My Bits And Pieces - I'm Talking About Photos...  

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SR33
Post #1401

This is why I dont want to do any product photography!! But if you get past those little things there is a lot of money to be made. Specially taking pics of food. Which I think will be awesome to do smile.gif

Nick_
Post #1402

Thought some of you might be interested in something I did this weekend.

I resprayed my silver beauty dish white. I ended up using white enamel I got from Bunnings and just did the usual paint prep and it came up a treat. I probably did 4 coats in total (including a first 'tack' coat). Then for my own touch, went with my logo colour (which i also have my logo stenciled onto some cases in this colour) and it came up pretty well. Hopefully by the time the enamel cures it'll be tougher wearing than the flat it came in, which was already scratching and scraping off the back of the dish.

Attached File  combined.jpg ( 189.42K ) Number of downloads: 26


Oh and that's my new 200w/s Jinbei strobe. They do from these (this is the digial one) up to head-and-pack systems. So far it's alright, sensitive optical slave, loud recycle beep but the clip for the Bowens mount is plastic :/ What do you expect for under $200 though?

SR33
Post #1403

So what made you change from silver to white? I have always used white.. How does the silver behave?

Nick_
Post #1404

Silver is a lot harsher, it throws at least half a stop more light it seems too. I'd liken it to using a softbox with an extra diffusion panel and without. A broader and gentler light falloff and not as much transfer efficiency basically.

White is the way to go with people IMO. Also warmed it up a bit since silver is awfully cool.

waynecant
Post #1405

QUOTE (Nick_ @ Mar 24 2012, 01:17 PM) *
Yeah Sidd, she's really flippant too. She says she "LOVES" one thing, you run with that and all of a sudden she doesn't like it anymore! Rather frustrating and incomprehensible at the same time. She hates shallow DOF stuff when I feel that's really what she's about, something different and unique and it helps separate the product from the set-up, but she's tied to her own 'grab a P&S and shoot it from above' with harsh light because she think it's the only way to show off her product.

Sort of Ben, I have many finished shots and they all get deep-etched (cut onto white) and will be on the national website, TV ads and banners/posters in all the stores for my employer


Wayne, this is a standard IEC-lead with an earthed aus plug (aka 3-pin plug) where as you sound like you've got a pack-and-head style thing going on so sadly, it wont work as far as I'd be aware. Does the pack control the power and functions? (modeling light, has the slave rather than the head etc..)? Chances are they may have just used a DIN socket so you can't use any old strobe with it if it's just a battery pack but.

I'm thinking of keeping it now anyway. Still, give me some deets on what you're using now - sounds interesting!


Hey mate havent been on in ages. Yeah fair enough, yeah i picked up a head and pack type setup and yeah its a DIN socket.

Ok dont know too much about it, but what i do know is its an 800w strobe. Picked it up off Nick Krzywdzinski who i was doing nightclub photography work for a little while back. Came with the light, battery pack, 2 batteries, big softbox and dodgy stand haha. He bought it from Dragon Image for 1800 used it a fair bit, dropped it in the sand at a beach shoot and had it replaced but never used it again. I bought it off of him for $850 so i guess thats alright. Havent shot in like 6 months or more so i havent used it really anyway haha. Only thing i dont like is the power control is only 1/1 1/2 1/4 and 1/8. Oh and the slave is on the battery pack which imo is a f#*king stupid idea but hey i bought a pc sync cord and bobs your uncle. Not the best setup but my first strobe, and packs alot more punch than my 580EXII.

Life story ends here

Nick_
Post #1406

Yeah older kits have that type of power control, but if you want to adjust it, just move it in or out a little. Although that heavily effects your light-fall off but I'm sure you'll figure it out. Pack and head kits these days still have the optical slave on the pack, Profoto's etc.. The heads are just a bulb, in a case with a mount on the front. The rest of the flash is back in the pack. It's good because each "Flash" is very compact and should be MUCH cheaper than a monobloc (i.e. any Alienbees, most Bowens/Calumet & Elinchoms) of equivalent power.

