XL Pro’s (Part 2) Outside
Once again I am very impressed with how the XL Pro’s worked. They’re so easy to deal with! They now have a permanent place in my lighting kit.
I’m continuing to explore the possibilities of the The Rogue FlashBender 2 XL Pro’s. This week we decided to take them outside.
Firstly, it’s so nice to not have to carry big bulky gear! For this shoot I had:
Nikon SB-800
Nikon SB-700
Phottix - Odin Transmitter with Two Receivers
2 Rogue FlashBender 2 XL Pro’s
Nikon D-810
85mm 1.8
It took me about 5 minutes to get set up for the first shot.
The flash in the back was set to manual at full power. The front flash was set to TTL.
Camera settings
ISO 100
f2.2
1/200 sec
Once again I am very impressed with how the XL Pro’s worked. They’re so easy to deal with! They now have a permanent place in my lighting kit.
The Rogue FlashBender 2 XL Pro
So I've had my Rogue FlashBender 2 XL Pro’s for a few weeks now
So I've had my Rogue FlashBender 2 XL Pro’s for a few weeks now and I have to say that I love them! Working in a commercial environment means that I can't haul a bunch of equipment with me on shoots. I have to keep it simple.
2 light setup ISO 160, 85mm, f2.8, 1/60sec
These little boxes produce light that's equivalent to some of my larger boxes on my AlienBees. The speed and efficiency that I can set these up and tear them down is a huge benefit. They're simple!
One FlashBender 2 XL Pro and one 3-in-1 Flash Grid
Why this LED flashlight is the perfect tool for photographers
I had the pleasure of doing an interview with Inmybag.net about my gear bag and much of it focused on the use of LED flashlights in photography. LED's have been playing an increased roll in my work for the past 5 years.
Side note: The new P7.2 is such a great upgrade!
I don't see that changing any time soon.
Here is the interview link.
Happy Clicking!
Visit With Mackenzie
On a recent trip to LA my production manager and I had a few hours before we flew back to Sacramento. So I used the opportunity to work with a friend of mine, Mackenzie Firgens. She and I became friends a few years back when she worked on a project at the Preston Castle in Ione, CA. Whenever the opportunity arises I love working with her. She is such a natural in front of the camera very beautiful. It makes my job so easy.
On a recent trip to LA my production manager and I had a few hours before we flew back to Sacramento. So I used the opportunity to work with a friend of mine, Mackenzie Firgens. She and I became friends a few years back when she worked on a project at the Preston Castle in Ione, CA. Whenever the opportunity arises I love working with her. She is such a natural in front of the camera very beautiful. It makes my job so easy.
The location for the shoot was The Garland Hotel. They had completed some renovations recently, and it was a very nice boutique style hotel. It had a lot to offer for location shooting.
Because time was short I scouted locations while Christine (production manager) worked on outfits for Mackenzie to wear. We pulled the whole shoot off in about an hour and a half.
For the most part we shot with existing light on the Nikon D810 with my 85mm. I did use the D4 and my 50mm with a flash on the last set of images in the room. I love the light when the flash is directly lined up with the lens.
I'm so fortunate to be backed up by Christine to watch the clock because I could have just kept shooting, but then we would have been late for our flight.
I'm really looking forward to our next visit to LA when we get to shoot again.
About Mackenzie: She made her feature film debut starring as Harmony in the underground hit Groove, which was an Official Selection at the Sundance Film Festival, and released by Sony Classics Pictures. Firgens originated the role of April in the film version of the Broadway sensation Rent, directed by Chris Columbus. As April, Firgens had the opportunity to create a new character for the classic musical, and shares the screen with Adam Pascal.
Firgens also starred in Quality of Life with Lane Garrison, which won a Special Mention Award at the Berlin International Film Festival as well as the Best Youth Film at the Stockholm International Film Festival. Additional film credits include Broken Arrows with Lori Petty and The Hamiltons with Brittany Daniel.
