44. WILD CARD - April 13-19, 2014
Kevin-
Okay, so the theme this week was WILD CARD, which was an anything goes theme. And what I wanted to do was play around with a lighting style that I have been thinking about doing, a variation of what I did in Week 16, when the theme was BLACK.
The set-up: Black seamless background paper. Two studio strobes, each set to their lowest power setting, coming from 45 degree angles behind the subject, one on each side. The intention of course was to provide rim-light definition around the edges, while not actually creating much detail. The subject of course is me, dressed in black slacks with a black belt plus black shoes, black socks, a black turtleneck and a black sport jacket.
I triggered my tripod mounted Nikon camera with a wireless remote, plus had the self timer set to 5 seconds so that I wouldn't simply capture image after image of me holding the wireless remote in my hand.
My Nikon D3s was set to the flash sync speed of 1/250th of a second. The lens was my 85mm f1.4 Nikkor set to f/13. ISO was 200. Focus was set manually before I stepped into the frame.
I used my Sekonic L-558 incident flash meter to measure the correct exposure. I was interesting to look at the histogram, as everything was at the far left side. But bottom line, it was perfect. There is actually barely-there detail even in the blackest parts of the frame, and when experimenting with the idea brightening the image afterward in Lightroom the skin tones on my face would immediately go too far into overexposure. So that part at least I nailed.
Now my goal is to try this same lighting set-up with a model. So better pose, better looking, but still with this barely there edge/rim lighting.
Okay, so the theme this week was WILD CARD, which was an anything goes theme. And what I wanted to do was play around with a lighting style that I have been thinking about doing, a variation of what I did in Week 16, when the theme was BLACK.
The set-up: Black seamless background paper. Two studio strobes, each set to their lowest power setting, coming from 45 degree angles behind the subject, one on each side. The intention of course was to provide rim-light definition around the edges, while not actually creating much detail. The subject of course is me, dressed in black slacks with a black belt plus black shoes, black socks, a black turtleneck and a black sport jacket.
I triggered my tripod mounted Nikon camera with a wireless remote, plus had the self timer set to 5 seconds so that I wouldn't simply capture image after image of me holding the wireless remote in my hand.
My Nikon D3s was set to the flash sync speed of 1/250th of a second. The lens was my 85mm f1.4 Nikkor set to f/13. ISO was 200. Focus was set manually before I stepped into the frame.
I used my Sekonic L-558 incident flash meter to measure the correct exposure. I was interesting to look at the histogram, as everything was at the far left side. But bottom line, it was perfect. There is actually barely-there detail even in the blackest parts of the frame, and when experimenting with the idea brightening the image afterward in Lightroom the skin tones on my face would immediately go too far into overexposure. So that part at least I nailed.
Now my goal is to try this same lighting set-up with a model. So better pose, better looking, but still with this barely there edge/rim lighting.
Byron-
I downloaded an app for my iPad called photo SoftBox Pro. It turns the iPad into a light source. I really wanted to use it in this weeks photo. The problem was finding a suitable subject. While wandering the nicknack shelves at the local Goodwill, I came across this glass Porsche 911. Amazingly, it is in perfect condition. I expected to find a chip or a crack but no, it is pristine. In the window of the car and the front tire there is a bubble. That is to be expected in the glass forming process so I didn't let my OCD get all worked up about that.
I set the iPad to the full softbox mode, laid it on my soda fountain table (which was covered with a black cloth) face up, set the car on it and set the camera at car height. I shut off all other room light and achieved a black background.
Here are my settings - ISO 100, f/16, 4 second exposure.
I downloaded an app for my iPad called photo SoftBox Pro. It turns the iPad into a light source. I really wanted to use it in this weeks photo. The problem was finding a suitable subject. While wandering the nicknack shelves at the local Goodwill, I came across this glass Porsche 911. Amazingly, it is in perfect condition. I expected to find a chip or a crack but no, it is pristine. In the window of the car and the front tire there is a bubble. That is to be expected in the glass forming process so I didn't let my OCD get all worked up about that.
I set the iPad to the full softbox mode, laid it on my soda fountain table (which was covered with a black cloth) face up, set the car on it and set the camera at car height. I shut off all other room light and achieved a black background.
Here are my settings - ISO 100, f/16, 4 second exposure.
Deron-
I actually had quite a few options for this week, but after seeing Byron's slick submission, I decided to go with 'Anti-Porsche'. This old fella exudes hard work. He is just sitting in a field waiting for someone to fire him up, so he can go bulldoze something... I think I'll name him Llyal.
I actually had quite a few options for this week, but after seeing Byron's slick submission, I decided to go with 'Anti-Porsche'. This old fella exudes hard work. He is just sitting in a field waiting for someone to fire him up, so he can go bulldoze something... I think I'll name him Llyal.