Been doing a lot of location photography with work lately and it's a bit upsetting that 640w/s Einsteins are perfect in a studio but as soon as they're out in the sun, they feel half as powerful! Been using the 47" octa's to get some soft light to basically light into the shadows rather than trying to overpower the sun. For furniture, it's just TOO much of a large object that isn't really reflective or shiney in most cases which makes it even harder.

Also been doing some Brenizer panoramas. Here's one I did after an afternoons shooting.

Attached File  149458_10151533645230347_605350346_24341770_640565025_a.jpg ( 14.08K ) Number of downloads: 25


Pretty fun but takes it's toll on your computer when stitching and editing! Also tried a B&W HDR Brenizer which I think isn't as nice., it's something different though.

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SR33
Post #1407

I havent used the Einsteins in a while outdoors, but I do remember at one shoot I couldn't overpower the sun. But there are plenty others who have said its possible. For me I just try and find a natural balance. Anyways can overpower the sun, but matching ambient with strobe is the hard bit and probably the more better results. Well everyone has a different style in the end.

As soon as I get my next big wedding im going to sell the Einstein and go with the profoto setup. anyways....

Garfield Gangsta
Post #1408

Thats an interesting technique... I'd gotten bored with panos, but thats a diferent approach to it.

Have you tried with a person as the subject? Wondering if you shoot them with a single frame or just get them to hold still for a couple of seconds and shott a few quickly

Nick_
Post #1409

QUOTE (SR33 @ Apr 22 2012, 08:47 PM) *
I havent used the Einsteins in a while outdoors, but I do remember at one shoot I couldn't overpower the sun. But there are plenty others who have said its possible. For me I just try and find a natural balance. Anyways can overpower the sun, but matching ambient with strobe is the hard bit and probably the more better results. Well everyone has a different style in the end.

As soon as I get my next big wedding im going to sell the Einstein and go with the profoto setup. anyways....



Big spender! Drool.

Nick_
Post #1410

QUOTE (Garfield Gangsta @ Apr 23 2012, 09:11 AM) *
Thats an interesting technique... I'd gotten bored with panos, but thats a diferent approach to it.

Have you tried with a person as the subject? Wondering if you shoot them with a single frame or just get them to hold still for a couple of seconds and shott a few quickly


Definitely the ultimate end goal with this one. Something in a sunset/sunrise forest or twilight city location could look utterly epic.

The shooting idea. I'd probably try both in the same shoot. Grab a single sharp frame and then do a pano. Shooting in portrait orientation should mean for fewer overlaps of the person and more shots of the area which (as long as your not drunk) shouldn't move.

Essentially it's imitation of a large-format/Field camera which have amazing DOF and clarity in the same frame.

Nick_
Post #1411

QUOTE (SR33 @ Apr 22 2012, 08:47 PM) *
I havent used the Einsteins in a while outdoors, but I do remember at one shoot I couldn't overpower the sun. But there are plenty others who have said its possible. For me I just try and find a natural balance. Anyways can overpower the sun, but matching ambient with strobe is the hard bit and probably the more better results. Well everyone has a different style in the end.

As soon as I get my next big wedding im going to sell the Einstein and go with the profoto setup. anyways....



Sidd, have you thought about Paul Buff Zues-series? head-pack style but a lot cheaper than Profoto and apparently almost as good. Especially when talking colour as well as flash duration. (Which Einsteins are up there with anyway! - Strobist.com mentioned this too on a Broncolor Vs Profoto post from Broncolor.com).

SR33
Post #1412

NIck check out this: http://fstoppers.com/pics-sam-hurds-epic-portraits
might interest you.

Havent even thought about the Zues series. Will do some reading now on it.

I find the Einsteins bang for buck strobe, but Im having issues with using my pocketwizards with it. I find the power randomly goes up to full power and the model lamp sometimes just turns on randomly. I dont know what it is but it gives me the shits on location shoots. Also its big and heavy for a strobe.

