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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Six Gifts For Speedlite Shooters - Six Days of Speedlite Tips Starts Tomorrow

Left: speedlite. Right: no speedlite.

In today's post, I'm listed my top accessories for speedlite shooters. They make great gifts for your loved one . . . and even yourself. Tomorrow you'll find a cool series here on my blog: Six Days of Speedlite Shooting Tips.

Okay, here are my recommendations for the speedlite shooter in your family.

Westcott Apollo 28-inch Softbox.
With a recessed panel, this softbox lets you soften the light and direct the light, much more so than when using an umbrella.

Honl Gel Kit.
Lets you add color to the light from your speedlite.

Honl 1/8" Grid.
Lets you focus the light. My photograh on the right was taken with a gel and grid.

Tether Tools Essentials Pack.
If you shoot in the studio, this pack lets
you hookup your camera to your computer for larger viewing of your images.

Rechargeable batteries and pack.
Speedlites need power. Rechargeable batteries are the way to go.

Eye-Fi SD Card.
An alternative to shooting tethered, this card lets you transmit picture from your camera to your computer.

I teach speedlite shooting on my group and private workshops.

I hope you can join the speedlite fun someday.

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

Explore the light,
Rick

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

A behind-the-scenes shot from one of my workshops.

Rick's List: Top 10 Gift Picks for Photographers

Looking for a holiday gift for the photographer in your life? Here's my top ten gift picks.

1) Plug-ins. Plug-ins help photographer's awaken the artist within, as well as helping them make the cleanest possible picture with maximum detail in shadow and highlight areas. The opening image for this post was created with Nik's HDR Efex Pro and Topaz Adjust. Save on plug-ins on my Plug-ins page.

2) My Light Controller and Tote. If you take people pictures, my Westcott Light Controller and Tote will help you control the light with a reflector, diffuser and an flash diffuser - all in a handy tote. Check it out here.

For examples of how I use it, see my Kelby Training class: Light - the main element in every photograph.

3) BlackRapid Straps. These rugged camera straps provide the fastest and most secure way to shoot. Yes, it does take a while (about a minute) to get used to seeing your camera hang upside down, but once you use this strap, you'll never go back to a conventional camera strap.

My two favorite BlackRapid straps: BlackRapid Metro Sling Camera Strap and BlackRapid RS DR-2 Double Strap.

4) ColorMunki. Hey, you spent a few bucks on your camera system and printer, so you must be serious about getting good color - your color or accurate color.

The ColorMunki helps you do just that.

The ColorMunki helps you calibrate your monitor, laptop, printer and even your projector - in a matter of minutes. Info here.

5) Tiffen 2-8 Stop ND Filter. An ND (neutral density) filter is THE most important filter for landscape photography. it reduces the amount of light entering the camera so you can use long shutter speeds to blur moving water, as I did for this waterfall picture that I took in Iceland. Here's a link to the one I use, but your filter diameter may be different.

My Tiffen 2-8 stop ND filter blurred the water beautifully in this scene.

6) Canon Pixma Pro10- Printer. If you want the ultimate in 13x19-inch prints, this printer is for you. It features a new 10-color LUCIA pigment ink system with three black inks for awesome color and black and white images.

For media support, the PIXMA PRO-10 features two paper trays. A rear tray for a variety of fine art and glossy photo papers, and a manual slot for thicker media to meet your printing needs.

Oh yes, the Pixma Pro-10 is wireless, too! Read more here.

7) Really Right Stuff BH-55 Ball Head. All I can say about this ball head is this: you've tried the rest, now try the best.

Combine this ball head with sturdy RRS tripods, and you're all set for super sharp shots at long exposures - such as the 30-second exposures I make at the Very Large Array during my recent Bosque Del Apache workshop with Juna Pons.

Info on the Really Right Stuff web site.

If you work with the folks at RRS, you'll find that they are passionate about photography - because they are passionate photographers themselves.

8) Canon Pancake Lens. No kidding, this is what it's called. This 40mm lens is a must-have for Canon shooters.