Paul-
Compulsion is a quirky thing: it can lead you to places you don’t really want to go, or expose you to things you might not otherwise look at twice. Sometimes it does both. I had a few outdoor shots at Pioneer Park (just outside Lincoln) in mind when I heard about this week’s theme. Despite their best effort to keep me at home during a torrential rainstorm—which I stupidly thought would break up by the time I got there—I ignored my wife and daughter and half drove/half floated the Subaru to the park. Where, because I am apparently not the brightest person around, I was surprised to find I was the only one there. I was soaked to the bone within minutes of heading into the woods, and keeping my camera dry looked like it was going to be a big problem. (Note to self: bring gallon-sized baggies next time.) So, as the lightening flashed, the wind gusted, and the Fruit of the Looms soaked through, I beat a hasty retreat to the car…with approximately two pictures taken. And both of them awful.
Driving back—bracing for “I told you so’s at home”—I passed an old ice cream place that’s been around for decades and is a local favorite when it’s sunny and your hair doesn’t look like kelp. A very nice middle-aged woman was on duty; she was reading a paperback book and not exactly fending off customers. She said “sure” when I asked if I could take a few shots of the storefront. There was something I found kind of compelling about the place amid the rain and the darkened skies so I took this shot. In retrospect, I wish I had selected a slower shutter speed to better capture the rainfall. But it's there if you look for it.
Then I squished back home. (And yes, standing beneath trees during a lightning storm is a pretty dumb—and potentially fatal—thing to do. But, like I said, compulsion is a quirky thing.)
Part of me feels like I should have pulled out all the stops (no pun intended…really) for this theme. After all, it’s “Go-shoot-any-damn-thing-you-want-week!” Still, I’m sticking with this.
As the pair of aliens slowly approached, all tentacles and bulbous eyes, they spoke in a sibilant language no ordinary earthman could hope to understand. Fortunately, Professor Angus Pitchblende was no ordinary earthman. Holding in one arm the recently fainted and altogether lovely field assistant Penelope Colfax, the academician instantly recognized the tongue of the inhabitants of Epsilon Eridani, and raised his other arm in what he hoped was a universal greeting as he responded, saying (or hoping he was saying): “Olympus E500; 35mm telephoto lens at 35mm focal length; 1/60 sec. at f8; ISO 800; the camera is hand-held and the tidy whites are damp.”
Compulsion is a quirky thing: it can lead you to places you don’t really want to go, or expose you to things you might not otherwise look at twice. Sometimes it does both. I had a few outdoor shots at Pioneer Park (just outside Lincoln) in mind when I heard about this week’s theme. Despite their best effort to keep me at home during a torrential rainstorm—which I stupidly thought would break up by the time I got there—I ignored my wife and daughter and half drove/half floated the Subaru to the park. Where, because I am apparently not the brightest person around, I was surprised to find I was the only one there. I was soaked to the bone within minutes of heading into the woods, and keeping my camera dry looked like it was going to be a big problem. (Note to self: bring gallon-sized baggies next time.) So, as the lightening flashed, the wind gusted, and the Fruit of the Looms soaked through, I beat a hasty retreat to the car…with approximately two pictures taken. And both of them awful.
Driving back—bracing for “I told you so’s at home”—I passed an old ice cream place that’s been around for decades and is a local favorite when it’s sunny and your hair doesn’t look like kelp. A very nice middle-aged woman was on duty; she was reading a paperback book and not exactly fending off customers. She said “sure” when I asked if I could take a few shots of the storefront. There was something I found kind of compelling about the place amid the rain and the darkened skies so I took this shot. In retrospect, I wish I had selected a slower shutter speed to better capture the rainfall. But it's there if you look for it.
Then I squished back home. (And yes, standing beneath trees during a lightning storm is a pretty dumb—and potentially fatal—thing to do. But, like I said, compulsion is a quirky thing.)
Part of me feels like I should have pulled out all the stops (no pun intended…really) for this theme. After all, it’s “Go-shoot-any-damn-thing-you-want-week!” Still, I’m sticking with this.
As the pair of aliens slowly approached, all tentacles and bulbous eyes, they spoke in a sibilant language no ordinary earthman could hope to understand. Fortunately, Professor Angus Pitchblende was no ordinary earthman. Holding in one arm the recently fainted and altogether lovely field assistant Penelope Colfax, the academician instantly recognized the tongue of the inhabitants of Epsilon Eridani, and raised his other arm in what he hoped was a universal greeting as he responded, saying (or hoping he was saying): “Olympus E500; 35mm telephoto lens at 35mm focal length; 1/60 sec. at f8; ISO 800; the camera is hand-held and the tidy whites are damp.”