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THE LIGHT
SPEAR
My
hat goes off to Gary Fong and the Light Sphere. Simple, safe, efficient, and if used
properly, it delivers, especially for those with lighting problems.
Another diffusing gimmick, yes, better than others, maybe by a hair.
My question is; "Will it make you a better shooter". No. I really
believe the Study of Light (Photography) is being overshadowed by the
manufacturers promises, the techno world, gizmos and tricks. OUCH, sounds
harsh... It is, the techno world has replaced knowledge with the credit
card. There is a clear lack of training, the effort and study needed to
become one with lighting and the 'I'll fix it in Photoshop syndrome".
I see this everyday in the lab and there are many of you out there that missed
the paragraph about PHOTOGRAPHY is the art, science, study of LIGHT.
In the old days you worked as a student or helper with the master who explained
the how's and do's.
PHOTOSHOP-O-GRAPHY is the study of sharpness and exposure and saturation which is
the motivation behind an enormous cash flow in the general direction of
ADOBE LAND.
Flash manufacturers, know this and they have automated the units to death
reaching a point where several Chim-Parrazzis have been spotted looking to work
for bananas! And they thought the Cavemen had the wedding scene sewed
up.....
Certainly for those who have never shot with either diffusion or used bounce
techniques or even dropped a simple handkerchief over the flash to soften it,
the Sphere
has made life easy for some. Also makes a great flower holder for those
important dinners you'll be throwing because of your new found success. And
certainly brought new life to those who used to and now sell Tupperware.
It is important to note
that several folks who made their own from Tupperware and offered them for sale
on the web, caught Gary's wrath and received the letters from his attorney's to
cease and desist. Hmmm.. 15% change and a new shape could of changed things.
At the PMA in February several Chinese versions of the sphere were on display in
their booths. Expect them in the stores shortly like locusts.
I'm ecstatic about it.
Made life great for me, I'm selling more packs since the flash goes almost to
full power each shot. That means juice and juice means batteries and that makes
me happy. Since I'm a battery dealer.
On the other hand this is not a new idea. "Hand grenade flash in theory" has been around for
ages. In photo gear, the late sixties and seventies brought out the bare bulb.
The bare bulbs with no reflectors
produces a specula light,
very sharp, good for newspaper guys in B&W with S-L-O-W--F-I-L-M and most of
the time a disaster with digital. The Light Sphere is a more diffused light.
Like any other tool one can go too far and lose
a bit of the modeling light that directional lighting produces. I see many
pictures that are very flat. Also, there are times one wishes to eliminate
a background and not leave the light flat as I have seen with some really
distracting backgrounds. Like the waiter starring at the camera with his fly
open during the
invocation... some things should be kept in the dark.
Good photography will still predominantly lie in the yes of the photographer and
not another add-on. Use it, test it, and above all know it's limitations before
you send me 400 pictures to correct that were shot with the Fong device while
standing under a glass cut chandelier. Shades of light spectrum. We
made a Black and White wedding out of it. Also look out for some of the
newer Holiday Inns with glass paneled walls. Colored ceilings and walls
will throw weird hues in the prints. Remember digital absorbs it all and
then you will spend a lot of time removing the unwanted.
OUR VERSION
So we went over to brother Hiram's Redneck Museum of Photography and asked Billy
Bob if he heard of any other devices that could put light out in all directions
evenly at once.
He strode out to the broken Kenworth next to the barn, grabbed a part, went to
the shop and after about ten minutes said " hey you'all, this here will work,
cost you a dollar".
I don't really know if he got the picture.....
WARNING: This device has
not been approved by the Bureau Of Mines for use in Natural Gas Plants, Oil
Refineries, Dynamite Factories and the Men's room at Hemingway's favorite Bar in
Key West.
Use of this device in any of the mentioned areas might cause a
horrific explosion. If you have been in Hemmingway's you'll know what I
mean. More gas than the Alaska pipeline.
EDITORS NOTES:
This document has been checked for speling, granma and flunctiation. No dangling
participles here since Granma trimmed them. The bull was not very happy!
