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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio 11-21-2018, 07:07 PM  
Lighting Control for Flowers
Posted By BrianR
Replies: 51
Views: 3,694
If I could only have one for outdoor flowers, plants fungus, etc, it would be square or rectangular. When things are low to the ground, a round shape can't get as large an area close to the ground as one with a flat side can.

If it's a question of the shape of specular highlights (think water droplets on flowers), it's really personal preference. I usually pack a square diffuser that attaches to a flash but also a round 5-in-1 reflector so I can go back and forth. Neither really looks natural if the highlight is well defined and you haven't done something to obscure it.
Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio 10-19-2018, 05:20 AM  
Lighting Control for Flowers
Posted By BrianR
Replies: 51
Views: 3,694
Not that I think everything you walk by needs to be photographed, but consider how the above quotes relate to one another. While I'm also a fan of keeping your eyes open for subjects already in flattering light, to me the point of artificial lights and modifiers is that you can make the light whatever you want (with small subjects). This can range from just 'correcting' tonal issues with the natural light or creating your own stylized lighting, but it especially means an interesting subject in unfortunate natural lighting doesn't need to be passed by.

Re: a mirror (or reflector/diffuser/etc), it's a tripod for the win here, with the camera on the tripod and the modifier(s) in my hand(s)/teeth/feet. Or (if your shutter speed can supoort one hand shooting) learn to focus manually with one hand...I can work the dfa100mm's ring with my right pinky for fine adjustments:D. Great thing about flowers is they can't run away from you, so you can take your time...
Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio 09-19-2018, 04:46 AM  
Lighting Control for Flowers
Posted By BrianR
Replies: 51
Views: 3,694
My first flashes were old sunpak 433d's, which were $20-25 (Canadian!) and RF602 radio triggers, which were $20 per receiver/transmitter. It was impossible to beat this value with p-ttl models, especially a decade ago:). Over the years I've added a few nikon sb-28's and nikon sb-80dx's (the latter go down to 1/128 power and have built in optical triggers) which were $80-100 and built to last. Starting fresh today, the Cactus would certainly be attractive for what it gives.

You chair-table-vase arrangement seems dangerous if the vase fell on that hard ground. I do see trampoline-chair-table-vase was an option, this might be less steady but would cushion the fall:D.
Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio 09-18-2018, 08:44 PM  
Lighting Control for Flowers
Posted By BrianR
Replies: 51
Views: 3,694
Nice idea for a thread, and great examples:). One flash in a little soft box can be so very versatile. Hopefully you will inspire a few flashed flowers:)

I've grown to trust my lighting meter and manual flashes, but p-ttl seems handy. If I had the equipment I'd definitely take some time to learn how to use it to see where or if it would help me. I know I'd love to have the HSS option that also comes with dedicated flashes.

This was a bare flash camera right and up as the main light on the flowers face. I probably overuse the starbust in the background thing, but it's nice that a bit of artificial lighting lets you expose for the sunburst and still put light wherever you want it.


Flame! by Brian Robin, on Flickr

Single small (but up close so relatively large) softbox to the left and somewhat behind the bloom to bring out a bit of the backlit colours like several of the other photos in the thread. This was outside, in a makeshift studio. In other words, I used a random blue object for the background, in this case a decommissioned hospital item labelled "bowel irrigation cart". The blue was pretty, I don't judge the former use.


Hellebore Bud by Brian Robin, on Flickr

Here's where HSS would have been lovely. No, an ND filter just wouldn't work, unless you have one I can attach to the 10-17mm fisheye:). It would have been nice to have more choice on the aperture than x-sync allows as I wanted to keep the sky detail. But again, flash to the rescue as it let me light up the foreground however I wanted. Advantage small things like flowers - it's relatively easy for a small speedlight to overpower the sun if it can be a few inches away from the subject:)


A Halo and Some Iris by Brian Robin, on Flickr
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