Comments on: finding the light http://neilvn.com/tangents/2007/09/12/finding-the-light/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=finding-the-light photography by Neil van Niekerk Tue, 22 May 2012 16:45:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Steven Vequist http://neilvn.com/tangents/2007/09/12/finding-the-light/#comment-20127 Steven Vequist Thu, 07 Apr 2011 19:19:52 +0000 http://planetneil.com/tangents/2007/09/12/finding-the-light-2/#comment-20127 Neil, I ran into this post looking on your site about fluorescent and flash combined with the ambient fluorescent contributing to the majority of the light source. We are shooting a senior suited out in her basketball uniform in the school gym on Saturday. Will use an off camera SB900 in a softbox with enough ambient light to give some detail to the surroundings. Would you use a green gel on the flash? Automatic white balance or place it on fluorescent on the camera? Thanks in advance for your answer and your contribution to portrait photography. Steve Neil,

I ran into this post looking on your site about fluorescent and flash combined with the ambient fluorescent contributing to the majority of the light source. We are shooting a senior suited out in her basketball uniform in the school gym on Saturday. Will use an off camera SB900 in a softbox with enough ambient light to give some detail to the surroundings. Would you use a green gel on the flash? Automatic white balance or place it on fluorescent on the camera? Thanks in advance for your answer and your contribution to portrait photography.

Steve

]]> By: Neil vN http://neilvn.com/tangents/2007/09/12/finding-the-light/#comment-19957 Neil vN Sat, 02 Apr 2011 06:00:03 +0000 http://planetneil.com/tangents/2007/09/12/finding-the-light-2/#comment-19957 <blockquote>Joe ... this is easy to connect. Flash in the hot-shoe, and the PocketWizard connected to the camera's PC terminal. In this case, the PocketWizard is attached with velcro to the flash. Re the thing under the flash, it is the '<a href="http://neilvn.com/tangents/2011/03/08/video-using-the-black-foamie-thing/">black foamie thing</a>' that I use to control my on-camera flash in <a href="http://neilvn.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/4-bouncing-flash/">how I bounce flash</a>. ie .. what Trev said. Neil vN</blockquote>

Joe … this is easy to connect. Flash in the hot-shoe, and the PocketWizard connected to the camera’s PC terminal. In this case, the PocketWizard is attached with velcro to the flash.

Re the thing under the flash, it is the ‘black foamie thing‘ that I use to control my on-camera flash in how I bounce flash.

ie .. what Trev said.

Neil vN

]]> By: trev http://neilvn.com/tangents/2007/09/12/finding-the-light/#comment-19947 trev Sat, 02 Apr 2011 02:07:50 +0000 http://planetneil.com/tangents/2007/09/12/finding-the-light-2/#comment-19947 Joe, 2 ways to mount the PW on a flash. 1] Velcro [bit messy, but do-able] 2] Pocket Wizard Caddy @ http://flashzebra.com/products/0070/index.shtml or simply Google 'pocket wizard caddy' for other results. That 'thing' under the flash head is Neil's little 'secret' to great flash results. He calls it the 'black foamie thing' and you can search his site for it or even google it and you will get to his site anyway. It controls light spill, gives direction to light, point it to where you want the flash to come from without any flash spilling directly onto the subject from the flash head itself. Lots of articles on this site re black foamie thing. Trev Joe,

2 ways to mount the PW on a flash.

1] Velcro [bit messy, but do-able]
2] Pocket Wizard Caddy @ http://flashzebra.com/products/0070/index.shtml or simply Google ‘pocket wizard caddy’ for other results.

That ‘thing’ under the flash head is Neil’s little ‘secret’ to great flash results.
He calls it the ‘black foamie thing’ and you can search his site for it or even google it and you will get to his site anyway.

It controls light spill, gives direction to light, point it to where you want the flash to come from without any flash spilling directly onto the subject from the flash head itself. Lots of articles on this site re black foamie thing.

Trev

]]> By: Joe http://neilvn.com/tangents/2007/09/12/finding-the-light/#comment-19916 Joe Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:26:58 +0000 http://planetneil.com/tangents/2007/09/12/finding-the-light-2/#comment-19916 Neil, one more thing - how did you get pocket wizard to stay on that 580EX? Is there an adapter or what and what's that under the flash head? I know these are dumb questions but will very much appreciate your reply 'cos I'm a rookie in this business. Neil, one more thing – how did you get pocket wizard to stay on that 580EX? Is there an adapter or what and what’s that under the flash head? I know these are dumb questions but will very much appreciate your reply ‘cos I’m a rookie in this business.