FLASH IN THE PAN
(Wedding Photographers)
For months I have been reading on many of the forums about Wedding photographers
coming to grips with flash. Or shall we say coming to gripes with flash. Also
this year there was an article in one of the trade magazines about 20,000
new photographers in the game and 7,000 or so didn’t make the first plateau
(year).
Perhaps, there’s a correlation. Since the statistics came from the WPPI, one may
assume the goal of the aspiring photographers was to shoot Weddings. I have
said on 1000 occasions or so that a Wedding Photographer must have two
qualities. He must understand business and light. His or her business skills
relate to the financial, sales, promotion, leadership and focus of the company
and his light skills cover the art of photography including the study of light,
after all, it’s photography’s most primal and true definition.
I was always told never to write about politics, religion and now
I’ll add flashes. Understandable, I truly emphasize with you who have blitzed
yourself into obscurity and do feel your pain. It’s a groin injury because your
wallet sits on the back of your groin. I know defending your disposable income
outlay and flash selection brings the normal defensive response especially in a
forum where the entire world is watching. We are all faultless in our thinking.
Our money is always well spent. It must be, it seldom returns.
Like a migration of the Caribou or the gigantic Wildebeest herds in Africa, the
Wedding shooter seems to follow a path laid down by his predecessors. Perhaps
instead of seeking a new path or rebuilding a road, a comparison to the Lemming
might come closer than a higher mammalian.
THE PATH:
It sometimes starts with a cost efficient and strategic move. The budget
determines you have to save somewhere and that’s the flash unit. In a your
local camera store , albeit a Ritz or Wolf store they’ll help you into a
rebadged SunPak or National brand called Quantaray. In other retail shops, they
will lure you with the other aftermarket brands like Vivitar, Sigma, and
ProMaster just to name a few.
There are many others. They all make a digital compatible 4 AA cell banger that
fits your camera. Many of which are under $130.00, about half of the factory
unit. Some models have been around for twenty years or more which makes me think
they are slow movers or very vintage inventory. Many are the same unit with a
different name since the knockoff game is prevalent in the photo industry.
So our young Lancelot takes off on the quest and slam dunks himself. Not by a
Windmill (that was Don Quixote) nor the Black Knight, but a bad lighting
experience. It’s number one on the hit parade of wedding problems. He
read the book, all he has to do is arm it with batteries, place it on the
camera, turn it on and he is a PRO.
Until he gets to the wedding.
the two-part problem was learning about it, just about
the time you arrived at the Church, poor planning and the second problem was
what to do about it, usually combining poor solution or problem solving skills
and the gear necessary to carry things off..
Samples of poor planning are explained in the excuse department, phrases that
are all too familiar...“I
walked in and the lighting was bad”! and
“They
wouldn’t let me use flash”!
Chalk it up to a bad experience, especially since this usually occurs at the
first paying wedding for some one other than his sister, cousin, office
associate or friend. It’s a reality show and he or she is the new star.
Debilitating to say the least with a promise to learn and do better but ….more
commonly “Oh well’, tough.
He loses faith in the business because he realizes this is not all fun, glory
and power related. It can be punishing, competitive and at times develop urges
to want to strangle some one which goes against his Judeo-Christian-Islamic
beliefs but the idea of strangulation by garrote or fabric camera strap did seem
worthy at the time.
EXCUSES 101
- (It’s not my fault!)
The worst feeling in the world is when the flash pictures were ruined. The
outside shots all shot in P mode and RAW worked wonderfully. but we have a new
shooter, stress, a meek amateur low powered unit he is unfamiliar with, a dark
room as many of the caterers are doing today, little experience, walks into a
hornets nest, never saw the Church or lighting during the day or with the
in-house lighting turned on, and the people are moving! Moving! Who said they
could do that! They are moving around! And the camera is firmly locked in
snapshot mode. Pro cameras call this “P” mode. That’s because they used the “S”
for Shutter Speed and if they would have used SS for snapshot, it might have
offended a few people. So they invented “P”. “P” is a letter usually not
offensive to many like “C” as in grades and “X” as in selection. “A’s and “B’s
are good, but not “C’. “X” can mean you have been “X’d out”.
So, things did not go well and it’s time to put the problem in the right
perspective. Here are the most commonly used expressions of blamesmanship. You
are allowed one from column A and one from column B but two from column C.
