Want to become a “strobist”? Well so do we…I might have mentioned this before, but one of my new year’s resolutions this year, or rather next year, is to explore the art, the science, and the techniques of off camera flash, in other words we’re going to join the ranks of David Hobby’s strobists. Now, I’m not a total newb to lighting, I’ve got some degree of access to nice Elinchrom strobes and a real sweet octa softbox also from Elinchrom. But these aren’t mine, and my knowledge involves some amount of robotic repetition of the same set up for the same formulaic shot. OK…so I’m wanting to change that, so I’m getting my own gear, my own little strobist setup, and to make it all blog worthy, I’m going to share what I get or don’t get, what works and what doesn’t, and hopefully a bit of education along the way.

Why a Strobist

In the spirit of Mr. Hobby, aka THE Strobist, when a strobe, or flash, or speedlight, is moved off camera, the result is greatly improved pictures. Pictures taken with on-camera flash never look quite right, subjects look flat, the light–unnatural, but just the simple act of getting that beam of light from off the top of your camera can produce dramatic improvements. That’s one half of off-camera flash, the other half is modifying the light. Bouncing off a wall or ceiling modifies your light source, by making it much larger, and potentially changing its color depending on the wall color. Shooting through an umbrella is another way, putting a colored gel over your flash is still another. As it turns out there are many, many ways to modify your light, and while the possibilities are endless, they should also get your creative juices flowing.

Another reason being a strobist might appeal to you: it’ll bring new life to that DSLR camera of yours. If you control light, you’ve got yourself ample picture opportunities all of the time. Also, the freezing action of flash brings a surprising amount of detail to your images, you might be a little amazed at what your entry-level DSLR is capable of.

Point of Entry

So how do we get started? I’ll make one big assumption here: you have a DSLR camera. Next, a good strobist will need…you guessed it…a strobe. For the sake of this introduction, we’ll assume this strobe will be an external camera flash, or speedlight as they’re frequently called. I’m currently a Canon guy so I have a 580ex II speedlight. If you’re a Nikon owner you’d ideally want something like the SB-900, SB-800, or SB-600. Pentax, Olympus, and Sony shooters have their options too, though I’m less familiar with those details. These two things are the absolute essentials, a camera and a flash. After that it gets easier, and harder. If you have a pop-up flash on your camera, it’s quite likely it will trigger your external flash. Most of you will be in that boat and you can move on to the next step. If not you’ll need a trigger to fire that off camera flash, and again keeping in the Strobist tradition, what we’re interested in here is the ability to wirelessly fire that external flash. That’s the boat I’m in with the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. My options are triggering the external off-camera flash (slave) with an additional on-camera flash (master) or an optional triggering device. My decision on that in a moment.

Now hopefully we’re all on the same page here, We’ve all got a camera, a flash, and a method for triggering the flash. With that, here’s the route I’m starting with.

Light Stand

I’ve opted for the Manfrotto 367B Basic Light Stand. Nothing fancy…it’s just a light stand, or is it? The light stands come in various heights, weights, and build quality, but for now it doesn’t have to be all that fancy. We’re just looking for something that will hold our flash, and potentially a modifier, like an umbrella. If you want to go cheap, B&H sells Impact light stands that will hold your flash and save your wallet:

Impact Air-Cushioned Heavy Duty Light Stand – Black, 9.5′ (2.9m): $38.95 at B&H Photo or if you’re really on a budget, the 6′ version, just $19.99

Eventually you’ll want several of these, then one with a boom, then full blown heavy duty C stands which can put a large softbox right over your subject.

Umbrella Adapter

To attach the flash to the stand, you’ll need an umbrella adapter. Most come with a shoe-mount adapter, but if not you’ll need to get one. Even if you aren’t going to use an umbrella you’ll need this to attach the flash, so don’t let the name fool you.

