Answers to Popular Questions
Workshop at the Ranch
January, 2007 Edition
Hi and welcome to this edition of Workshop at the Ranch.
Many of the questions from readers of Workshop at the Ranch
during 2006 had to do with three topics ... two techniques of
lighting, that being location lighting using Nikon's SB800 Speedlight
system, Lightpainting and my teaching calendar of workshops.
With these three things in mind let's answer some questions
and take a look back from Workshop at the Ranch at
the year of 2006 .............
| Question #1 ..... Where do you teach your workshops? |
|
Image
#1 Twin Guitars at RIT ... My
teaching schedule has been increasing each
year and I did more Workshops on the road and lectures
at Colleges and Universities this past year than ever before.
I have always enjoyed sharing information and teaching
others about photography. Rich Clarkson's Summit and
Sports Photography workshops (www.richclarkson.com) along
with American PHOTO magazine Mentor Series of Treks
(www.mentorseries.com) topped
the list of workshops I was involved with in 2006.
My teaching calendar evolves during the year so I have tried
to include a list of workshops I will be attending at the
end of each Workshop at the Ranch article. While I do not
run my own workshop (Workshop at the Ranch is of course
only a series of monthly articles on my website )
I am asked to be part of several workshop faculties during
the course of each year. This teaching trend will continue during
2007 as I continue to schedule myself into several workshops,
seminars and lectures. This picture was my demonstration
image for a class on Lightpainting while I
was a guest teacher at RIT (Rochester Institute of
Technology.) Nikon D2Xs, ISO100, 2 Minutes at
f5.6, Nikon 10.5mm Fisheye, WB 8000K, Gitzo Carbon Fiber
Tripod, SLIK Super Ball Head, Stylus Streamlight flashlight
for the guitar neck and an Inova XO3 LED Flashlight with
a red gel for the 2nd guitar body, Lexar 4G Flash Card.
|
| Question #2 ..... What brand of strobes do you use for
location work outdoors and why? |
Image
#2 White Water Kayaker ...
This image is a strong example of the location lighting
projects I did this past year. I really embraced the Nikon
SB800 Speedlights and found myself using them for all
of my outdoor location lighting assignments. These wireless
remote strobe units were my favorite piece of equipment
during 2006 but for more reasons than you might think.
Yes, the I-TTL is fantastic ........ and yes, the fact
that the units are wireless and can have the power
output controlled from the SU800 Commander or a Master
SB800 is also wonderful, ..... but, it is the fast sync
speeds above 1/250 that is a major feature of
the unit. The SB800 allows the photographer to use sync
speeds as high as 1/8000 merely by activating the
Auto FP setting available in many of the Nikon camera's
flash menu. Nikon D200, ISO200, 1/2500 at f4, Nikon
70-200mm zoom Lens, WB 6500K, Four SB800s with
a Power Output +3, SU800 Commander on the camera
hotshoe, Lexar 4G Flash Card. This image was taken at
4:00pm. The sun is located directly behind the kayaker so
I exposed for the highlights on the backlit
water with a shutter sync speed of 1/2500 and reveal
my subject with 4 SB800 Speedlights. This is a tremendous advantage for
the photographer and a real break through in lighting
