easy putting one of these together.
An Elinchrom Octalight is not designed with the same purpose as a parabolic reflector. The design is to scatter light evenly over a large area, so that when the photons hit the diffusion screen you get a very smooth , very even light distribution pattern with no hot spot. Not using the diffusion just makes it a very large umbrella.
E-Vener wrote:
if you did a diagram of his set up you'd see that the side that is brighter ( to the guy's left -- right side of the photo) is a lot closer to the left edge of the PLM than the part of the back drop that is t ohis right of the backdrop is to the other edge of the PLM . What you are seeing is a natural fall off at close range.
In a way that's true but here the halo is too bright and definite, it's like an honey comb has been used... I've been using umbrellas and parabolic systems for years now and didn't see such a intense hot spot even close to the subject... it reminds me the effect of the narrow beam reflector from profoto. We can compare to the video posted before with the huge elinchrom octabank....
Salut preshovich,
I've mentioned before (and it's not your fault that you weren't able to comment) the lamp head is obviously not adjusted to give an even output. I suppose that it's set on a too large distance from the vertex (back of the PLM), hence the "spot" effect.
At least it's becoming clear that it not just me that some here love to attack. Jeez - you have two shooters who are presenting very valuable info and who both show a good level of expertise combined with humility and information, and you guys jump on them and say they don't know what they are doing. My god, is this an informative photo forum or an attack board?
Some of armchair critics here should look in the mirror and actually contribute positive helpful insights instead acting like judgmental superiority freaks with nothing to back up their criticism.
Call me all the names you want because of these statements.
Al Gore talked about the information highway. Maybe he was wrong - it's becoming a gripe and slam highway.
E-Vener wrote:
if you did a diagram of his set up you'd see that the side that is brighter ( to the guy's left -- right side of the photo) is a lot closer to the left edge of the PLM than the part of the back drop that is t ohis right of the backdrop is to the other edge of the PLM . What you are seeing is a natural fall off at close range.
The silver PLM is designed to allow a "shaft of light" with great efficiency from a large source. The "hotspot" is not a hotspot at all - it's the narrow beam pattern when adjusted to high focus. In these shots the light appears to be maybe 7' from the background. This is fine if you are doing a head and shoulders or facial closeup, but is too close for a full body shot. It's all physics. A really good shooter must understand physics to excel.
If you don't want the "hotspot", move the light unit into the PLM a bit to widen the beam, or put on the front diffuser for a very wide pattern.
Like most products, the PLM is a tool that may require a learning curve to use to one's best advantage.
First try with ringflash and central adapter, very nice light, full coverage:
http://www.photoshutter.ca/Samples/_I9L1562.jpg
Thats a cool looking flash head. It's not your traditional ring flash because it doesn't have a hole in the middle for your lens. Which head is that BTW?
Wow Ellis, not only do you know what you are doing but you know where to apply it.
this is exactly what i am interested in, lighting waterfalls, great trees and big rocks.
since i'm already sold on the fact that the PLMs are a nicely backpackable way to get enough light into difficult places your example just makes me want to head out for my favorite local gorge in this thunderstorm and try new things!
much gratitude.