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COLUMN A -
People |
COLUMN B - General Things |
COLUMN C - Specific Things |
Blame the (Please pick one) Bride, the Reverend, the
Priest, the Rabbi, the Imam, the Witch Doctor, Mother-in-law, the
Caterer, the Church layout, the Wedding Coordinator, the DJ, your
helper, |
Blame the location for
not allowing you to take over the place and interrupt the entire
occasion because this is your day to explore your craft. After
all the Priest could of paused when doing the Communion for you to
blast his eyeballs out. |
Blame the power - Since he is powered by 4 super AA’s he missed most
of the good shots because the alkaline were dieing, the NiMH only gave
half as many shots a s the 2700’s promised. |
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Try blaming Godly offenses. Let's not offend the Gods type
approach. If that doesn't work try the booze, the sun, the wind,
the rain….and the stars. |
Blame the gear- Always blame the gear since your photos are not up to
par and you just noticed everything was over or under, bad
backgrounds, bottom line, use phrases like “it was caused by ambiently
defunct lighting techniques”. |
Blame the Gizmo - Forgetting that overpriced diffusing device he paid
50 dollars for was forcing full pops to properly illuminate the waiter
in the back of the room via the mirrors and chandeliers. |
SOLUTIONS 101 – Call the Militia
When stage one falls apart the photographer joins a forum and asks questions. He
or she wants to learn how everyone else did it. We all know an answer. The
problem is we don’t all have the same answer since there is no one right answer
for 100 possible things we were not privy to. Simple, we were not there; we did
not see or sense what he did. Never the less the written answer right or
rightly wrong is right more like “write”. The real problem is any advice is null
and void at the next event since it will be different and the game will change.
When one understands light the Lumen Knight can work with anything.
Our skills
and training are different and work-a-rounds are like cake baking. Same basic
ingredients mixed and proportioned differently. Took me three years to learn
why you beat crepe or pancake batter very lightly and don’t drag out the
Evinrude 5HP cake beater and whip it for ten minutes if you want light airy
pancakes or even crepes. Eventually I learned. My wife was very patient and my
head is very thick at times. She explained this is not concrete or that blue
epoxy I use to repair things with. I ruined enough crepes to redo the roof on my
condo. Most had the consistency of tile anyway....
SAMPLE
ADVICE
ADVISOR ONE
You need the integrated unit from the manufacturer of your camera, That’s
spelled P-R-O-P-R-I-E-T-A-R-Y. Misspelled it’s P-R-O-S-P-E-R-I-T-Y. The
difference the letters “A” and “S” which are the same letters in A---.
Albeit for the manufacturer this is gravy since most of these units are made
under contract from some of above mentioned names using off the shelf
componentry.
Solution: First Learn the Art of Lighting |
ADVISOR TWO
You need a GIZMO, one of the 4000 add on lighting diffusion, shadow
killing, red-eye elimination wallet grubbing, plastic, save my arse add-ons
that we cannot live without. Proof, In B & H’s last catalog (the big one)
there were four pages of Gizmos by six companies. That’s a lot of turf.
More expected this year.
Solution: First Learn the Art of Lighting |
ADVISOR THREE
"More power to you”, a phrase yelled across the concrete floors and steel
bars of death row to the newly departed heading for the Hail Mary play of
his criminal career.
You need a four hundred ninety dollar battery pack and the Quasitronia
Formido ZF200Mi head.
Solution: First Learn the Art of Lighting |
ADVISOR FOUR
It’s about enlightenment and knowledge and the student realizes 120 guide
numbers in real life are really closer to 100 since the manufacturer has
chosen to underexpose almost one stop for shadow detail. That third of a
stop is a lot in digital.
So the next step is to move up to a more powerful system or add more of the
proprietary units via wireless. Great thinking “three is better than one”.
If you can’t get one flash to do your bidding
when you want it, how are three going to make your life easier during the
stress of a wedding? Explaining it another way, you just graduated from
training wheels to the two wheel bike and tomorrow you’ll be riding in the
Tour De France.