technology .
|
| Question #3 ..... What is the "Moody Blue Formula" ? |
Image #3 Bengal Glory ... In this
image I used the two SB800s in Tandem, a cool WB setting in
combination with the warming gels that come standard
with the Speedlights and shot at a slow shutter speed
in an effort to create a very stylized image. Nikon D2Xs,
ISO100, 1/13 at f10, Nikon 12-24mm Lens, WB 3700K, SU800 Commander
and 2 SB800s in Tandem with Power Output of +2, Lexar 4G Flash
Card. These last two images are good examples of the versatility
of the SB800 Speedlight system and my use of what I call the
" Moody Blue Formula " of cool WB and Warming Gels (see February
2006 Workshop at the Ranch).
|
| Question #4 ..... Why is it best to start small when
Lightpainting? |
Image
#4 Toe Shoes ... My Lightpainting
became an important part of my business during 2006. Not only
did I teach Lightpainting at many of the workshops I was involved
with but had clients who hired me for the specific purpose
of producing Lightpainted images. I have found it best to
start with small table top setup subjects when learning Lightpainting.
It can be overwhelming when learning a new technique to begin
with a larger than life subject. Master the concept of Lightpainting
with something small and then work your way up to larger subjects
and landscapes. I still view my Lightpainting as a very artistic
endeavor but found it challenging in 2006 to have editorial
assignments featuring Lightpainting. Nikon D2Xs, ISO100, 2
Minutes at f11, Nikon MC-20 Electronic Cable Release, Nikon
17-55mm Lens, WB Fluorescent, Stylus Steamlight with an orange
gel, Gitzo Carbon Fiber Tripod, SLIK Super Ball Head, Lexar
4G Flash Card.
|
| Question #5 ..... What kind of light do you use for the
big Lightpaintings and where do you buy them? |
Image #5 View from Central
Park ... This Lightpainting was a real surprise
for me. I wasn't sure it could be done but wanted to find
out if it was possible to Lightpaint in New York City ........
and it worked! I positioned myself inside Central Park
were I could see some fall colors and the San Remo Building
.... and the rest is, as they say, history. Nikon D2Xs,
ISO200, 30 Seconds at f5.6, Nikon 17-55mm Lens, WB 5600K,
Two Brinkmann Q Beam 2 million candle Spot Lights, Gitzo
Carbon Fiber Tripod, SLIK Super Ball Head, Lexar 4G
Flash Card. I set the exposure for the sky and silhouetted
the building and the trees ..... then, just add Lightpainting.
I have used several brands of 2 million candle powered spot
lights over the years. Lately I have been using the Brinkmann
Q Beam. It is light, powerful, has an easy to load rechargeable
battery cell and has a slightly warmer White Balance than
true daylight ........ which I like. The Brinkmann Q Beam
costs about $40 and can be found at Wal Mart.
|
Well, ... there you have some of the years
most popular questions and answers for 2006. Teaching workshops,
SB800 Speedlights and Lightpainting were the major themes of Workshop
at the Ranch articles during 2006. If you would like to learn
more about these lighting techniques and other topics just "click"
Workshop at the Ranch and scroll through the monthly articles
............... Until next month from Workshop at the Ranch............. Adios,
Dave
Past Workshop at the Ranch Issues
July, 2010
"Moto Light"
June, 2010
"West Coast Flash"

