Welcome to Workshop at the Ranch. Each month I will be writing an instructional article about photography. It might cater to sports coverage, new cameras and gear, techniques with Off Camera Speedlights or Large Strobe Systems, Lightpainting and more. These articles began in 2003. They are archived and available for you to revisit as often as you like. A broad pallet of my images with all camera data, equipment I use, special tricks of the trade, and my personal commentary will drive the content of each article. So, be my guest, settle back and “click” on any image you want to enlarge, and enjoy learning each month here on Workshop at the Ranch. Adios, Dave

Workshop at the Ranch - July 2009 - FourSquare Sensation

Workshop at the Ranch
July, 2009 Edition

Hi and welcome to this slightly late edition of Workshop at the Ranch. First off, my apologies for being late with this months article, but I wanted to feature a new piece of equipment I have been using, and using a lot! As most of you who read my monthly articles here at Workshop at the Ranch know, I love the Nikon Speedlight system and currently use the Nikon SB-900 Speedlights for many of my projects. While I do some work in the studio I tend to find myself doing the majority of my image making outdoors. Over powering the intense Colorado sunshine requires a lot of light and I have found that 4 Nikon SB-900 Speedlights does a wonderful job of allowing me to use light creatively outdoors even at high noon. But holding and aiming 4 off camera flash units at a moving subject can be difficult, what with the sensors needing to line up with the commander. And when a soft box is used the sensors rarely line up with the commander. With the idea of overpowering the sun using multiple off camera flash units ... meet the FourSquare.