I saw the actute lite series from profoto and the quality is incredible and super light also. But at 3k for the setup is expensive but atleast it will last me for ever.

Nick_
Post #1413

QUOTE (SR33 @ Apr 24 2012, 01:59 PM) *
NIck check out this: http://fstoppers.com/pics-sam-hurds-epic-portraits
might interest you.

Havent even thought about the Zues series. Will do some reading now on it.

I find the Einsteins bang for buck strobe, but Im having issues with using my pocketwizards with it. I find the power randomly goes up to full power and the model lamp sometimes just turns on randomly. I dont know what it is but it gives me the shits on location shoots. Also its big and heavy for a strobe.

I saw the actute lite series from profoto and the quality is incredible and super light also. But at 3k for the setup is expensive but atleast it will last me for ever.


E640's heavy? They're half the weight of most other monoblocs out there. Heavier than Profoto heads? Sure, but don't forget the pack!! That adds most of the weight and restriction. Working live with the vagabond lithiums and 2 lights gives me a good couple hours shooting at almost 1:1 at midday/early afternoon as a guide. I think they're great, but profoto will be undeniably better. Just wait for the cost of those mods!

Wish I could personally get your Einsteins off you, but I'm stuck using ghetto and speedlites myself still.

Nick_
Post #1414

Been some time so I thought a post might not go astray. Rainy day and wanted to take a shot of my new camera, so I did.

New camera is a Voigtlander Vitoret: Basically the cheapest, nastiest Voigtlander model of it's time, most likely 1963 build. Not a rangefinder, but merely a "Viewfinder camera".
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Also threw in a "BTS" shot in case anyone was interested. Pretty simply 4 light gig. Key was the softbox on ghetto boom, side special was a YN460II in a cheapass foldable ebay softbox, some bottom left fill from the bare YN460II and BG was a Honl gridded Canon 580EX2.
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Also got a Recesky 35mm DIY TLR, here's some shots of it:
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Did a little custom paint job on it too using my logo colour, sitting on one of my gear cases.
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Currently at work I'm shooting the second round of products, previously I was shooting new furniture, then lifestyles (i.e. outside product shots) and now it's for existing stock that's staying in the range. Tomorrow I'm shooting 3.5m and 4m umbrellas in a cold, drafty warehouse. Challenging in it's own way, trying to light something with the correct colour temp (5600K), and the whole massive thing evenly yet avoiding speculars on the giant aluminium parts. Will kill it but wink.gif

Nick_
Post #1415

Haven't really shot a great deal lately, with all the shooting from work it seems to draw up my motivation but with downtime now I'm starting to get keen. My images for work are soon to be used in national catalogues, TV ads (I believe) to a 52 page 'magazine' (in-store range catalogue, but very posh) which is fairly epic. Also an ad is going into Better Homes very shortly with one of my favourite images. I'm a bit flawed at just how fast and far these things are going. Certainly a personal high-point in photography for me!

I've taken a roll of B&W with a Pentax MZ-60 of driveways on trips to see my wifes family and around some more, going for a little landscape with interesting and uniform content - yet to dev and its taken a year to take 24 frames (can't remember if there's any duplicates!) so I'm keen to see what's become of it.

On a recent trip I took a shot through a tiny town called Mendoran, takes about 3 minutes to go through there and rarely, in those 3 minutes, do we see anyone actually around.
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Old shot of a friends Sil80.
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Also bought a FED5 Rangefinder, basically a Leica replica but with a Selenium light meter which doesn't require batteries and an Industar 61L/D which is radioactive! Some of the glass has Lanthanum in it, to improve optical quality (but obviously not really THAT radioactive.. I hope it gets through customs!). I hope to one day go back to developing my own B&W film and then scanning. That would be really cool as C41 is just a pain (going to BigW etc..) and I can dev any time myself. Am yet to get it but this is what I'm getting basically - ultra-cool, Batman.



