Lesson 15 Fleetwood Mac

From Light in the Box

Assignment 14 Execute Photograph

Execute the Photograph that we discussed in class.

Lesson 14 Stop Action Flash

We used the HiViz SK2 Sound Trigger to set off the flash when the balloon popped. 

Assignment 13 Light Painting

1. Make a photograph using flash as a painting tool.

2. Make a photograph using a continuous light source as a
painting too

Plan what you want to achieve with light painting. The
lighting scheme should be hard to achieve conventionally.

3.  Post a photograph that you like the lighting and that you wish to emulate. Sketch out how you think it was lit. You can use this file to make your sketch:http://www.diyphotography.net/lighting-diagrams

Lesson 13 Light Painting

Examples of Continuous Light Painting

Example of Speedlite Painting

A history of light painting can be seen here:

http://lightpaintingphotography.com/light-painting-history/

NY Times Lens article about Harold Ross' work:

http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/05/with-light-sculpting-a-photograph/?_r=1

This is a link to Harold Ross' blog.  He talks about light painting and his techniques:

http://haroldrossfineart.wordpress.com

Much of this work is done with the light source pointed at the camera and recording the light source as it travels.  I want to concentrate on another aspect of light painting and that is lighting a subject with the use of a continuous light source such as a flashlight or even a cell phone.   Along with this idea of light painting is the idea of using multiple pops of a flash that is moved to different positions throughout the exposure.  Since digital photograph has made it easy to combine images with the use of layers, it is now practical to make a series of captures with the flash in different positions and combine them in layers.  The easiest way is to use the captures in Lightroom, selecting the images you want to use in Library Grid Mode, right click and choose Edit In…  Open as layers in Photoshop.  In Photoshop select all the layers and change the blending mode to Lighten.  Now all the light from all the layers will be revealed in the image.  Next you can turn each layer on and off using the eyeball indicator next to each layer.   You can control each of the layers  separately with the use of  masking and any of the adjustment tools.

To make an image using a continuous light you will need to keep the camera on a tripod and the shutter open.  This discussion is for the Canon 5DMIII.  Set the exposure for a length of time that will allow you to paint the light on the subject and the background (30 seconds is the maximum time allowable).  The room has to be dark enough that it doesn't pick up any stray light during the long exposure. The f stop and ISO are determined by trial and error. With practice a rhythm will develop and improve your painting skills.You can also use the Bulb setting but the shutter has to remain depressed during the entire exposure.  You can use the Canon Remote Switch RS-80N3 to release the shutter and keep it open by exposing the red dot on the release handle.  Slide the mechanism off of the red dot to close the shutter.

To make an image using a multiple flash image you are going to actually make multiple captures with each exposure having the flash in a new position.  With the camera on a tripod and the flash in one hand you setup the remote exposure as outlined below.  A special cable is needed which is outlined below. 

Remote Camera Setup

We learned how to remotely trigger the 5D MIII by using a special cable called the Canon N3 to mini phone by connecting the N3 side to the Canon's remote control terminal and the mini side to the Pocket Wizard Plus II's camera port. This also works with the PocketWizard Plus III and MultiMax.  By setting another Pocket Wizard Plus II to the same channel as the one attached to the camera, the camera shutter can be released by the remote Pocket Wizard Plus II when you press the test button remotely.   We need a third Pocket Wizard Plus II to be attached to a Canon 600EX-RT (this Canon flash with a pc connection) using a pc to mini cable. The pc end is inserted into the flash's pc terminal and the mini end is plugged into the 3rd Pocket Wizard Plus II's flash terminal.  An alternate way to hook the speedlite and PocketWizard is to use the Wein HSH Hot Shoe to Household Adapter and a household to mini cable. 

The 3rd Wizard has to be set on a channel that is one number higher than the other two Wizards. The 600EX-RT can be set on Manual or on External Manual Metering by using the custom function 5 option 3 as described below.  Now we have the 600EX-RT and 3rd Pocket Wizard Plus II in one hand and the remote camera firing Pocket Wizard Plus II in the other. As we point the flash where we intend the light to land, we push the test button on the 1st Wizard and it trips the shutter and then automatically uses the pocket wizard mounded in the camera's hot shoe to sync with the flash and 3^rd PocketWizard that is set on the next higher numbered channel. The subject needs to remain perfectly still and then as many captures from as many positions can be captured.

To use the flash on Manual External Metering you will need to read the page from the manual which is at the bottom of this blog. There is a external reflected light sensor on the front of the 600EX-RT that will read the light where the flash is pointed.  

