A willing accomplice

XMENPorsche · Post by **XMENPorsche** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 10:31 pm

Playing around with some Pocket Wizards, off-camera flash, and a reflector. Not real happy with the results but my model was willing. He'll pose all day for a Milkbone.

BlackRider · Post by **BlackRider** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 11:07 pm

idk what you're talking about... I love that shot! It looks more like a painting than a photograph.

Spinning Hat · Post by **Spinning Hat** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 1:10 am

BR hit the nail on the head.. It looks much more like a painting than a photograph.. Nice work.

Post by **XMEN Gambit** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 4:25 pm

It's the contrast & saturation settings, I think, that make it look that way.

To translate, BR, he's got a big flash that normally sits on the camera that he's moved OFF the camera, presumably sitting on his tripod, and aimed at the dog. The flash is attached to a the Pocket Wizard receiver, and fires when that gets a signal from from the PW transmitter that's attached to the hot shoe on the camera. (Pocket Wizards have been one of the hottest things going in photography for the last few years.) Off-camera flash is how you get away from that deer-in-the-headlights look of most point-n-shoot flash pictures, and get nice shadow contours across the subject.

Porsche, did you use a diffuser at all, or is it just nekkid flash + reflector? How close was the reflector to Riley?

XMENPorsche · Post by **XMENPorsche** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 5:20 pm

Actually, some of those "shadows" are from the vignetting that I did in PS. As for the diffuser, I used the Gary Fong Lightsphere II on my SB800 flash unit. I had a white reflector mounted to a reflector holder about 8 - 12 inches to the (camera) right of Riley.

I'm going to keep playing with this setup. I really wanted to get the flash lower to the floor but the tripod that I had it mounted to would not go any lower than about 24-30 inches from the floor. I'm going to mount my flash to a my main tripod which has a reversible center pole, which should allow me to put the flash literally on the floor (if I wanted to). Actually, I need to get the flash about 6-8 inches off the ground so that it's slightly above eye level on the dog.

Post by **XMEN Gambit** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 6:07 pm

Ok. When I said shadows I was referring to the general effect of off-camera flash, not your pic specifically. But the vignetting is, I'm sure, responsible for a some of the "painting" look described.

How's it look if you boost the flash setting a notch, or in general boost the exposure a little, either on the camera or the flash? I'm not seeing much fill from the reflector; I'd like to see that nice color on his mouth better. Flash and reflector angles good? Prolly not going to get a lot of reflection if both light and reflector are in front of the dog and both are aimed at him.

XMENPorsche · Post by **XMENPorsche** » Sat Aug 25, 2007 8:53 am

When I boost the flash setting a bit I get too much reflection off of his coat. Riley is really best photographed outdoors in the shade. His coat is too shiny and reflects too much light for my tastes. I agree with needing more fill from the reflector. That's why I practice this kind of stuff.