Also got a 70-200 f/4 with some tax money, the money was going to sponsor a 2.5" stainless exhaust from Rob Bliss but my wife talked me into a lens (because we share the car, this impacts her less she says). Was very keen on a Sigma 70-200 2.8 but after time-wasters on Gumtree (seriously, if you're NOT going to sell something, WTF list it??) I ended up getting an L for just over $500, which is alright, considering they can be had for the high $600's now off Digitalrev etc.. Was keen for f/2.8 but I've used the f/4 before and it was very impressive so I'm not too worried. Was also tempted to trade the 17-40 for a 17-35 f/2.8 since they're pretty much a straight swap in cost, however after a little reading I hastily retreated as the 17-40 is MUCH sharper, it even gives the 16-35II a damned good run for its money. I think an 85 1.8 would be nice after this and I should be content for a little, or perhaps after a 135 f/2 L...

SR33
Post #1416

QUOTE
Certainly a personal high-point in photography for me!


Congrats man. You deserve it. Be sure to post those pictures in here once they are published.

Nick_
Post #1417

Thanks Sidd. I'll post up some catalogues when they go in and maybe the mag ads too, when they roll along. There's a big marketing drive this year which is great for me, more of my images being pushed out there!

T4ZZ
Post #1418

That is very cool news Nick, congrats thumbsup.gif

Ben092
Post #1419

Congrats Nick! I knew you would always be famous smile.gif

Love the op shop picture! Its so simple, yet so...epic!

Nick_
Post #1420

Haha I wont become famous from this because it's my day job so no credit etc.. No one will know it was me!

Nick_
Post #1421

So I had my second roll of film developed from the Recesky which I took on a recent trip to Sydney for my mother-in-law's 50th. It really is a shits'n'giggles camera. If I was looking for sharp images I think I'd be better off with a $13+ camera without single plastic element lenses and light leaks but it's pretty fun to use.

It's easier to use for street as you can essentially keep walking around with your face down looking through the view finder but all your images return looking a bit average. I think my main issue is not being able to correctly align my lenses, because my camera is a Recesky knock-off and it's lacking two little dots one would normally use to line up the lenses while screwing into the body so I'm for ever front or back focusing, which only makes the epic optical quality worse.

Regardless here's my "keepers", Fuji X-tra 24 asa400.

Mendoran Op Shop again
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Needs no explination
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Some dude in some alley whilst we were checking The Rocks markets
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Pump house at a place called Coonabarabran. We always grab a late lunch there on the big drive to my wifes home town from a cafe called Eat It, and run by suspected lesbians. We think that mainly because it makes the story much more interesting.
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All in all it's a fun little camera and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for something a bit alternative without shelling out for a Yashica or Lubitel and then paying even MORE to buy the more expensive 120 and more than double the cost to develop too.

SR33
Post #1422

Regardless of all that those shots are great. First one is a definitely a keeper. Should print this one and see how it turns out.

Nick_
Post #1423

Got my FED 5C today with the 55mm f/2.8 L/D. The L stands for Lanthanum which is mildly radioactive. That's a cool enough story in its own, but the camera was made in the former USSR, now Ukraine from FED. They started out making Leica copies, and even ended up making more copies than Leitz made actual Leica's.

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Obviously secondhand and worn, it's classed as a top grade "user" camera, which means it was actually used. Issue with buying the top class spotless versions is most of the time they don't actually work, hence they're very good ageing. Comes with a leather case and stuff but I've just bought a knock-off BlackRapid 4 strap off ebay to carry around to do some street. Really want to get back into that.

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My main modus operandi for this camera is B&W and home dev eventually. I'll slowly grab some kit (dev tank and fixer) and I'll develop it Caffenol (home made developer made from instant coffee and Vegemite or other stuff haha). User manual was included but I've got buckleys of actually reading it. Time for some googling.

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Even comes with a Selenium lightmeter! This means it's light meter works with zero batteries. Awesome feature for a camera that's potentially 40 years old!

