First attempts at wireless lighting

Sam Posten · 04-15-2008, 09:39 PM

Few websites are having as transformational effect on photography as Strobist is right now. I have finally moved to having a number of Nikon Speedlights which are wirelessly controlled by the built in lighting computer in the D300, using the Creative Lighting System. This is my first attempt, a bit hot on the specular highlings but exactly the kind of coole bacground effect I was going for. Total set up time under 10 minutes and the background is the speaker grille off a boombox!

Before you start bagging on me for the massive specular highlights understand I know those are not desirable and I've got a TON to learn. Still, with online teachers like Joe McNally and, dare I say it, Ken rockhead(!) with some easy to follow writeups I got my strobes set up in no time flat. My only problem configuring them was that it took me a few minutes to figure out I couldnt lay em on the sides I had em set on my desk cause the sensors were blocked =)

Also, I guess I've been dumping out all my pics in ARGB for the web, trying to see if it makes that much of a difference, so let me know if one looks all the more dull than the other.

Full size, ARGB at 85%:
08-Misc-2114 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Shrunk down SRGB at 70%:
SRGB-08-Misc-2114 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

I know, I know, shoulda done same quality and size to get a good comparo of SRGB versus A, but I messed up =p

Sam

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JohnRice · 04-16-2008, 08:00 AM

Sam, it's good to see you are experimenting with this.

One comment though. Saying this whole thing is "transformational" kind of demeans what many photographers have been doing for the last century. This is nothing new. In fact, being able to do it wirelessly with pocket strobes is nothing new. Minolta came up with a system capable of this 20 years ago.

Anyway, you keep mentioning the spectrals, but it looks to me that your ratios are OK. You just need to knock down the overall exposure by 1-2 stops and you will be fine. When you do this type of lighting you have to be willing to let the less (lower) lit parts of the subject drop farther than you might normally. It lets the effect of the lighting come out.

Also, I always notice that when someone is venturing into lighting, they don't backlight. Putting a light source maybe 20-30 degrees off center, behind and above the subject, aimed back toward the camera adds a fundamental highlight to the outline of the subject that makes a big improvement. Look at some good ads and see how rare it is for there not to be light directed toward the camera. Since your key light is on the right, put the backlight on the left.

Sam Posten · 04-16-2008, 09:44 AM

John, sorry I should have been more clear: I meant transformational for the ENTRY into off camera lighting, especially for amateurs like me. The explosion of information available for free makes this something mere mortals can explore and have fun with rather than having to have it as a delineated career choice with associated costs involved. Total cost for me getting this setup is under $3k, you pros can easily blow that on a single light, lens or camera =)

Thank you for your tip on backlighting. I definitely intend to get a third speedlight dedicated just for that purpose to help isolate the subjects from the background. As I said this was a quick setup just to see if I could even make it work, with the two SBs laying on my desk at work and me monkeying a bit with the ratio of light each was providing. I intend to do a lot more experimentation in the near future!

Sam Posten · 04-16-2008, 10:22 AM

BTW John, are you viewing on a calibrated monitor? I just took a look at these from away from home on a non calibrated CRT and boy you are right, it looks like they both need to drop well over a stop. On my huey calibrated LCD they have a real warmth and have nice gradation from dark to light outside of the edges where the specular highlights catch the worst. It's been a week since I ran the huey, wonder if something else got changed on my end or if we both have brightness cranked on these other machines. For what its worth when I take my ARGB versions to Costco they are almost always nearly identical to what I see on my home machine and that's without using their profile as most are out of Lightroom and not CS3.

JohnRice · 04-16-2008, 04:17 PM

Yes, my monitors are calibrated. I was speaking more from a subjective point. You repeatedly mentioned the highlights. Plus, I just think the shot would have more impact if the shadow side fell deeper, which would also bring out detail in the highlights.

Sam Posten · 04-16-2008, 05:24 PM

Gotcha. The good news is two fold then, I wasn't going for real art, just a test run and I learned a lot for when I go to take some real ones =)

Raymond lee Leggs · 04-16-2008, 05:55 PM

cool

JohnRice · 04-16-2008, 07:11 PM

Sam, you should always be going for real art.

Sam Posten · 04-17-2008, 12:15 PM

Dammit John I'm an engineer not an artist =)

Seriously tho, I am more of a documentarian of my semi mundane surroundings than expressly interested in either commercial gain or artistic/political/emotional expression.

Vulgar people call people like me GWACs, but I think of it as photography for one. If I'm happy with something that is all that matters to me, and if others like it, great, if others don't like it I'm happy to listen to what they have to say and may in fact agree with them and incorporate what I have heard and learned in the future, but I absolutely don't take comments pro or con personally. Some may say thats kind of bush league but hey that's me.

On the flip side I'm always willing to give opinions or advice when asked but never take it personally what I have to say is ignored either =) And I always caveat what I say as coming from a self taught noob =)

JohnRice · 04-17-2008, 01:37 PM

Did I hit a nerve?

Sam Posten · 04-17-2008, 09:12 PM

Oh heck no, I'm just telling ya where im coming from =) I've got VERY thick skin, but I am not and never will be an artist of ANY kind =)