April 27th we did a live stream from our studio with Rianne.
I already posted a blog post about this session and promised a backstage video, well here it is 🙂
cool i usually miss these videos thanks for putting it up here was a good watch. im still tossing up between the chimera and the elimchrom striplight. The elinchrom seems wider than the chimera. which degree grid do you use on the chimera strip from lightools?
Eero says:
I purchased the Elinchrom and yes it is wider however you can either DIY (cardboard and tape it on) or purchase a narrowing add on for it. The reason I got the Elinchrom was the design of it and all the parts come with it and a perfect fit for for my strobes.
The main difference is that Elinchrom also has the indirect ones I really like. The chimeras are however the best alternative to the indirects. nnI use the middle grids.
Eero says:
Using Light meter, when you place it under models chin , does it matter much if it is a few cm. in front of her vs. right under her chin close almost touching the neck. During courses I have taken they say to placed under chin for some type of shoots and between the breasts in other types (ie glamour vs fashion as an example). My guess is a few cm would not make much difference.
I know of no ‘professional’ reason to measure between a models breasts for glamour ?nWell some will do it, but I’m afraid they don’t even know how to read the meter ;)nnNow without kidding, you measure the light on the place were you want it to be correct, and in 99% of the cases that’s the face. Of course one should also measure some other points to make sure the hotspot is not somewhere else. But in essence you should measure for the face. nnOh and by the way, when I use the harder light sources I will measure a cross (as explained on the DVDs and the kelbytraining videos) one on the nose area as center of the face, one on the breast area, two besides the model and one on top. nnIt should give the bright spot/hotspot on the center of the face.
Eero says:
Thank you again. I knew there was an answer and that it was here on Frank’s blog. Thank you again for a detailed answer.
Mark82 says:
Thanks for the video! In the video you sometimes focus and then you recompose by shifting the camera. When I do that focus is no longer where I want it, so I use my other focus points or I try to avoid shifting the camera and just move vertically to keep camera to subject distance the same. I guess it’s less problem for you since you’re using a bigger f number or is there something else I’m missing?
We use a HF11 (Canon) for the backstage video, it has autofocus.
Mark82 says:
Sorry Frank, I think I wasn’t 100% clear with my question. I meant with your DSLR: while taking pictures you seem to focus and then shift. That gives me problems to get the focus correct, so I compose and then I use the closest focus point or I try to move vertically only to keep camera to subject distance the same. Maybe I have more issues with that because I work with less powerful strobes (strobist)nnThanks for your answer!
I’ve never experienced that problem although I hear others about it, I think it’s maybe the way you move the lens/camera I’ve used the same technique with f2.8 and have no problem getting the focus where I want it. I don’t know what I do differently.
Leo Koach says:
So, like me, you also use single AF point… I think it’s the best way to go. I never EVER trust using more than one AF point, unless, if I am in a hurry for some reason.
cool i usually miss these videos thanks for putting it up here was a good watch. im still tossing up between the chimera and the elimchrom striplight. The elinchrom seems wider than the chimera. which degree grid do you use on the chimera strip from lightools?
I purchased the Elinchrom and yes it is wider however you can either DIY (cardboard and tape it on) or purchase a narrowing add on for it. The reason I got the Elinchrom was the design of it and all the parts come with it and a perfect fit for for my strobes.
The main difference is that Elinchrom also has the indirect ones I really like. The chimeras are however the best alternative to the indirects. nnI use the middle grids.
Using Light meter, when you place it under models chin , does it matter much if it is a few cm. in front of her vs. right under her chin close almost touching the neck. During courses I have taken they say to placed under chin for some type of shoots and between the breasts in other types (ie glamour vs fashion as an example). My guess is a few cm would not make much difference.
I know of no ‘professional’ reason to measure between a models breasts for glamour ?nWell some will do it, but I’m afraid they don’t even know how to read the meter ;)nnNow without kidding, you measure the light on the place were you want it to be correct, and in 99% of the cases that’s the face. Of course one should also measure some other points to make sure the hotspot is not somewhere else. But in essence you should measure for the face. nnOh and by the way, when I use the harder light sources I will measure a cross (as explained on the DVDs and the kelbytraining videos) one on the nose area as center of the face, one on the breast area, two besides the model and one on top. nnIt should give the bright spot/hotspot on the center of the face.
Thank you again. I knew there was an answer and that it was here on Frank’s blog. Thank you again for a detailed answer.
Thanks for the video! In the video you sometimes focus and then you recompose by shifting the camera. When I do that focus is no longer where I want it, so I use my other focus points or I try to avoid shifting the camera and just move vertically to keep camera to subject distance the same. I guess it’s less problem for you since you’re using a bigger f number or is there something else I’m missing?
We use a HF11 (Canon) for the backstage video, it has autofocus.
Sorry Frank, I think I wasn’t 100% clear with my question. I meant with your DSLR: while taking pictures you seem to focus and then shift. That gives me problems to get the focus correct, so I compose and then I use the closest focus point or I try to move vertically only to keep camera to subject distance the same. Maybe I have more issues with that because I work with less powerful strobes (strobist)nnThanks for your answer!
I’ve never experienced that problem although I hear others about it, I think it’s maybe the way you move the lens/camera I’ve used the same technique with f2.8 and have no problem getting the focus where I want it. I don’t know what I do differently.
So, like me, you also use single AF point… I think it’s the best way to go. I never EVER trust using more than one AF point, unless, if I am in a hurry for some reason.
I’ve been using the center focus point for as long as I can remember.nOn MF I also don’t have another choice.