Six Days of Speedlite Tips: Day 4

It's Day 4 of my Six Days of Speedlight Shooting Tips here on my blog. Scroll down for previous speedlite posts.

Today's tips:  Light the background . . . add a pattern to the background . . . change the color of the background. Have fun!

Watch the video, which was recorded in the TWiP studio with my friends Catherine Hall and Leo Laporte. Good fun - and good info. My segment starts about 23 minutes into the show.

The show was recorded last year before I switched to Squarespace for my .com site.

If you like on-line learning, check out my Kelby Training on-line classes. Master composition and learn how to see the light.

Accessories used for this shoot:
- Honl Gel Kit. Lets you add color to the light from your speedlite.
- Honl 1/8" Grid. Lets you focus the light. 
- Tether Tools Essentials Pack. Hooks up your camera to your computer.
- My custom cardboard light modifier. :-)

My lens for this shoot: Canon 24-105mm IS lens, which I use for most of my photography.

Explore the light,
Rick

P.S. Here's a bonus tip, which I just added, from my friend Kevin Pepper, who runs The Photographer's Lounge. We do workshops together. Our next one is in Tanzania.

Tip: Keep the eyes (pupils) wide open. Notice the size of the subject's pupils in Kevin's photograph. The pupils are very large, due to the studio being relatively dark - and the speedlite firing at about 1/10,000 of a second.

Studies have shown that we are more drawn to portraits when the subject's pupils are wide-open.

The next time you are going through the supermarket checkout line, look at the covers of the fashion magazines, and notice the size of the subject's pupils.

This post sponsored by Borrow lenses - which also rents speedlites and speedlite accessories.

Six Days of Speedlite Tips: Day 2

It's Day 2 of my Six Days of Speedlight Shooting Tips here on my blog. Scroll down for previous speedlite posts.

Today's tip: Create Terrific Top Light.

Concept: Position the light directly above the subject. Use "voice activated" light stands to save on real light stands. Use a softbox with a recessed diffusion panel to soften and direct the light. Moving the softbox a few inches can dramatically change where the shadows fall and how much of your subject is illuminated. I talk more about shadows (and light) in my Kelby Training class: Light - the main element in every photograph. Info on my On-line Classes page.

After you make your photograph, play with plug-ins. My original photograph is top left. I used the Monday Morning filter in Nik Color Efex Pro to create the image on the top right. All my plug-ins are listed on my Save on Plug-ins page.

Screen grab of Nik Color Efex Pro main window.

Recommended Gear:
Canon 5D Mark III
Canon 24-105mm IS lens
Westcott Apollo Softbox kit
Canon 600EX-RT Speedlite
Canon ST-E3 Speedlite Transmitter
Tether Tools kit. 

Explore the light,
Rick

This post sponsored by Westcott. Check 'em out for all your lighting needs.

Serious Speedlites for Serious Shooters

Croton-on-Hudson, New York artist, Eddi Flemming in her studio.

Later today I'm starting my series: Six Days of Speedlite Tips. As a prelude to the series, I thought I'd re-post a blog post I did earlier this year on my first session with my new speedlite system:  Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT and Speedlite Transmitter ST-E3-RT. Here goes.

To test the new gear, I set out to make a photograph of a person with a very discerning eye: local painter Eddi Flemming. Yes, I wanted to test and get familiar with my new camera (the Canon 5D Mark III) and speedlites, but I also wanted Eddi to be 100 percent happy with the environmental portrait - a picture of the artist in her environment.

Above is the result of the shoot. Eddi loved the color and sharpness of the image. I had the same comments. But I'll add that the new speedlites and transmitter are super easy to use - and the ETTL is super accurate.

I used two speedlites for the shoot - one set on channel A and the other on B. Both were set on ETTL.

My main speedlite, positioned to camera left in a Westscott Apollo Orb soft box, was set, via the on-camera transmitter, to 0EV exposure compensation.

My fill light, hand-held by my wife, Susan, was positioned to camera right and was set, via the transmitter, to -2EV for just a touch of fill light.

Adjusting the power output of the speedlites is a fast and easy, "touch-of-a-buttons and twirl-of-a-dial process" with the Canon ST-E3-RT wireless transmitter.

I know a lot of pros who set their speedlites on the Manual mode. However, I have found that ETTL works perfectly for me. As my dad used to say, "To each his own."

Above is a behind-the-scenes shot taken by Susan Sammon. She was using a 5D Mark III and Canon 14mm lens. For my shot, I used my Canon 5D Mark II and my Canon 17-40mm lens.

My camera was tethered to my MacBook Pro with my Tether Tools kit.

I think Eddi is having a good effect on my photography. Now, when I make a picture, I try to think like a painter - which is something I cover on my workshops. I think more about shadows, and how important they are in a photograph. See the image below.

You'll find lots of lighting tips in my apps.

If you like stuff like this, you can subscribe to my blog here.

Explore the light,
Rick

This post sponsored by Westcott. Check 'em out for all your lighting needs.

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