How to use the PocketWizard Plus III for light painting

How to set the 600EX-RT to work with light painting

Capture One and Phase One

A Brief Description of Setting Up Capture One and the Phase One Camera to Capture to the Studio Computer

1.  Open Capture One 7 and start a new session
2.  Turn on the Phase One Camera and back and plug in the fire wire cable to the back.
3.  Look under the camera icon in the camera section of CaptureOne to see if the PhaseOne P40+ is displayed.
4.  Start shooting.
5.  At the end of the shoot copy the capture folder to your own had drive and then import into Lightroom.

This is the solution to the inability of the PhaseOne camera to capture during our in house demonstation:

P+ Backs/P backs exc. P20 and P25

The Thunderbolt Terminal does not have the same Power Output as a standard Firewire Port (400 or 800) so it is recommended that the back used be set to "Battery" as the main power source to avoid communication failure.

If there are problems look at the manuals below

Here is the Phase One Camera Quick Guide

Here is the Phase One Camera User Guide

Here is the Capture One Manual

Here is a link to the Phase One Website that talks about Tethered Shooting with Capture One:

Tethered Shooting

Assignment 12 Night Photography

Go outside between dusk and dawn using whatever existing light is available recognizing the properties of light we learned and used in the studio and how it occurs at night.  Make a photograph that is surprising by what it reveals.

Lesson 12 Night Photography, Cross Polarization and Camera Comparison

Here is a good article on Cross Polarization in copying art.

We looked at the work of a few photographers whose vision of the night is unique.

Brassai

 Michael Kenna

 Frank Relle

Name Pronunciation Guide

...

Assignment 11 Still Life

Photograph a Shiny  object and define its shape and characteristics by use of it reflective qualities.

 Photograph a transparent object and define its shape and characteristics by using its transparency.

Lesson 11 Still Life

How to Capture a series of images using different lights:

Use the PocketWizard MultiMax set to transmit.  Press the menu key and then press A:Advanced Menu and then Press D:Speedcycler. Set the channel to any number that is 17 or higher.  Press A-D depending on the number of separate lights you want to capture.  Using the Profoto 1200R train it to be the number set on the transmitter and one of the letters starting with A.  You can also use the PocketWizard III to set channel numbers 17 and above and one of the 4 letters. Now each time you press the MultiMax it will set off the lights in sequence and then repeat the sequence over and over.

Assignment 10 Canon Transmitter ST-E3=RT and 600EX-RT Flash

Work in Groups in the Studio for this Assignment.  Each member of the group should make a portrait using 3 Speedlites from different directions, controlled manually from the Transmitter attached to the camera which is also set on manual.  Each member of the group should make a unique lighting setup.  You can modify the light coming from the 600EX to a broad source of light by using diffusion, umbrella, soft box or bouncing off a wall or card. You can also use the light directly.

 Set the Master to GR and set A, B, C and D (Optional) to M.   The three slaves will set themselves to M after the test button on the transmitter is pressed.  Use the ST-E3-RT to adjust the setting manually.

Take a picture of the ambient light in the room at the fstop and shutter speed you will be using.  It should come out black. Post this picture with it's settings.

Post the the progression of images (ie one light, 2 lights, 3 lights etc) with final exposure for each shot (should all be the same)

I realize this is an ambitious assignment and that you might not have time for each member of the group to accomplish their own unique version.  Do the best you can and good luck.

Lesson 10 Using the Canon Speedlite ST-E3-RTand the 600EX-RT with the Canon 5DMIII

Bruce Dorn's Introduction to Canon's Speedlite's system click here


Quick Guide to Speedlite Transmitter ST-E3-RT Setup click here

There is a way to adjust the Speedlite setting on the 5DMIII.  Check out where to find Flash Function Settings in the 2 pages from the camera manual.  You might find it easier to make adjustments:

Assignment 9 Outdoor Flash

1. Make a portrait where the person’s face and the background are the same exposure.
2. Make a portrait where the person’s face is exposed one stop under and the background is normally exposed.  Drop the power of the strobe by one stop keeping the f stop the same.

3. Make a portrait where the person’s face is normally exposed and the background is one stop under.

4. Make a portrait where the person’s face is normally exposed and the background is two stops under.

All four should be photographed in exactly the same place to make it earier to compare the results.

This is a test for your reference and should be laid out accordingly.

Print your f stop and shutter speeds.

Subject should be 2 or 3 stops darker than background.

Equipment List to check out from the cage:

Profoto 600B battery strobe
or
Qflash with mini to house hold sync cord
Camera
Flash Meter
2ea PocketWizards
Tripod
Pic Light Stand

Lesson 9 Outdoor Flash

Assignment 8 Dedicated Flash

Here is how to change the flash sync speed in Av mode:

Use direct flash on camera Aperature Priority (Av) setting at 1/200 sec shutter speed
Use direct flash off camera Aperature Priority (Av) setting at 1/200 sec shutter speed
Use flash fill Aperture Priority Auto shutter speed
Use flash with modifier (Bounce card, bank or ceiling) Aperature Priority (Av) setting at 1/200 sec shutter speed.

