My First Speedlites Excitement!

[Thayli]

Happy days, I got my first speedlites delivered yesterday, two of them. (Is 'Speedlite' a brand name, or are all off-camera flash's speedlite?) Anyway, we set off today to test them out (at 12:30 in the afternoon, I have speedlites y'know, I have no fear of the midday sun), and found a nice little old foot bridge in the middle of nowhere. I got my stands and umbrellas set up, and they repeatedly got blown over, luckily without flash's on them. Ended up tying them to the bridge with my seatshirt and jacket so they would stand up. Starting taking some shots to adjust the lights, and managed 10 of them before it started to rain. Of course after a fast pack-up and back to car, it stopped raining just as we go in. The last shot I took wasn't bad, so to mark the occasion, here it is.



On the way home we tried to salvage something by pulling over and taking a few shots by an old shed, just using a single handheld bare flash. So bad shadows.



All in all it was pretty interesting, and it was quite fun in those few minutes I actually got to play. The lights are pretty low power, but I didn't go higher than 1/2 which I was surprised with, and I cant wait to experiment with them again, hopefully on sunday.

Anyway, comments and general abuse is welcome as always. Do's, don'ts and scorn about trying to use things like umbrellas and tripods outside is welcome too.

As an added P.S., I screwed my white balance at the bridge and forgot to change it when I started handholding. I messed around with it but I cant make it look right at all. So I stopped trying.

 

[tirediron]

Nicely done, especially for a first attempt!

 

[hirejn]

Not bad. Use sand bags to weigh down stands. This is essential safety if you're serving clients. If you shoot in RAW, you have unlimited flexibility for adjusting WB in post. You don't need lights to conquer sun but it's one option.

 

[ronlane]

#1 is really good.

 

[Ballistics]

Not bad. Use sand bags to weigh down stands. This is essential safety if you're serving clients. If you shoot in RAW, you have unlimited flexibility for adjusting WB in post. You don't need lights to conquer sun but it's one option.

Better than sandbags, get a gallon water or milk jug and fill it with sand, and ziptie it to a stand.

 

[JacaRanda]

Beautiful model. I really like the look (face/eyes/hair) in #1, but the more I look at the neck area, the more it seems like she is trying to twist her head off. That could just be me though. I think #4 is also really good except for some of the background distractions.

 

[Thayli]

#1 is really good.

Nicely done, especially for a first attempt!

Thanks very much to you both. I was expecting much harsher lol.

This is essential safety if you're serving clients. If you shoot in RAW, you have unlimited flexibility for adjusting WB in post.

Ive got the RAWS, but I just couldn't figure a nice place for the WB. One setting will look fine in one shot, but blue/green in the next. This may have been to the clouds moving in front of the sun? It was quite windy. And auto wb just makes it go blue.

As far as serving clients I think I'm a long walk and a short flight away from needing to worry about that lol.

Beautiful model. I really like the look (face/eyes/hair) in #1, but the more I look at the neck area, the more it seems like she is trying to twist her head off. That could just be me though. I think #4 is also really good except for some of the background distractions.

Yeah now that you've said that I can see it as well. Got a Corpse Bride thing going on there. As far as #4 is concerned I do have a straightened version still in colour (I have B&W and colour for each shot, but often edit one further than the other), but thought it lost something in the process. I was pretty close in sadly and almost all the shots aren't cropped, those that have been are just straightened versions. So none of them have very much wiggle room.

 

[Thayli]

Better than sandbags, get a gallon water or milk jug and fill it with sand, and ziptie it to a stand.

I meant to reply to this as well. Thats a damn good idea and right up my alley, I was thinking of ways to do that cheap and this is spot on. The wife is starting to raise her eyebrows a bit as between the camera, strobes, bits and pieces and now two speedlights, I've spent $500 dollars on this hobby since I started a year ago. (I know, pennys to many of you, but with a 1 year old son and moving to a the US where we suddenly have to worry about things like health care and future education costs, I dont have much to waste). I'm having to really work on her to let me spend another $70 on background stands and a roll of savage paper, and cant be trying to explain why I need to buy sandbags/saddlebags.

 

[Ballistics]

Better than sandbags, get a gallon water or milk jug and fill it with sand, and ziptie it to a stand.

I meant to reply to this as well. Thats a damn good idea and right up my alley, I was thinking of ways to do that cheap and this is spot on. The wife is starting to raise her eyebrows a bit as between the camera, strobes, bits and pieces and now two speedlights, I've spent $500 dollars on this hobby since I started a year ago. (I know, pennys to many of you, but with a 1 year old son and moving to a the US where we suddenly have to worry about things like health care and future education costs, I dont have much to waste). I'm having to really work on her to let me spend another $70 on background stands and a roll of savage paper, and cant be trying to explain why I need to buy sandbags/saddlebags.

I spent a lot on photography, but I cut as many corners as I possibly can. Another corner cutting device, if your background is not going to be mobile - You can screw mounting hooks in the wall and get a closet bar. $20 for a back drop holder.

Another Idea
http://www.diyphotography.net/node/1456