It's relatively flat, like a pancake. At f.2.8, it's great for low light shooting. It's design lets you shoot at close distances. With a circular aperture, it produces a soft background (if you want). At $149.00 it's a bargain.

9) Eye-Fi Pro X2 16 GB WiFi Card. I first saw this cool card this year at Photo Plus Expo in NYC.

You can instantly upload directly from your camera anywhere with the Eye-Fi Pro X2 16GB. Experience Class 10 read and write speeds coupled with built-in wireless transfer capabilities.

Order here for your New Year's Eve Party - or for your next shoot in your studio.

10) Photography workshop. Gear is great, and it can help you make better pictures. But for learning and growing, there is nothing like a workshop - where you get hands-on training and personal attention. I have about a dozen set for 2013. Check 'em out on my Workshops page.

Need some more gift ideas? See all the gear I use and recommend on my Gear Page.

Happy Holidays and Happy Shooting,
Rick

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Need an Awesome Digital Projector?

Need a projector (with two bulbs) for your camera club, home or office? I'm moving up to a new Canon digital projector and I'm selling my used Canon SX50.

Case and all cables included. Cost: $900 with shipping. Shoot me an email. US shipping only.

Whose Reality Are You Interested In Anyway?

“Reality leaves a lot to the imagination.” – John Lennon

When I teach a workshop or give a seminar, I often ask the photo workshop or seminar participants, “Whose realty are you interested in anyway? Yours or another person's perception of reality?”

I go on. I ask, “Do you want to get the sharpest, most realistic image, or do you want to create your own reality in Photoshop, perhaps using plug-ins to produce a one-of-a-kind image?”

Most often, the photo workshop participants go for the strait shot. But I’m thrilled when someone wants to experiment and express his or her creative vision.

I created the image that opens this post in Photoshop. The image below is a straight shot. I took the images in Bosque Del Apache, New Mexico.

One method for creating a creative image is to remove some of the sharpness from a scene. When you remove some of the sharpness, you remove some of the reality, and when you remove some of the reality, you often get a more creative image.

I removed the sharpness from the image with the Midnight filter in Nik Color Efex Pro. (See my Save on Plug-ins page for info on all the plug-ins I use).

The opening image is a composite of three images: the sandhill cranes, the moon and the mountains are all from different files. Creating composites is another way to create your own realty.

Getting back to Nik, I used the Detail Enhancer filter in Color Efex Pro to bring out the detail in the moon.

Get this: I’m writing this post on an airplane at 30K feet. The guy sitting next to me looked the opening picture and said, “Wow, that does not look like a photograph, it looks like a painting.” I said thank you, and told him what someone said about a similar shot that I showed at a seminar. He said, “I don’t like that picture. It looks like a painting.”

The next time you are working on an image, think about the reality that you can create with that image – and create the reality you see in your mind’s eye.

I hope to see you on one of my photography workshops. I teach photography and Photoshop. I can help you create your own reality on your computer monitor. Of course, I can also help you get the sharpest possible images in the field.

Hey, that gives me an idea: Maybe I should run a “Create Your Own Reality” workshop. Or maybe I can talk my friends at Nik Software into a webinar on creating your own reality with Nik plug-ins. Interested? Shoot me an email.

And, I’d love to hear your thoughts on your photo reality. Post ‘em in the Comment here. If you want, include a link to a creative image. To post a comment, you need to go back to www.ricksammon.com - for now.

By the way, one “rule” in wildlife photography is to have some separation between the animals so that the animals stand out clearly in the frame, which is not the case in the opening image for this post. However, if you look closely, you’ll see that all the heads are separated.

In addition, the opening image tells the story of how close the birds fly to each other. 

It’s good to break the rules. These images of small heard of elephants that I photographed in Africa tells the story of how the adult elephants protect their young. Not much separation here.

I guess the message of this post is this: Follow your heart and create your own realty, maybe while listening to a John Lennon song on iTunes.

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

Explore the light,
Rick

This post sponsored by Adorama - great gear at great prices. Check out their awesome Holiday specials on Canon lenses and Speedlites. Click here for info.