Image #1 and #2      Meet the FourSqaure ... The FourSquare kit is the ingenious design and creation of famed photographer Paul Peregrine and Gary Regester. You may not know it, but you might already be familiar with some of Paul's other products ... does LIGHTWARE sound familiar? I have used the Lightware brand camera and equipment cases for more than 25 years as have many photographers. Just as the Lightware line of equipment cases is the perfect solution for the photographer who ventures out of the studio and travels with their gear, the FourSquare is the perfect solution to hold 1, 2, 3, or 4 off camera flash units. Now that's a handful of power. Here is an image showing the FourSquare kit with 4 SB-900 Speedlights. The FourSquare kit includes the FourSquare block, the FourSquare Soft Box with poles and front panel scrim. Here is the FourSquare kit plus an optional accessory Hand Grip being held by my #1 "go too" summer assistant, RIT student Rob Weber. This image also illustrates that I can tilt the Speedlight heads to bounce off the inside panels of the FourSquare Soft Box for a slightly softer light that still allows maximum light output efficiency without a front panel scrim diminishing the light. But, sometimes I will use the FourSquare and simply attach (Velcro) the front panel scrim to further soften the light for a softer portraiture light. These options of facing the flash heads straight forward out the open front of the soft box, bouncing them off the inside panels, or using the front panel scrim give the photographer versatility and choice .... I love it! (NOTE: For those who prefer, the FourSquare also works with umbrellas too.)
Image #3      The FourSqaure block with Swivels and Hand Grip ... I have been using the FourSquare and 4 Nikon SB-900 Speedlights for the past 2 months of projects and find it perfect for my style of off camera flash photography. The FourSquare block (the black square) holds up to 4 flash units, for me that would be Nikon SB-900 Speedlights. You can mount your flashes directly to the FourSquare block which allows the main body of each flash to face toward the front or out the back of the soft box. I suggested to Paul that a swivel mount would be a great accessory. The additional Swivel mounts (red pieces) that allows you to rotate the flash unit's main body 365 degrees so the sensor can face any direction and easily communicate with the Nikon SU-800 Commander, in-camera commander, or flash from the camera. This is important to me as I tend to locate my lights off camera to the side and sometimes even behind me. I want to keep a direct line of sight to my commander on the hotshoe of the camera and the swivels make 360 degree sensor direction possible. The Hand Grip is also an optional accessory that lends well to my style of shooting in the field. An assistant can easily hand hold the FourSquare kit and move around my subject quickly. In the studio I can remove the Hand Grip from the FourSquare block and attach the block to a lightstand.
Image #4 and #5      FourSquare Moody Blue ... I like to stylize many of the portrait and action images I make. I will intentionally underexpose my scene anywhere from -0.7 to -2.5 depending on the amount of drama I want and then reveal my subject from a dark silhouette using light from an off camera Speedlights. I will increase the drama of the scene by using a cool blue white balance of 3030K which will turn the entire scene blue and then use the orange warming gels that come standard with each Nikon Speedlight to illuminate my subject with warm sunset colored light. I call this stylization "Moody Blue" and have written Workshop at the Ranch articles with examples over the past few years. With this image I placed the orange warming gel over the front of each of the 4 SB-900 Speedlights and have aimed the 4 Speedlight flash heads directly out the open front of the FourSquare Soft Box. The Soft Box helps channel the spill of light to better illuminate my subject. No assistant on this day, but the athletes father was more than willing to be a part of the photo shoot. Nikon D3x, ISO500, 1/1250 at f10, Nikon 24-70mm, WB 3030K, 4 Nikon SB-900 Speedlights with warming gels each at a power output of +3.0, FourSquare with Swivels and Soft Box and Hand Grip, Nikon SU-800 Commander, Lexar 16G Flash Card. I did not use the front panel scrim as I needed all the maximum light to over power the sun at 8:45 am. Also the open front of the soft box allows a direct line of site from my SU-800 Commander to the Speedlight sensors. I used the FourSquare swivels so I could aim the Speedlight sensors straight forward out the front of the soft box to insure that the SU-800 Commander would fire the Speedlights.
Image #6      FourSquare Back Hand ... Here is another example using the Moody Blue formula for stylized imagery although a little less dramatic. The FourSquare with Soft Box is directly over my head about 4 feet off the court. There is a Monopod attached to the Hand Grip by using the 3/8 by 16 threaded post of my Gitzo monopod and screwing it into the bottom of the FourSquare Hand Grip. My assistant Rob can easily move the light quickly to where I want it yet keep it a consistent height throughout the photo shoot. Nikon D3x, ISO500, 1/1250 at f8.0, Nikon 14-24mm lens, WB 3030K, 4 Nikon SB-900 Speedlights each with warming gels, all 4 flashes have a power output of +2.0, FourSquare with Swivels and Soft Box, Hand Grip with Gitzo Monopod attached and extended to 4 feet hand held by Rob and placed on the court, Nikon SU-800 Commander, Lexar 16G Flash Card. This time I tilted the 4 Speedlight heads to bounce off the inside panels of the FourSquare Soft Box and there is no front panel scrim.
Image #7      FourSquare Fly-Bye ... This image shows the FourSquare with a Monopod attached to the Hand Grip to form a boom arm lighting rig. The 3/8 by 16 threaded post of my Gitzo monopod attaches the monopod directly into the bottom of the FourSquare Hand Grip. Rob can now elevate my FourSquare with 4 Nikon SB-900 Speedlights to the level my Motocross athlete is achieving. For this image I used the Swivels and faced the Speedlight sensors out the open back of the Soft Box and on a line of site to my D3x with my SU-800 Commander on the camera hotshoe. The high elevation of Colorado and thin air sunshine is extremely intense which can make triggering the flashes less than consistent at a great distance. I was about 25 feet from the Speedlights and below the units by 10 feet yet the Speedlights fired consistently. The wind was also a factor, but the option of opening the back of the FourSquare Soft Box without loosing any loss of light really helped Rob keep steady while the wind merely traveled through the open soft box. Nikon D3x, ISO500, 1/2500 at f8.0, Nikon 24-70mm lens, WB 6250K, FourSquare with Swivels and 4 SB-900 Speedlights with power output of +3.0 aimed straight forward, no front scrim, FourSquare Hand Grip and Gitzo Monopod, Nikon SU-800 Commander, Lexar 16G Flash Card. Leaving the front and rear of the FourSquare Soft Box open really helps on a windy day. There is virtually no escape or loss of light out the back end, and when the FourSquare kit is hand held my assistant can see directly though the box and take perfect aim at my subject. ....Fabulous!
Image #8      FourSquare Portrait ... For an in the field location softly lit portrait the FourSquare kit is unbeatable. With this image I placed the front panel scrim on the Soft Box via the Velcro edges, tilted the Speedlight heads to bounce off the inside panels of the FourSquare Soft Box and had Rob hand hold the FourSquare kit slightly above my subject. Beautiful soft light envelopes my subject and over powers the intense Colorado sunshine at 8:30am on a cloudless day. I intentionally underexposed my scene to really deepen the blue sky and then overpowered the sun with my 4 Nikon Speedlights inside the FourSquare Soft Box. Nikon D3x, ISO320, 1/2000 at f6.3, Nikon 14-24mm, WB 5560K, 4 Nikon SB-900 Speedlights with power output of +2.0 tilted heads bounced off the inside panels of the FourSquare Soft Box, front panel Scrim is used, Hand Grip, the FourSquare Swivels allowed me to face the Speedlight sensors out the open back of the Soft Box, Nikon SU-800 Commander, Lexar 16G Flash Card.