Photoflex Multiclamp with Shoe Mount for Umbrella or Softbox: $19.99 at B&H Photo

Impact Umbrella Bracket: $14.99 at B&H Photo

An optional route, and one that I’m purchasing, is the Manfrotto 175F Justin Spring Clamp with Flash Shoe. This is a favorite of lighting guru Joe McNally, and for good reason, the Justin Clamp allows you to put your flash on a light stand, or anywhere else the clamp can latch onto. It has a mini-ballhead for perfect positioning of your flash. Basically anything around you can become a light stand with the Justin Clamp. You’ll probably still want to get an umbrella adapter though.

An Umbrella

This is a good place to start with you light modifiers. Umbrellas are cheap and effective for producing a large soft light source. On the downside, they’re too good at producing a large soft light source, so you get a lot of “spill” or light going into places you might not want it to go. Umbrellas can be “shoot through” where the flash points into the umbrella, and the light goes through it to the subject, or a “bounce” umbrella, where the flash points into the umbrella but the light (due to a reflective surface) bounces back (and out of) the umbrella onto the subject. If you’re smart you can get convertible umbrellas that can do both, usually because of a removable cover.

Impact 33″ Shoot Through Umbrella: $9.99 at B&H Photo. This is the super-cheap way to go, but it works!

Impact 45″ Convertible Umbrella: $14.95 at B&H Photo. This one does double duty as a shoot through and bounce.

Lastolite 40″ All in One Umbrella: $53.95 at B&H Photo. Another recommendation via Joe McNally. Shoot through, bounce, or bounce with silver, which adds a more specular look.

Photek 46″ Softlighter II: $59.95 at B&H Photo. This is what I got. Supposedly has a more softbox like quality and controls spill a bit better, and known for its, well, soft light. I’ll let you know what I think when I get it.

Impact Kit, 2 Convertible Umbrellas, 2 Stands, 2 Adapters: $98.95 at B&H Photo. Hook up with a 2 light solution with this affordable kit.

Triggers

Remember I needed a way of triggering my flash? Well, after much deliberation, I’ve opted for Elinchrom Skyports. I researched this quite a bit, and I’ll admit it was difficult to decide, and I’m still not sure if I made the right decision. There are a number of options for triggering, but at least in my case, all of them have potential pitfalls.

I could use another 580EX II Flash as a trigger. Still an option since I have more than one flash, but it sort of wastes a flash, and leads to potential line-of-sight issues.

The Canon ST-ET transmitter can fire the flash, but still has line of site issues, and handles fewer groups of slaves than other options.

The new Pocket Wizards would be great if it weren’t for widely discussed interference issues and their expense. There’s also the Radiopoppers, but they aren’t cheap either and for ETTL they’ve got to attach to an on-camera external flash. I was hoping to avoid that.

So I’ve settled on the Elinchrom Universal Skyports. Can’t say how they work yet, but I got them because they have great range, are compact, appear to be reliable, and will trigger any flash from any hot shoe. Also, I know I’ll be getting some Elinchrom strobes of my own at some point, and the Skyports will fire them too. I’ve got my fingers crossed, and will let you know how they work.

More Modifiers

I also ended up getting some Honl Speed System flash modifiers. The system starts with a velcro “Speed Strap” that goes around your flash’s head. The modifiers then attach to the velcro strap. It’s simple, but very effective. I got the corrective gels (used to match your flash’s color of light to your ambient light–or just for creative fun) and the 1/8″ speed grid (grids concentrate your flash’s beam of light).

Well, that’s it for now. I’m patiently waiting for my shipment to arrive, and I’ll of course be reviewing all the various elements. When I move forward I’ll keep you updated on that too. Love to hear your feedback, and other photographer’s new (and old) strobist experiences in the comments.

What to buy the budding photographer? It can be tricky, but I’m here to help with 5 gift ideas for budding photographers, especially those ready to take the reins of their first DSLR camera. I’ve got camera, education, and accessory ideas to help you get started, so that by next year, you’ll be ready for gift ideas for the advanced photographer. Let’s get things started, with of course–the right camera.

