I'm gone get you........

I'm gone get you........, a photo by Ragoem on Flickr.

Shot for Daily Shoot: Make A photograph that features you in some way.

While working on a review for a DIY ring Fash I came up with this.
(for those who want to know, review will come online tomorrow)

Made the photo by setting the flash w/ DIY Ring Flash on the table, the camera on a tripod and sticking my hand trough the ring flash.
Added some blue in the shadows.
Made the inner ring black and made the ring-flash bright white.

Lighting: 5400HS-1/4-105mm in DIY Ring Flash trigged by Cactus V4.

Linsey (with fader ND)

Linsey, a photo by Ragoem on Flickr.

Last week we  did a photoshoot with Linsey.

I wanted to try my Fader ND mkII to get less depth of view with direct sunlight.

The goal was to get the aperture to f5.6 with the 85mm/1.4 lens I use.

But I also want my flash not harder than 1/4 power to get a decant recycle time out of the LP160.

So I set the ND filter @50% and used 2 LP160 @ 1/4 on a Double flash bracket and the shutter time @ 1/60s to get the lighting the way I wanted.
The only thing I did not have control over was the wind, because of that I couldn't use the umbrella I had with me to soften the light the way I wanted.

 

Review: Double Flash Bracket

The Double Flash Bracket from DIY Lighting Kits came in the mail.

Double flash bracket, a photo by Ragoem on Flickr.

It looks very simple, which I like.

In the package are a metal plate (the bracket), 6 rubber band to hold your flash on the bracket and a wingnut to attach the plate to the lightstand.

To set it up, you put the bracket on the spigot of your lightstand and secure it with the wing nut.

Put the flashes on the bracket with the surplied rubberbands. And your ready to go.

What do I think of it? I think it's a great product, it's small, it's simple, it works. What more do you want from a DIY based product. The rubberband feel a bit stiff but I like that because they will keep my flashes on the bracket. Tried to shake my flash of by holding it on the bracket with the flash on the underside while shaking it, the flash did not move even when attached with only two of the three rubberbands, so with all three rubber bands attached it will not move on the bracket. The placement is low this is great for use with silver-umbrellas, now the flashes are in the middle of the umbrella and the light will get straight out the umbrella and not at an angle.

What's more to say? They will set you back 19.95 (USD).
Is it a fair price? Yes.
Can you make a cheaper one your self? Yes, did it myself, but had to weld some pieces, and not every one has a welder. And you need two extra spigots (which I have, but if you don't they will set you back about €7.00 a piece, making it with the bracket material more expensive)

Final Verdict: It's a good, simple product. It does it's job very well, and that's what counts.

You can get yours here: DIY Lighting Kits

Still to come:
Review of the DIY Lighting Kits - RingFlash

Photoshoppen: Glamour portret

Vanavond maar weer eens achter de computer gedoken om te spelen met photoshop.

Met als bedoeling om van een "gewoon" potret een glamour portret te maken.

Als begin dit portret van Manuela uitgezocht:

De foto is als volgt belicht:

links een GN300AD-1/2-Beauty dish en

rechts-achter een DE600B-1/8-120x30cm softbox.

Met dit als uitganspunt eerst maar de standaard portret bewerkingen gedaan.

Daarna de huid strak gemaakt, de ogen helderder gemaakt en de lippen met het spons filter aangepast.

Door middel van curven het contrast verhoogd en wat blauw toe gevoegd aan de schaduwen.

Met dit als eindresultaat:

Manuela (portrait), a photo by Ragoem on Flickr.

Ben redelijk tevreden met het resultaat, al denk weet ik dat het beter kan.