Nick_
Post #1424

Well I got a little surprise this evening when my wife called me over to the TV to find an ad my work had put on (I had no idea it was going to air). The last frame in this ad is one of my shots from the new season stuff (The actual contents of the shot isn't new season). Unsure how far this ad is going (local TV or national).

Now you all know where I work too!



Pretty stoked!

The other images aren't mine, they were taken by a graphics designer I was asked to take over from. After September all national advertising images (catalogues which will be letterbox dropped etc..) used will be 99.9% mine.

Ben092
Post #1425

Haha winning! I've seen that ad before. I feel connected in some way tongue.gif

Nick_
Post #1426

Haha, you should drop into a store sometime after September and check out the 52 page in-store magazine. 99% filled with my images (You should be able to tell the difference between mine and a few older ones that were included).

Also A3 catalogues that will be letter dropped over the marketing schedule that's all my shots too.

Nick_
Post #1427

Well was at the TV commercial shoot today. Christ my feet hurt from standing all day.

All I can say is.. WOW. I thought I was going to be schooled in how to run a gun a shoot but was I wrong.

Nick_
Post #1428

Went into the city today to have a poke around and do some street as I haven't been in ages, perhaps years. Apart from about a month ago tongue.gif

Old asian dude.
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Some guy that's out the front of Boarders a lot and plays really good bluesy stuff.
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Something missing in this one.. No busker to be seen..
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Old dude who looked interesting J-walking.
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Some kid who was standing in foot traffic looking lost, hip shot.
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This guy we stood and listened to for about 3 songs. He's pretty good! Andrew Morris. Was going to approach him later about album art but it seems he is well above this league.
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His sound tech/solo fan.
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SR33
Post #1429

QUOTE (Nick_ @ Aug 22 2012, 08:31 PM) *
Well was at the TV commercial shoot today. Christ my feet hurt from standing all day.

All I can say is.. WOW. I thought I was going to be schooled in how to run a gun a shoot but was I wrong.


No doubt it would have been fullon. But the experience would have been worth it.
Get any behind the scene shots?
What was the commercial for?

Nick_
Post #1430

Yeah I was there for behind the scenes shots. And no Sidd, the opposite of full on. Our meagre operation looks like a freaking well executed SAS operation compared to this crew. It was abysmal! They forgot what they were doing and barely got what we wanted them to shoot etc.. It was shocking! and worst part is, they weren't exactly cheap. Shot on a 660D (Dude said his RED Epic was still on it's way....)

Thinking I'll probably be filming the next TV commercial haha.

Commercial was for my work.

Nick_
Post #1431

Ripped out the DIY lightbox my Dad made and had a go at "Scanning" some negs off the light-leaking Vitoret in preparation of the FED.

Here's some for the hell of it. Had to throw a simple highpass and multiply layer on to get some contrast. 5D shot had 4 lights going on too, but they just nuked the frame through the leaks (as you can see).


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T4ZZ
Post #1432

Like the street stuff nick. sneaky,sneaky tongue.gif

Nick_
Post #1433

Can't be sneaky with a 50mm on the 5d2. The elderly asian guy was about 1.5 meters away.

Can't wait to get my FED out there. Getting into a pretty cool little home project in relation to that too soon.

SR33
Post #1434

QUOTE (Nick_ @ Aug 29 2012, 07:55 PM) *
Yeah I was there for behind the scenes shots. And no Sidd, the opposite of full on. Our meagre operation looks like a freaking well executed SAS operation compared to this crew. It was abysmal! They forgot what they were doing and barely got what we wanted them to shoot etc.. It was shocking! and worst part is, they weren't exactly cheap. Shot on a 660D (Dude said his RED Epic was still on it's way....)

Thinking I'll probably be filming the next TV commercial haha.

Commercial was for my work.


He should have atleast hired something a bit more decent. Not sure about the quality of the 660d though.. Wait there is a 660d now? Damn.. Cant keep up with all the crop bodies..

Tell your work you can do the job better and get them to pay you lol.. WIN WIN for all.

Nick_
Post #1435

650, my bad. I can't keep up either, especially with Nikon!

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