1. You’ll Need a Camera.

There’s 3 cameras out there that I think are well suited to beginners, and while the perception is that DSLR cameras are really expensive, it doesn’t have to be that way. Our cheapest suggestion can be had for well under $500

Nikon D3000

A 10.2 megapixel DSLR camera from Nikon that is perfect for beginners. It has a handy guide mode that walks you through taking pictures, but also features the more advanced shooting modes as your photographer gets a better grasp on things. The only catch is no live view, a feature that allows you to compose pictures on the LCD like a compact, and no ability to shoot video. Other than that, it takes great pictures, is small in size, and very affordable.

• Nikon D3000 SLR Digital Camera with 18-55mm VR Lens at B&H Photo: $459 (ships free)
• Nikon D3000 SLR Digital Camera with 18-55mm VR Lens at Amazon: $459

Nikon D5000
The Nikon D5000 is a 12.3 megapixel DSLR with live view and the ability to shoot HD movies. Still great for beginners, the D5000 offers excellent image quality, a flip out and rotating LCD, and plenty of beginner friendliness. A really great camera.

• D5000 Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm VR Lens at B&H: $629 and ships for free
• D5000 Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm VR Lens at Amazon: $639

Pentax K-X
The Pentax K-x is a 12.4 megapixel DSLR camera that is small and compact, takes excellent pictures, and offers Live View and the ability to record HD video. It also adds the option of having a camera in a color other than basic black, with white, navy, and red camera body options. Unlike the other two models, the K-x runs on AA batteries, which could be a good or bad thing depending on your perspective, but in total the K-x offers plenty of bang for the buck.

• Pentax K-x Digital SLR with 18-55mm Zoom Lens at B&H Photo: $549 and ships free
• Pentax K-x Digital SLR with 18-55mm Zoom Lens at Amazon: $557

2. Software to Edit Your Photos

Adobe Photoshop Elements
These cameras will come with basic software to edit and correct your captured images, but most of the included options don’t allow for selective editing, the ability to correct selected portions of your image, as oppposed to the entire image. The best solution to having a lot of fun with your images on the computer is Adobe’s Photoshop Elements. Think of it as “Photoshop Light”, or “Photoshop Cheap”, and while both of those things, Elements is still very powerful, and likely all most photographers will need.

• Photoshop Elements 8.0 Software for Windows at B&H Photo: $64.99 after mail in rebate
• Photoshop Elements 8.0 Software for Mac at B&H Photo: $64.99 after mail in rebate

3. A Little Bit of Education

Scott Kelby’s “Digital Photography Book”

I think the perfect gift for a beginning photographer, well any photographer really, would be Scott Kelby’s The Digital Photography Book series. There’s now 3 volumes, and while volume 1 will provide instant assistance and inspiration, you really might as well get all 3 volumes in a set.

• Scott Kelby’s Digital Photography Boxed Set, Volumes 1, 2, and 3 (Paperback) at Amazon: $44

Bryan Peterson’s “Understanding Exposure”

Even though Kelby’s book will help photographer go out and take great pictures, it really doesn’t get into the technical side of using a DSLR camera. In order to better understand what your camera is doing, and how it is seeing the world, I recommend Bryan Peterson’s Understanding Exposure. It’ll provide a great foundation for mastering how to use your new camera.

• Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera at Amazon: $17.13

4. A Little More Education

Kelby Training

While we certainly think books are great resources for learning, my current favorite way of picking up new information is video training. When it comes to all things digital photography, the best place for video training is Kelby Training. They have classes covering everything, and for all skill levels, from well respected photographers. You can sign up for a month or a full year, but I like to sign up for a month, learn everything I can, then come back a few months later. At $24 a month for unlimited lessons with pro photographers, it is really hard to beat!

• Kelby Training: $24 per month, $199 per year.

5. Accessories

Lowepro SlingShot 100 AW Camera Bag

For your first camera, and especially an entry-level model, the Lowepro Slingshot is a nice little camera bag to haul your camera, an extra lens (or 2), all your cables, filters, and memory cards. It comes in several different sizes, but AW100 is fine so long as you don’t have a long telephoto lens. The Slingshot sits on your back like a backpack with one strap, but when you want your camera, you can “sling” it around to your front, for perfect access to your camera. Oh, it also has a built in weather cover, in case you get caught in the rain.