Firgens can be seen in David Carradine last film the action movie "Break" also with Michael Madsen and Chad Everett by the award winning director Marc Clebanoff. (Wikipedia)
Gear Bag
It has taken me years to build up my arsenal of equipment, but most of the time I use a small fraction of what I own. I am a Nikon shooter. I received a Nikon camera as a middle schooler and just built my gear around that first camera. Throughout the years, I’ve shot 35mm, a medium format Bronica, and finally DSLR. I sometimes miss my 35mm as the digital cameras only have so many clicks in them before they give up.
I get a lot of questions from other photographers asking what kind of gear I use. I always like to point out that it’s not about the equipment you own, but your ability to use what you have that makes a good photographer. The lack of expensive gear should not be the limiting factor in creating your images. My images over the years have been made with minimal gear, sometimes with just a flashlight and an iPhone. Knowing how to use the gear you already own is the most important thing I can emphasize.
It has taken me years to build up my arsenal of equipment, but most of the time I use a small fraction of what I own. I am a Nikon shooter. I received a Nikon camera as a middle schooler and just built my gear around that first camera. Throughout the years, I’ve shot 35mm, a medium format Bronica, and finally DSLR. I sometimes miss my 35mm as the digital cameras only have so many clicks in them before they give up. I've found that I use the Nikon D4 the most, because it seems to keep up with me better than any other camera has. I also prefer AlienBees’ products, as their customer service has been extremely easy and helpful to deal with over the years and I’ve had two of their lights for over 18 years. The rest of my photo equipment is a mishmash of various brands and manufacturers that I’ve collected over the past 20 years.
When prepping for a shoot, I go through in my head or on paper (depending on the size of the shoot) what gear I will need, as well as thinking about any potential problems. This exercise helps me to make sure that I pack all the things I'll need. Some of my most common obstacles are lack of existing light and VERY limited shooting space. My Rogue flash benders are a huge help when this happens. They are very compact and put out really nice light. I also walk into many photo locations not knowing what I will face. I try to be prepared for the unexpected. I do this by having backups for my equipment. If I’m using wall powered strobes, I’ll bring a battery backup and small battery power flashes, just in case I don’t have access to power. I even bring canvas to block out a window in the event that the natural light isn’t right for my images. While my experience allows me to think on my feet pretty quickly during a shoot, I am always relieved when I’ve packed my bag well.
So here goes.
In The Bag
Think Tank
Airport International™ V 2.0 Rolling Camera Bag
Nikon D4
Nikon D810
Nikon 50mm f1.8
Nikon 85mm f1.8
Nikon 180mm f2.8
Nikon 105 micro f2.8
Nikon 24-70 f2.8
2 Nikon SB-800
Nikon SB-700
Metz AA AF-1
Phottix wireless remotes
Macbook Pro 15in
Sekonic light meter
4 Justin clamps
2 LED panels
Hoodman magnifying eyecup
MacBook Pro 13inch
WD My Passport 1TB drive
LED Lenser P7
LED sense P4
CamRanger
Rogue FlashBenders
Rogue Grids
Rogue Gels
JamBox
Vagabond Portable Power BY Paul C. Buff
Thanks Christine Alward for making this image!
The New HTC RE Camera
Earlier this week, HTC revealed some new products at their Double Exposure event in NYC. http://blog.htc.com/2014/10/double-exposure/ I'm honored to again create many of the images for their newest product the HTC RE, a small handheld camera.
Earlier this week, HTC revealed some new products at their Double Exposure event in NYC. I'm honored to again create many of the images for their newest product the HTC RE, a small handheld camera.
I've had several requests for a behind the scenes look at a commercial photo shoot, so I asked Edward to come film the team at work. He has put together a great video for you. Hope you enjoy it!!
Team Photographer- Tim Engle
Production -Christine Alward
1st assistant -David Harlan
Wardobe Stylist - Simone Vianna
Hair/Makeup -Jenifer Haupt
Video/BTS -Edward Khoma
Models- Melissa Brown & Hub Marc
Equipment used:
Aquatech underwater housing for the D810
Alienbees strobe by Paul C. Buff
Other side of the camera
I was actually in front of the camera last week. I did a quick little Q & A for the Sony channel. I'll stay behind the camera from now on. #photolife
