A little while ago we talked about the Joys of Plastic Cameras, part of the fun being wild vignetting, halos, smeary soft focus, and light leaks.
If you think you can get by without the light leaks, there’s now another option for enjoying the joys of plastic camera photography while using the same camera you have now.
Holga is selling a package of plastic lenses they call the Digital Holga Kitchen Sink Kit. All the fun of plastic lenses without the need to wait on the film to come back from the lab.
What used to be a Canon 5D MKII precision photographic instrument manufactured to insanely high tolerances will be transported back to the days when Reader’s Digest used to give away plastic cameras when you signed up for a subscription. Or, what they call the “Digital Holga”.
No, you won’t get any sophisticated focusing motors, either. In fact, the whole concept of “focus” when applied to Holga products should be implemented with a bit of latitude.
The kit comes with the Holga 60mm, the Fisheye, a 2.5x telephoto lens, a 93 degree wide angle lens and a set of close-up lenses.
Not surprisingly, you can also use this kit with your Holga plastic camera, in case you already have one. Come on, you know you’re going to miss the light leaks.
Compatible with most SLRs, except for the Olympus PEN and Lumix G series. Priced around $109 and available from Holga Direct.
If your kids are wearing mask, take a couple shots with the mask off so you can identify them years from now
Even though adults have pretty much co-opted Halloween these days, it originally was more of a kid thing, and still is in a lot of ways. Parents will want to preserve those memories, if for nothing else as blackmail when they get older.
Move The Flash
For the best results you’ll want to use an external flash, preferably one capable of communicating with your camera’s e-TTL system. Those don’t have to be expensive, you can find a reasonably good external flash for most Canon and Nikon models for around $80 and a sync cord that also works with e-TTL for about $20. For less than $100 you can have an external flash you can move around to different angles. If you want to spend a bit more you can get a wireless flash controller.
Having a flash you can move around will give you the option to hold it below the subject, which is called “ghoul lighting” for a reason, or off to the side for a more dramatic effect.
Get In Close
The biggest mistake most photographers make is being too far from the subject. Move in closer, frame the shot so tight that you start losing part of your subject around the edges.
Better to be too close than back so far your pictures have a lot of distracting background.
Break Up The Police Line
Most people group everyone together in a pose reminiscent of a police lineup. Here are some tips from a previous article to break up the line.
It also gives you the chance to let the kids do something fun and be more expressive.
If They’re Wearing a Mask, Take Two Photos
If any of your kids are wearing a mask, take one picture with the mask on and one with it off. That way you’ll be able to identify the kid behind the mask years from now.
External flash brackets are another one of those subjects that can turn into War and Peace. The concept is relatively simple: A bracket that attaches to your camera and allows the attachment of a flash next to it. Simple, right? Not exactly.
Bracket technology has advanced over the years to include a bewildering array of options, some so complicated they look like the International Space Station. These aren’t your grandpa’s flash brackets anymore.
Okay, actually this is your granpa’s flash bracket. A basic folding bracket with a hot shoe attachment for the flash. A quick release button on the side allows you to flip it from horizontal to vertical.
The basic flash bracket has a plate with a mounting screw along the bottom, a handle on the side and a brace that holds the flash across the top. The top brace usually pivots to allow the flash head to pivot so the flash can still be over the lens whether the camera is oriented horizontally or vertically.
Like the basic bracket but is hinged so you can flip the camera from horizontal to vertical without moving the flash.
These come in all kinds of configurations. Some have multiple extensions on the flash extension, like a tripod leg for really getting your flash up there.
A variation of the basic bracket built with a track that the bracket handle pivots around for changing camera orientation without moving the flash around.
Besides the rotation track, there are usually articulated arms that allow a longer extension and more options for positioning the flash above and off to the side of the lens.
As you can see the options, and price points, are limitless.
The PocketWizard AC3 paired with the MiniTTL for Canon
My nephew got married recently, an event I was unfortunately not able to attend, although my high tech family managed to send me pictures of the event. One picture that made my teeth grind was one with the wedding photographer in the background, trying to light a dress shot with a dinky external flash.
This was the photographer with a killer web site that my future niece felt she was lucky to get, but there was no way the results displayed on the web site were captured with the camera and flash combination in that photo. Judging by the pictures I’ve seen so far, she was duped by a slick web site with, at best, a tenuous connection to whoever took the promo pictures displayed there.
To contrast the difference between that lighting setup and the real pros, I went to see Karl Leopold at Images4Ever near Melbourne Beach, Florida. Karl has been shooting weddings longer than most photographers working today have been alive, has won more awards than I can list here, and is the president of the Atlantic Professional Photographers Association. I wanted to see a real pro lighting setup and wasn’t disappointed.
“I can change the power by 3 stops on any of the flash units right from here,” Karl explains, dialing back the power with the AC3. I watched him flip through the power settings while shooting nearly continuously, much faster than making the change through the camera menu.
The arrangement provides the flexibility to mount the fill flash on a monopod and let an assistant adjust the location and height to fit the situation. If he’s working alone he can mount the remote on a light stand and adjust it himself. Instead of being tethered to the camera, he can also move the key off the bracket handle if the situation calls for it.
How it all comes together - One Speedlite on a standard bracket, the other a remote that can be mounted on anything
It’s all about speed, reliability and flexibility, with added bonus of being able to light the world.
“The big advantage is you can put a light behind the subject for those nice, bright highlights,” Karl explained. The radio triggers work around corners and even when concealed behind foreground objects.
Equipment isn’t the only factor separating the pros from the posers, but having the right gear is definitely a bonus.
In the days to come I’m planning to work with Karl and Images4Ever on more articles on studio lighting, exposure, and working with models on commercial shoots. Stay tuned.
Is there a bathroom here? Would you want to use it if there were? by ceridwen
Location shooting is fun, but you have to pack smart. There just won’t be room for everything you might want to have along on a shoot, especially if you’re working with more than one model at the same location.
Luckily I work with a couple different studios that have a wide variety of locations within walking distance, including one across the street from the beach access. We can also pick from rail yards, a junk yard, and an abandoned warehouse.
Being close to the studio solves the top two problems: A bathroom and a place for the models to change. If you’re going to be away from the studio, something like a portable changing room can come in handy.
A mirror is a must for hair and makeup touch-ups, but it doesn’t have to be huge. A pocket-size mirror is just fine.
Bring a cooler with some drinks and snacks. I have a little cooler on wheels that’s just perfect, with the added bonus I can stack my camera bag on top. Bring just enough to go around in case shooting runs long. It’ll keep everyone in a better mood if you can keep their blood sugar out of the tank. I grab a handful of those pre-packaged kid snacks at the grocery store because the portion sizes are just right.
If you’re going to be working out away from support buildings, it’s pretty easy these days to pack a small generator and they’re cheap. There’s no reason to be power poor anywhere now, especially if all you’re running is some floor flash units, or charging camera batteries. A 1,000 watt generator will run everything except an A/C unit.
Finally, if you’re working with more than one model at the same location, bring something for them to do on breaks, especially if you’re working in an area outside cell coverage. One of those little electronic game consoles, or something to keep them busy.
And whatever you do, don’t forget the gaffer tape and throw a roll of double-sided tape in your camera bag as well. That can be a lifesaver for equipment malfunctions.