]]> By: Joe http://neilvn.com/tangents/2007/09/12/finding-the-light/#comment-19915 Joe Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:21:35 +0000 http://planetneil.com/tangents/2007/09/12/finding-the-light-2/#comment-19915 Neil, I am just a very slow person. Can you please, please write down step by step how you connected the flash, Pocket wizard and trigger of quantum together as shown in the picture above....which device connects to which? Thanks a lot Neil, I am just a very slow person. Can you please, please write down step by step how you connected the flash, Pocket wizard and trigger of quantum together as shown in the picture above….which device connects to which? Thanks a lot

]]> By: Jerry http://neilvn.com/tangents/2007/09/12/finding-the-light/#comment-9000 Jerry Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:40:43 +0000 http://planetneil.com/tangents/2007/09/12/finding-the-light-2/#comment-9000 Neil, I know this is a late post, my question is if the room was dim. or the light were turned down drastically would you still use the same set up because of the high ceilings. Neil, I know this is a late post, my question is if the room was dim. or the light were turned down drastically would you still use the same set up because of the high ceilings.

]]> By: Robert http://neilvn.com/tangents/2007/09/12/finding-the-light/#comment-6317 Robert Sat, 01 May 2010 18:07:11 +0000 http://planetneil.com/tangents/2007/09/12/finding-the-light-2/#comment-6317 Hi Neil, Greetings from Poland. :) There is one thing which I don't understand. Your on-camera flash was directed upwards and backwards. In such a large room reflected light has a very low level, especially in comparison with lamps Quantum. What is the role of the on-camera flash, taking into account that Quantum flashes was triggered by radio? Can we don't use the on-camera flash at all? Hi Neil,
Greetings from Poland. :)
There is one thing which I don’t understand. Your on-camera flash was directed upwards and backwards. In such a large room reflected light has a very low level, especially in comparison with lamps Quantum.
What is the role of the on-camera flash, taking into account that Quantum flashes was triggered by radio? Can we don’t use the on-camera flash at all?

]]> By: Rob http://neilvn.com/tangents/2007/09/12/finding-the-light/#comment-5750 Rob Mon, 22 Mar 2010 17:58:47 +0000 http://planetneil.com/tangents/2007/09/12/finding-the-light-2/#comment-5750 Thanks again. You're very generous with your time and experience and it is much appreciated by us lower lifeforms :) Thanks again. You’re very generous with your time and experience and it is much appreciated by us lower lifeforms :)

]]> By: Neil vN http://neilvn.com/tangents/2007/09/12/finding-the-light/#comment-5744 Neil vN Mon, 22 Mar 2010 15:40:24 +0000 http://planetneil.com/tangents/2007/09/12/finding-the-light-2/#comment-5744 <blockquote>Rob .. the way I diffused the flash there, did create a large omni-directional light source. It didn't bounce just of the ceiling. Ultimately, the result is in the photographs. Neil vN</blockquote>

Rob .. the way I diffused the flash there, did create a large omni-directional light source. It didn’t bounce just of the ceiling.

Ultimately, the result is in the photographs.

Neil vN

]]> By: Rob http://neilvn.com/tangents/2007/09/12/finding-the-light/#comment-5743 Rob Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:05:51 +0000 http://planetneil.com/tangents/2007/09/12/finding-the-light-2/#comment-5743 Thanks for replying Neil. I guess I just don't understand how you can direct light just to the ceiling, when you're shooting through a brolly, which will throw light everywhere like a giant light bulb. I'd have expected the effect to resemble the Gary Fong tupperware which you're not so keen on. Ie broadly lighting up the scene instead of the softbox effect of diffused directional light. What would be really interesting, to a learner like myself, would be to see how the light actually got dispersed, ie to see a wide shot of the empty room with the flashes firing in shot. But I guess I can try it for myself, next time I find myself in a ridiculously big room like that :) Thanks for replying Neil. I guess I just don’t understand how you can direct light just to the ceiling, when you’re shooting through a brolly, which will throw light everywhere like a giant light bulb. I’d have expected the effect to resemble the Gary Fong tupperware which you’re not so keen on. Ie broadly lighting up the scene instead of the softbox effect of diffused directional light. What would be really interesting, to a learner like myself, would be to see how the light actually got dispersed, ie to see a wide shot of the empty room with the flashes firing in shot. But I guess I can try it for myself, next time I find myself in a ridiculously big room like that :)

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