• Lowepro SlingShot 100 AW Camera Bag (Black) at B&H Photo: $69.95

Manfrotto 190XB Tripod Legs (Black) with 486RC2 Compact Ballhead

Another additional item that any photographer could use is a sturdy tripod. Now we know that really good tripods can be expensive (actually I’m painfully aware, I just got one myself), but for the beginner, an excellent compromise can be made with Manfrotto’s 190XB. It’s not all that expensive, has a great reputation, and offers plenty of stability. Pair it with a 486RC2 Ballhead and you’ve got yourself a great tripod system, that doesn’t break the bank, or cause the embarrassment of one of those el-cheapo tripods from the mall’s electronic store. Just remember, you need the legs and the head, one doesn’t work so well without the other.

• 190XB Tripod Legs (Black) at B&H Photo: $129.95
• Manfrotto 488RC2 Midi Ball Head with RC2 Rapid Connect System at Amazon: $96.78

One of the reasons Adobe’s Photoshop Lightroom workflow application is so good at speeding up the creative process is the use of presets. Presets are a group of settings that can be saved and yes shared, that can then be applied directly to your photographs by simply clicking on them. Better still, simply roll the mouse over a preset and you’ll see a live preview of the “effect” in your navigator panel. Not sure what direction to take with an image? Well, having a collection of presets to “roll over” is a quick and dirty way to get a good idea of which way to take it, and when you see something you like, just click it to apply it. One additional usage, presets don’t have to be transformative, they can also just be simple corrective presets. Since any setting you make can be saved as a preset, you could save white balance adjustments as presets, curve manipulations, and so on.

As we mentioned, presets can be shared, and a large number of Lightroom users not only spend a lot of time making incredibly creative presets, but also sharing them. A number of great sites create or aggregate presets, but we’ve gone around and picked out some of our recent favorites. We’ve included dramatic presets, black and white presets, several film emulations, and just some sort of cool ones. As with all presets, you can simply use them straight of the metaphorical box, use them as a starting point to make your own unique look, or as a way of deciding which way to not take an image. All of the presets included are free of charge, but please explore some of the creator’s websites, they frequently have more and better presets, sometimes at a small charge.

Installation

Installing presets couldn’t be easier. While in the develop module, simply right click on the “User Presets” option under the Preset panel. Select “import” from the subsequent menu, then navigate to your downloaded preset to import it. That’s it.

Presets

1. Rollei Retro
A Rollei Retro film emulation by Michael W. Gray at lifeindigitalfilm.com

2. Kodak High Definition
A Kodak High Definition 400 film emulation by Michael W. Gray at lifeindigitalfilm.com

3. Fuji 160S
A Fuji 160S film emulation by Michael W. Gray at lifeindigitalfilm.com

4. Agfa RSX II 100
An Agfa RSX II 100 film emulation by Michael W. Gray at lifeindigitalfilm.com

5. Classic-Pan 200
An Classic-Pan 200 film emulation by Michael W. Gray at lifeindigitalfilm.com

6 – 11. Black and White Presets by Wonderlandpresets.com for Presetheaven.com
6 black and white presets by wonderlandpresets.com for presetheaven.com. All of them available here.

Original

BW Base

BW Brawny

BW Natural

BW Neat

BW Noble

BW Sweetness

12. Holga
Holga base preset by Michael W. Gray via x-equals.com

13.City Scapes
City Scapes preset by x-equals.com

14. Warm Storm
Warm Storm preset by x-equals.com

15. Polaroid 669
Polaroid 669 instant film emulation by x-equals.com

16 – 20. The Strangers Collection
Set of 5 toned black and white conversions by shockofDAYLIGHT