Label your best result from each of the 4 techniques, write down your camera settings for each photograph and post them separately.

Read the two pages (posted  in the Lesson 9 section) from the Canon 580EXII or the Canon 600EX manual to help understand what the settings mean

Lesson 8 Dedicated Flash

Some photographers who use off camera flash extensively:

Roxanne Lowit

Dina Litovsky

Miles Ladin

Larry Fink

Bruce Gilden Website

Bruce Gilden Video

Instructions for using Canon Speedlite 580EX

 Instructions for using Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT

Assignment 7 Strobe and Continuous LED Light

The following exercise can be performed once as a group.

1.  Photograph a person with just the strobe light on the person and a while background recording as black holding the Grey Card.

2.  In Lightroom Develope mode using the White Balance Eyedropper, click on the Grey Card and record the Color Temperature and Tint. 

3.  Photograph a person holding a Grey Card against the background with just the LED light on.  Dial in the Light Balance and Tint with the numbers that match the Strobe Light Balance.  Tweak the numbers until the resulting numbers in Lightroom match the Strobe numbers.   Record the final number you set on the LED panel and  what the resulting numbers are from Lightroom.

4.  Photograph a person using strobe on the person and LED

on the background combined

5.  The 1st 3 photographs should be laid out together labeled with the f stop, shutter speed and Light Balance numbers.

The following exercises should be done by each member of the group

Each member of the group should individually photograph the scene above with motion. and post the best picture.

Each member of the group should change the FUNC to Hue/Saturation and dial in a color on the LED and photograph the results  Post the results.

The following exercise can be performed once as a group. 

1.  Photograph a person holding a Grey Card against the white background with just the Tungsten light on.
2.  In Lightroom Develope mode using the White Balance Eyedropper, click on the Grey Card and record the Color Temperature and Tint. 
3. Photograph a person with just the LED light on the person and the white backfround recorded as black.   Dial in the Light Balance and Tint with the numbers that match the Tungsten Light Balance.  Tweak the numbers until they match. Record the final number you set on the LED panel and  what the resulting numbers from Lightroom.
4.  Photograph a person using Tungsten on the background and LED
on the person combined.
5.  The 2nd 3 photographs should be laid out together labeled with the f stop, shutter speed and Light Balance numbers.

Lesson 7 Strobe and Continuous Light Plus Color Temperature

Live View with EOS Utility and Lightroom CC

Using Canon EOS utility has a great advantage in Still Life in that you can see in real time how your light is looking on the object.  It is especially useful for placing reflectors and gobos.  I have made a list of setting in order to use the Canon 5DMIII with Live View in the EOS utility with Lightroom CC.

There are some important settings on the Canon that must be made:

1.       Go to the Menu with a Camera and 4 dots. 

2.       Go to Exposure simulation and set to Disable

3.       Go to Silent LV shooting and set to  Disable.  (Must have this set so that the flash will fire when we make a picture with Live View on).

4.       Go to Custom Controls and assist the focus start button to *                      

Tether the camera and have it turned on.

Now open the Canon EOS utility.  

1.       Click on Camera settings/Remote shooting.  You should see the remote shooting screen with all you camera settings.  The settings can be changed on this screen.

2.       Next go to the Preferences Screen

a.       Basic Settings only check the Show main window button.

b.      Destination Folder change the folder to Watched Folder on the desktop and keep everything else unchecked.

c.       File Name  Do not modify

d.      Download Images  set to Images not yet downloaded

e.      Remote Shooting check box for Save also on the camera’s memory card

f.        Linked software None

g.       OK

Now open Lightroom and make the following changes:

1.       File®Auto Import®Auto Import Setting

2.       Set the Watched folder on the desktop

3.       Set the destination folder to somewhere not on the desktop.

4.       File Naming set to Filename.

5.       Make sure the Enable Auto Import is checked

6.       OK

Go back to the remote shooting screen and press the Set-up menu then press the Live View/Movie func.set. button.

1.       Under LV func. Setting check Stills only

2.       Under Screen settings click Still display

3.       OK

Now click Live View shoot button

1.       Set the white balance to Auto (give a better preview image and does a decent job with the capture)

2.       Play with the focus setting and see what works.

3.       Take a picture with the remote button and make sure the flash is firing.

Assignment 6 Size Matters

Take two portraits of a person one with the 21" Beauty Dish and one with the Octabank and get the same results by using the placement of the subject, the light and the background. Look at results from class demonstration for ideas.

Lesson 6 Size Matters