Image #9      FourSquare Doubled ... I love motor sports and the opportunity came up to work with Super Bike racers. I used 2 FourSquare kits for this image. Each FourSquare kit is holding 4 Nikon SB-900 Speedlights that are aimed straight forward out the open front of the FourSquare Soft Box. I could use the FourSquare without the soft box, but I like to keep the spread of light controlled whenever possible and the Soft Box helps direct the light. Later in this shoot the wind became so strong (gusts of 50+ mph) that we forwent the Soft Boxes and shot with the 2 FourSquare blocks and Hand Grip only. I normally would have my light source closer to my subject, but I wanted the light to strike my lead racer from the front and I wanted to make certain Brad and Rob were safely out of the way ... I guess that tells you where my personal thoughts of safety were ...( don't tell my wife.) The FourSquare Hand Grip really helped Brad and Rob aim the Speedlights and follow our athletes as they raced by. (this photo by: Paul Peregrine) The approaching storm cell made for a super dramatic background as is evident in the next image.
Image #10      FourSquare Storm Chasers ... "just miss me" were my instructions to our Super Bike racers as they roared away for the first lap of image making. The near tornado like storm is almost on top of us by now, but I managed to get this image before we headed for the paddock trailer for safety. The FourSquare and Soft Box is so portable that it fits in the bed of my pick up truck fully assembled which really helped when we scrambled off the race track. After 90 minutes of horrific wind, horizontal rain and even some hail we dried off the track and resumed the photo shoot. Nikon D3x, ISO1000, 1/2500 at f2.8, Nikon 24-70mm lens, WB 5880K, 2 FourSquares each with 4 SB-900 Speedlights on the FourSquare Swivels and pointed straight forward out the open front of the FourSquare Soft Box with sensors also pointed directly forward, my Nikon SU-800 Commander is connected to my D3x hotshoe with a Nikon SC-29 cord and pointed back towards the 8 Speedlights, Lexar 16G Flash Card.
Image #11      FourSquare Convenience ... There are many features and aspects of the FourSquare kit that I love. I have spoken about the FourSquare block holding 1, 2, 3, or 4 flash units. That the FourSquare Swivels allow me to rotate the main body of each flash unit 360 degrees so I can face the Speedlight sensor directly at my Commander for consistent triggering of the flashes. The Hand Grip is perfect for in-the-field location lighting, and using the FourSquare Soft Box either with an open front or with the front panel Scrim attached offers tremendous versatility. And now a real bonus, the FourSquare Soft Box that is only 30 in. x 30 in. square and 18 in. deep, perfect for leaving the kit completely assembled and ready for instant use. I have been leaving it fully assembled in the back of my pickup truck and I can even close the truck bed lid. The 18 inch depth of the FourSquare Soft Box allows me to walk through any doorway and even set it in the front seat of my vehicle. This is terrific for quick location lighting in a subjects home or office as I do not need to disassemble the soft box to move from room to room or from indoors to outdoors, (wedding photographers will love that.) To tear down and reassemble a lighting rig with a soft box over and over again during a shoot is taxing, but with the FourSquare I just walk from room to room, or place it in the front seat and drive on. But don't let the convenient size and depth make you think it won't provide beautiful light. The FourSquare Soft Boxes unique inside white coating on the fabric provides a wonderful reflective quality that reflects light as well as any larger soft box I have ever used.
Image #12      FourSquare Contact Information ... I have been privileged to work with Paul Peregrine these past couple of months testing and using the FourSquare in the field, and on location during several projects. The FourSquare kit includes the FourSquare block, the FourSquare Soft Box with front panel Scrim and poles for only $249.95. The Swivels and Hand Grip are additional accessories and are not yet priced as of this writing on July 7th, but they are available and listed on the Lightware Direct website. Where can you buy the FourSquare kit and accessories? www.lightwaredirect.com

I usually don't get this amped up about a product, but this one is special. I needed a block that held 4 Speedlights and could be used in the studio and on location for both softly lit portraits and sports action. I needed a product that allowed the flash to rotate 360 degrees so the sensor will line up with the SU-800 Commander every time. I needed product to be easy to assemble and also sized to be able to leave it fully assembled and ready to pull out of my vehicle to use instantly. And I needed a product that provided the same light that I was accustom to from bigger soft boxes, but still folded up small enough to place in my carry-on camera backpack when I fly in the small commuter aircraft and all airlines abroad. The product is the FourSquare.

I know this article sounds like an advertisement, but it's not. I only speak about products I truly believe in and this is one of them so you can make great pictures.

See you next time right here on Workshop at the Ranch. Adios, Dave