21 – 24. Beauty Set
Set of 4 color image presets by shockofDAYLIGHT

25. UTW New Amsterdam
Preset by underthewaves

26. UTW Ala Moana
Preset by underthewaves

27. UTW Hotel Del
Preset by underthewaves

28. UTW Redscale
Preset by underthewaves

29. Lomo 2
A lomography emulation preset by Matt Kloskowski of lightroomkillertips.com

30. Nostalgialicious
Preset by Sean McGrath at mgstudios.ca

31. A Farewell to Arms
Preset by Keitha McCall at ascenicworld.com

32. Old Sepia
Preset by Keitha McCall at ascenicworld.com

33. Aliumery
Preset by Harold Lloyd at ibrakeforbokeh.wordpress.com

34. They Mostly Come at Night
Preset by Harold Lloyd at ibrakeforbokeh.wordpress.com

35. Not Chilly at All
Preset by Harold Lloyd at ibrakeforbokeh.wordpress.com

36. Dancing Queen
Preset by Harold Lloyd at ibrakeforbokeh.wordpress.com

37. When the Hurly Burly’s Done
Preset by Harold Lloyd at ibrakeforbokeh.wordpress.com

38. TLR Faux Lomo
Preset by Glenn Mitchell at thelightsright.com

39. UTW Piazza Maggiore
Preset by underthewaves

40. California Tan
Preset by lightroomlibrary.com

Resources

• Download a free 30 day trial of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2

Availability

• Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 (full version), $260.49
• Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 (upgrade), $94.99

Best Price (powered by Shopzilla)

photo used under a creative commons license from Per Ola Wiberg

As usual, there’s just too many odds and ends to get to…

Photoshop Insider (Scott Kelby)

Last week’s guest poster, Bill Simone, does a very nice walkthrough on just how he does his image composites. Tons of geeky photoshop goodness and some real insight into a difficult but pervasive technique.

Photojojo

A very cool time lapse video of Christoph Rehage, who begins a walk across China totally clean shaven, and…well just watch the video.

Jay Watson

Making diptychs in lightroom. A video tutorial. ‘Nuff said.

Ars Technica

Does the camera really add 10lbs.? Yes. Ok, maybe no. I don’t know…the explanation here.

The Digital Photography School has posted a very cool little tutorial explaining how to use textures to quickly and easily enhance your photographs. While it may seem a little biased to say so (hint: I’m the author) it’s a good read. You can check it out for yourself here. If you haven’t been to DPS yet, you really should, as there’s just tons of useful information over there and a great forum community as well.

Thanks to Darren Rowse and The Digital Photography School for giving me an opportunity to share.

I just got back from a real nice vacation and in looking at, and learning from my own photographic successes and failures, it’s pretty clear that a good number of potential great photos are handicapped by a bit of  “photographer laziness”. What I mean by that is, had I simply taken a moment or two to really examine what I was taking a picture of, I mean all of it, not just the subject, I might have noticed:

• A hotspot
• crooked horizon line in the background
• that bag of pretzels
• that guy back there
• someone’s foot
• clipping of a cool cloud formation
• my shadow
• etc.

Get my drift? It seems pretty basic, but we get so caught up in camera settings before taking the picture, that when it comes to taking the picture you forget to slow down and really see what you’re about to capture. Imagine the time you’d save by seeing the unseen, noticing the unnoticed? I know, some of these things are correctable, but your own shadow? Besides, what did you miss to the left or right…a little physical rotation might have dramatically cleaned up or even enhanced the shot.

All I’m saying is, yes you need your pre-shoot checklist, (you didn’t leave it at ISO 6400 did you?!) but you also need take a moment before capturing “the moment”.

creative commons image via: tomhe

Scott Kelby passes along a tip that I had accidentally discovered myself not too long ago over at the Photoshop Insider. The problem is sluggish JPEG exports from Lightroom, especially when exporting one large batch. The solution, as it turns out, and as Kelby explains, is you’ll get better results by breaking up your batch into 2 batches.

Photographer David Noton provides some advice on taking great travel portraits, heck, portraits in general. There’s a good bit of focus on something annoyingly important in all photographs, the background. Seems it’s just as important to keep in mind as your subject. Choose your compostion and lens accordingly.
photo credit: Stuck in Customs