May, 2010
"Little Lights, BIG Arena - PART 2"

April, 2010
"Little Lights, BIG Arena - PART 1 "

March, 2010
"Workshop Wonders"
February, 2009
The D3s Advantage
January, 2010
"New Nikon D3s"
December, 2009
"Year in Review"

November, 2009
Return to Neverland

October, 2009
"Dramatic Gym Light"
September, 2009
"Saratoga Light"

August, 2009
"Graduation Class"

July, 2009
"FourSquare Sensation"

June, 2009
"Print On Demand publishing is for you"

May, 2009
"Sports Shooter Academy"

April, 2009
"My New Book is Available"

March, 2009
"The Nikon D3X...Part II "

February, 2009
"The Nikon D3X...Part I "

January, 2009
"Book Ideas Wanted"

December, 2008
Year in Review

November, 2008
Action with the SB-900 Speedlights

October, 2008
Lightpainting Under the Stars

September, 2008
Long Island Photo Workshop
August, 2008
"Best Buy Summit in San Francisco"
July, 2008
"Rich Clarkson's Sports Photography Workshop"

June, 2008
"Seven Photo Techniques"

May, 2008
"Learn Something New"

April, 2008
San Diego TREK

March, 2008
Joe McNally's book

February, 2008
The Nikon D300

January, 2008
Shoot From Where They Ain't (click here)
December, 2007
D3 Questions , Answers and Images

November, 2007
New Nikon D3

October, 2007
Football...A Retro Look

September, 2007
Get Out of the Box
August, 2007
Portrait Session with Frankie Herr

July, 2007
"Cowboy Up at the Double JJ Ranch"

June, 2007
"Light on the Run"

May, 2007
"SB800 Location Lighting in Mexico"

April, 2007
"Take it From the Top"

March, 2007
"Triple Play, Hat Trick, Trifecta" of Design

February, 2007
Principles of Success

January, 2007
Answers to Popular Questions

December , 2006
TREK to Peru and Machu Picchu

October, 2006
Creative Lightpainting (click
here)

September, 2006
Tandem SB800 Speedlight Set Up (click here)

August, 2006
Get Pumped Up with Light (click here)

July, 2006
Sports Action SB800 Lighting on Location (click here)

June, 2006
An Artistic Look At Derby Week (click here)

May, 2006
Lightpainting....from the Beginning (click here)

April, 2006
Workshop 40: Arches Mentor Series TREK

March, 2006
Workshop 39: Let the Games Begin...

February, 2006
Workshop 38: My Moody Blue Location Lighting Formula

January, 2006
Workshop 37: Answers to Popular Questions

December, 2005
Workshop 36: Year in Review...
My Favorite Equipment of 2005

November, 2005
Workshop 35: Building a Portrait

October, 2005
Workshop 34: Game Coverage.....My Way

September, 2005
Workshop 33: Equipment...and How It Can Help A Career

August, 2005
Workshop 32, Fill Flash....It's not Just For Portraits

July, 2005
Workshop 31, Rock On!

June, 2005
Workshop 30, Remote Cameras at Churchill Downs

May, 2005
Workshop 29, Arena Sport Strobe Lighting 102

April, 2005
Workshop 28, Arena Sport Strobe Lighting 101

March, 2005
Workshop 27: Nikon's D2X Digital Camera

February, 2005
Workshop 26: Steps to Success

January, 2005
Workshop 25: Own Your Images!

December, 2004
Workshop 24: Step-by-Step Lightpainting
November, 2004
Workshop 23: The Importance of Recognizing Light


September, 2004
Workshop 21: Covering The 2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens, Greece
(click here)

August, 2004
Workshop 20: Nikon SB-800 Speedlight
WIRELESS TTL LIGHTING
(click here)

July, 2004
Workshop 19: Location Portrait Lighting using
Nikon's NEW SB-800 Speedlights
(click here)

June, 2004
Workshop 18: Photography - Just Enjoy it!
(click here)

May, 2004
Workshop 17: Documenting the Masters
(click here)

April, 2004
Workshop 16: Scene Setters
(click here)

March, 2004
Workshop 15: THE JOY of FILL FLASH
(click here)

February, 2004
Workshop 14: Sports Strobe Photography
(click here)


December, 2003
Workshop 12: "Product Review - The Nikon D2H Digital Camera
(click here)

November, 2003
Workshop 11: "Be More Than a Fan"

October, 2003
Workshop 10: "More Porrage, Please"

September, 2003
Workshop 9: The Nikon COOLPIX 5700

August, 2003
Workshop 8: Using Wireless Remotes

July, 2003
Workshop 7: Approaching The Event

June, 2003
Workshop 6: To be noticed, to be published, to the marketplace

May, 2003
Workshop 5: What Drives an Image Part Two,
Slow Shutter Speed & Pan, (click here)
April, 2003
Workshop 4: What Drives an Image? (click here)

March, 2003
Workshop 3: Fill Flash Techniques (click here)

February, 2003
Workshop 2: Sports Arena Lighting (click here)

January,
2003
Workshop 1: Lightpainting (click here)
