Flagging or lack of space or both.

[mwcfarms]

So I am curious. I have two questions. One is a two parter. Was playing around taking pictures this pm of my son and using filters. I have the Lee filter sample pack and was wondering if there was a way to get around them melting without having to spend some more money lol. Some kind of jimmy rig. I had it pretty much on the flash with a bit of clear sticky tack and after a bit it started to melt lol.

Second question is about this picture of my son.


Now the space I am using right now is only ten feet long. I had the background set up and extended for the 9 foot seamless and it wouldn't fit the other way. Would moving that background light closer to the seamless and bringing him out further eliminate the wrap around pink hue? Or am I going to have to flag it as well. I only have the three lights and usually using the one big one with soft box on subject, the flash as a hair/fill light and then the other Bee for background. I can switch to my 4 foot backdrop and have much more length to work with if needed but was wondering if I am still going to have to flag it. He was probably 4 feet from background and I was almost in his face lol.

 

[kundalini]

When you say "I have the Lee filter sample pack ..." are you speaking of colored gels? .... the kind that can changes the color of a flash? ..... the one used for the background? I'm surprised that Lee (if the same company I'm thing of) would put out an inferior product. How have you got attached to the flash for it to start melting?

Pretty in Pink. Yep, it looks like a flag wouldn't hurt and/or power down your background flash to lessen the wrap around light. He is certainly painted in pink.

Love the "do".

 

[mwcfarms]

Yup its there colored gels and I don't think its their product lol (user error ) I don't have an actual proper holder for my SB600, I had just jimmy rigged something and I think for my repeated flashes I might need one. Was just curious what others might use instead of shelling out more money. Ok I will try bringing the power down some on the one light. How do you flag when you have limited space. I have a set of barn doors on that one light too trying to control spill but its not working lol. And there wasn't a lot of room between him and the light stand.

Thanks, I will tell him. He loves his mohawk.

 

[Derrel]

I've encountered the same problems when using pastel filters on white, buff, or cream seamless paper and or walls...white reflects a huge amount of the light that hits it...this is the main reason that I prefer to work with gray or black backdrops when using pastel-colored gels...Buckster and I got into a discussion about this a month or two ago, when I put out what I called a "general rule" that white backdrops create the most-pastel colors, grays create more-saturated backdrop color, and black paper leads to the most rich and saturated colored backdrops. Buckster pointed out the chromazones system Dean Collins developed years ago, and which is still being taught by his protege Tony Corbell;and how in theory one can achieve any density of gel on any backdrop color. Which is true, if some conditions can be met.

BUT, ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL...this problem you're having with colored light blowing back and wrapping is exceptionally typical when using pastel gels on light backdrops...you can flag it off, yes, but still, here's a LOT of light of whatever gelled color that reflects off of the paper and bounces around...when your background lights and mainlights are of a similar power levels (ie, two SB-800's, or Two 150 watt-second monolights), the light backdrops will STILL cause a lot of blowback even when the light is dialed all the way down. The smaller the studio, and the closer the backdrop to the subject, the worse the problem will be.

The easiest issue, in a smaller space, is to do whatever is practical, and generally, that means using a DARKER background paper, one like a thunder gray color, which reflects soooooo much less light than white does; there is often no need to flag anything if you do things that way. Using a thunder gray backdrop, a RED gel fired onto gray will produce a pink backdrop, with NO WRAP.

 

[mwcfarms]

I remember you telling me this a bit back when we talked Christmas stuff. I have a dark grey backdrop will try using this before I dissassemble the backdrop and make it smaller. I prefer to be able to use a wider background than narrower one. Will see how that works. Found this little link about gel filter holders too. Thought I might share just in case anyone else has this problem.

Flickr: Discussing How to attach gels to SB600 in NIKON speedlight SB600 - SB700- SB800 and SB 900

 

[kundalini]

Okay, I didn't want to assume what type of flash you were using for the gel. Thaere should always be an air gap between the flah head and the gel IMO. You can put a velcro dot on the top and bottom sides of the flash head and bend the gel so that there is an inch or so gap.

Flagging is not going to eat up any more real estate than you already have available. Place a piece of black (whatever material) between be light and the subject. That however, will not prevent the wrap around effect if you're hitting the background level with his head. Remeber your angles. Is there a way you can either hit the background from below or above to change the angle? With a single light for the background, I would place it directly behind the subject. Try it a few inches off the floor and from above but at an acute angle.

 

[mwcfarms]

I might have to try this if I can figure out a way to hide it with small children. Its much easier with a grown up but maybe if I go above and angle down. Yes I obviously didn't have enough of a gap. Noob.

 

[kundalini]

I might have to try this if I can figure out a way to hide it with small children.

Do you still have the foot that came with the SB600? Set it on the floor behind him.

 

[mwcfarms]

Sorry I was actually using the AB400 as the background light with the sb600 being a hair light. I tried the sb600 behind him but the color was very light and I had to knock the AB powers down or the SB600's was overpowered.. Not to mention I dont have a proper way to attach the gels to the SB600. So I have 6 gels for the AB that I was using there for the above picture. Still working on trying to get a proper ratio with all 3 lights.

The above comment was in reference to the AB with the barn doors on it.

 

[kundalini]

....I tried the sb600 behind him but the color was very light and I had to knock the AB powers down or the SB600's was overpowered.. Not to mention I dont have a proper way to attach the gels to the SB600. ....

Although we have different background materials, these two were shot using the SB800 (only) at ~1/4 power to gel the background. I was sitting on a bar stool and the SB800 was slightly lower than the seat pointing upwards. For reference, I have the PCB White Lightning lights, X1600 & 2 X800's. My gels are 8x10 sheets and I just layed it across the flash head..... making sure there was an air gap.

 

[mwcfarms]

What was the power settings on your Bee's there. I actually was just looking at the collapsible background you got. I think Derrel might be right on the money with the white reflecting too much back Im going to try this again tomorrow with the grey. This photo was on the grey.



Sorry Im having issue with uploading images. For some reason this is the largest size I can get. Only used the two bee's for this though. One 45 left and the bg light.

 

[kundalini]

What was the power settings on your Bee's there.

They're not Bee's dammit. The Main was an XL800 in a 24x36" softbox ~24" from the subject (me) metered at f/9 or f/11.. can't remember, the Fill (XL1600 in 45" reflective umbrella, slightly to the right, above and behind the camera), Accent (XL800 10° grid on 7" reflector) and background (SB800 with a Honl 5" speed snoot, flaired out) were all metered at f/5.6

Much better rendition on the second. I think that was a deciding factor for me. I saw all these people using white paper backgrounds and while some of them were brilliant, by and large, they were not the effect that I was after in the broadest terms. For me, the grey seemed the most versatile.

 

[mwcfarms]

Ok what were your Bee's with another name then :er::greenpbl: This is like the pontaic sunfire, chevy cavalier isnt it. Haha. Ok not quite but you know what I mean.