Solution: First Learn the Art of Lighting |
ADVISOR FIVE
Find a used Quantum turbo for sale because it’s automatic and with a mere
few hundred dollars extra get the Digital with the digital module for your
camera. But soon you find you have a strobe which only uses a certain
PROPRIETARY power pack and the cheaper model only gives you 200 flashes when
new which ends the day you use it the first time. So you really need two or
more of them. This will usually end up at the $3000 mark when you are done and
you still aren’t getting what you wanted.
Solution: First Learn the Art of Lighting |
ADVISOR SIX
And add a couple hundred dollars of Photoshop add-ons next to your slick
AVATAR on the forum. Make sure it's above your credit line at
the bottom of page next to your list of filters, gorilla pods and tripod
accessories you own. Really makes the other guys jealous of all your
disposable income.
Solution: First Learn the Art of Lighting |
ADVISOR SEVEN
Or step seven, in the quest. Add Alien Bees or Dyna-Lites or some other
inexpensive setup that you have to add a Vagabond or other off-site power
supply to operate wireless. Caution: The reason for the Vagabond is if you
have AC lights with cords and someone trips on the cord; don’t worry about
your monolight that smashed into the ground, better to worry about a lawsuit
from the tripper.
Side note: Hire an assistant, second shooter, beginner, Sherpa, schlepper,
amateur, (not armature) trainee, or your wife to help carry all this gear.
Wives are smarter, you hire them, they hire an attorney and divorce your
sorry A-- because most dislike being a schlepper.
Solution: First Learn the Art of Lighting |
SYNOPSIS:
I guess that’s why so much flash units are for sale on eBay, forums and
websites. You wind up with hundreds of other peoples failed flash solutions
or a bunch of aftermarket low-end product. All that currency spent for tiny
units that cost more than the first pro camera you bought or go all out and
beyond your learning curve.
A more heated discussion doesn’t exist. There are those who defend their
outlay of disposable income in multiples believing 100 Guide Number units
can truly duplicate what studio gear can do. Or dragging enough gear for
solid location setups will work at all weddings. The end result whatever
these folks had didn’t work for them and now they are hoping they’ll recoup
their loses.
The truth is most any
light can work if you understand the mechanics of lighting. |
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MY ADVICE ON EQUIPMENT (The
Jacobs Learn THEN Burn Approach)
1-
I guess one rule is to always harp on basics. Good business philosophy and
good technique. Solution: First Learn the Art of Lighting.
The study of light is the key to all photography as a technician which
differs from being an equipment hound. I recommend books we all speed read
or skip on a computer. Books with pictures hold our grasp longer. The oldest
one I read is Kodak's Introduction to Portraiture. A classic in every way.
2-
This is not of game of what you got; it’s a game of what you
get out of it. How many times we have been asked, “that’s a great
picture, what CAMERA did you use”! I used to actually carry a Kodak
Instamatic in my bag and proudly show it. I call that a “reverse jerk”.
3-
I
have done classes with the students and required them to shoot with
disposables. That usually sets the tone in making one aware of composition
and movement. Actually after we did that we dragged out some 1960’s vintage
rangefinders and some B&W and amazed ourselves by slowing down and ‘smelling
the roses”.
4- Cheap
or a better word simpler cameras teach you relationship to the light and the
subject or the subject’s movement or action. use film it makes you think
before you shoot. Use digital for a faster learning experience. Combine the
two and see which gives you better results, you'll be surprised.
5- Learn Basic lighting techniques, key, fill, kicker, header, reflection
etc. by doing even if you only have table lamps and tin foil.
6- Spend the time using the equipment recommended which is older, more
manual and a hell of a lot cheaper. It will later work well in the field.
Digital lets you try and try again. Study the sites of those who know what
they are doing with light, there are some decent ones by manufacturers
selling their wares but “biased is an understatement.” |
LOTS MORE and I
MEAN LOTS MORE COMING ON LIGHT
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Flashes by virtue of their nature are simply an electrical dispersion
producing light. The problem is the light is sharp and specula as produced by
most flashes. This "sharp light" is like direct sunlight flattering to few and
unflattering to many. We take this narrow and specula light and either diffuse
it (softbox) or bounce it (flashcards, spheres and reflectors) Simply put we are
widening the power which dilutes the power in F-stops and increases the power
the strobe must put out.