Neal Osborn
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Has anyone found a “good” and practical solution for light stands/umbrellas et al for what we do?
Every time I think I’ve found a workable solution, I find something to shoot it down. Either too heavy, or too cumbersome, or too “envolved” to set up.
if you go light and packable, things like wind or lack of height shoot those down.
John, I found a perfect solution for just that situation (and it works great for hiking and/or fishing). The answer will make you laugh, but it is practical and cheap.
Buy two $19 microphone stands at your local guitar/music shop. They are flimsy but they pack down small and weigh next to nothing. You can use a Justin clamp or C-clamp to secure your hot-shoe flashes (or even the Quadra pack, which I use more lately). Take an empty sandbag or two and just fill them will dirt and rocks to secure the stands on location.
Alternatively, I have used the Gorilla tripods and secure them to either 1)a tree branch, or 2)break off a branch and stick it in the ground as a make shift pole and secure the Gorilla tripod to that.
Someone actually gave me a pair of those in light yellow. They are completely ridiculous. I am sure they serve a purpose but I could never go out in public looking like Aladdin. I am not even kidding.
Zach
I would pay good money to see you wear those yellow pants in public 😮
I’ll never look at a people shot the same again. Always looking for the light now!
True, true, true.
I have learned more from observing or assisting pro photogs than any book could teach. However, the reading does provide the foundation of necessary knowledge.
A great mentor once told me, “shadow is light’s friend.” It took me about two years, hundreds of shots, and lots of wasted batteries to realize the truth in that statement. Drama, as created with flash/strobe photography, either in the studio or outside, is a delicate interplay between light and shadow. It is a constant struggle to expose for the highlights, while maintaining the depth of the shadows and mid tones.
Practice on your dog! My poor pooch has suffered more from strobe trauma than she deserves. Partly because my wife absolutely (positively) will not let me photograph herself, and more so because the dog is pure white, which makes it terribly difficult to properly expose her hair to maintain dramatic depth. Thus, a great challenge and good practice.
Find something interesting to photograph under controlled settings and force yourself to nail the shot. Similar to fishing – expect to catch something and keep at it until you catch the fish.
Don’t be afraid to take your flash/strobes on the boat. The off-camera flash (preferably with gels) will add great drama to any fishing photograph. For this shot, there was one gelled flash and one hot shoe softbox, both easily out of the way while fishing, but easily employed for the grip-and-grin.
This part of photography is definitely less about gear and all about lighting, lighting, and lighting.
Awww, come on guys, it’s so simple. Maybe you need a refresher course.
[leans arm on hot engine part]
Hey! It’s all ball bearings nowadays. ;D
If you haven’t already, I would just join Kelby Training for a month and watch all the studio lighting tutorials.
Neil….The doc is coming out in you I see…a CAT scan for the butts??? 🙂 I recognize the Polders but….
What is the electronic thingy on your side table?
It’s an electronic fan that regulates the dome temperature so I don’t have to adjust the vents.
Thanks for the information guys. Honestly, I didn’t know that much about anchors and such, but it makes complete sense. The trolley system is vital and after looking at the pictures and diagrams it is a complete “Um . . . Duh” moment. So now that the trolley is clarified, what types of anchors are commonly used? Any recommendations?
FYI, I copied the pictures below from Jimbo’s site http://nativewatercraft.com/jimbo/4-08.cfm
