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dont.care
ParticipantDidn’t bother with CPS .. Things like speedlites that aren’t really exceptionally sensitive to dust and being open to the environment, I don’t worry about too much. You just have to be extremely careful with soldering to the terminals.. It’s more of a ribbon than a breadboard; but it’s extremely easy to swap out the reflector-assy, if you’re confident with small electronic repair. As before–Don’t do anything until you discharge the capacitor 😛
ParticipantFlashes are just so quirky.. The bulb inside of them can shatter easily. I had to repair a few the other day because a couple fell off a table.. I just ordered 2 “reflector assemblies” and changed the entire component out, vs a bulb.. just had to get old wires out an solder new wires in.. wrkd like a champ
which is this part here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Canon-Speedlite-600EX-RT-Replacement-Flash-Reflector-Assembly-Free-Shipping-/370744043064?pt=Camera_Flash_Accessories&hash=item5652112638
please, just because I posted this.. Do not assume you can do this yourself without forethought on capacitors.. They will light your ass up if you do not know what you’re doing. There are 2 points you have to connect to with a analog test light with alligator clips to dissipate the capacitance (unload the charge) so you can work safely.
ParticipantBtw.. inside, a modifier is your walls and ceilings as well.. Which is why they say, “NEVER AIM YOUR FLASH DIRECTLY AT YOUR SUBJECT”.. unless of course, you have a modifier to soften the light before hand 😉 However, if your walls and ceilings are not white, you have to custom color balance your camera. if you shoot raw, this is hardly an issue. You just want to make sure the color temp is correct for the subject.
ParticipantYou have to use modifiers for that “non flash look”–color balance is extremely important too.. Notwithstanding, you have to place your lights in such an angle that would prevent “hotspots”..
a naked flash, is a “small source of light”. In relation to a popup flash, it’s larger, but it’s still extremely small. Small bright light relative to your larger subject creates harsh light. You have to make your light source LARGE in relation to your subject. I like to use a softbox and an umbrella (shoot through) .. the umbrella has some spill (which is ok outside for most cases) and the softbox is more directional (controlled better) .. you can use a gobo on a speedlite behind an umbrella to stop some spillage.. point is
softbox = soft direction light with minimal spill, umbrella = soft light with spill. both create a large source of light relative to your subject which enables light to “wrap” around and minimize harsh shadowing ..
Like I said, large light source = good, large light source with device to soften the light = better.
ParticipantThe more Speedlites you have, the less power they require to achieve the same results as just using 1.. You can set 4 on quarter power to achieve a “full power” state when used in unison, or you can set them all on half power and have 2x the light you’d achieve by using 1 on full power.. The point is, by doing this–You don’t have the long delay whilst the capacitor is recharging. Also, you can completely “darken” the day with sufficient speedlites and with the right modifiers/reflectors to light up your subject.. It is an extraordinarily dramatic effect you achieve when done correctly..
ParticipantLearn what, exactly? All I’m pointing out to ‘Warren’, is there’s a difference. There’s a reason things are marketed according to the targeted consumer.. If I were a hobbyist/Amateur, I wouldn’t be buying expensive kit. I certainly wouldn’t be marketing myself as a professional. L lenses are extremely nice, because if well taken care of–hold their value and will last a LONG time. The weather and dust sealing (in most L)Â reduces the likeliness that you’ll ever get mold or dust behind the lenses. Better resistance to all the nasties that reduce/diminish IQ. Better color, contrast, etc.
I bought a socket set from a tool store the other day. Cheapest one I could find.. Went to tighten a bolt on a rear bicycle tire and snapped the socket off of it.. Had I went and bought a good set of sockets to begin with–I wouldn’t be returning it.
Buy cheap–Buy twice.
Anywho, I don’t know if you’re being facetious, sarcastic, or rhetorical–I just can’t tell 😉
ParticipantA “fake pro”, haha..
No, when I go to a job, I take my gear<period>, and I don’t have 6, I have 8. Flash isn’t only used to “fill”, it can also be used to overpower. I said, I “rarely” ever use all of them (at once). A “fake pro”, haha.. I believe in contingency, idiot. “REDUNDANCY”, would be another word that fits synonymously. Flashes have a tendency to overheat, they also break fairly easily if they fall, or whatever mishap may occur. I don’t get paid in the hundreds, I get paid in the thousands.. When people pay you thousands of dollars–they generally have little sympathy for equipment failure. They generally aren’t, “well that’s ok, we’ll just start over when you get that fixed.” It basically comes down to, I don’t care how you get this done, but get it done right, and get it done now. If I didn’t have backup equipment, I’d probably end up getting sued. I am HEAVILY invested into my business. But, that’s what professionals do. Buy professional equipment and have backups ICSH (in case shit happens).. So as far as calling me a fake pro? I’m not the one strutting around like a half cocked rooster boasting how great housewife equipment is v. pro gear. They market those lenses for consumers without the extra digit before the decimal for a reason.. So call it what you will
So Just because, “I” can afford what you can’t, doesn’t make me a “FAKE PRO”. It makes me successful. 🙂
ParticipantThe guy is an amateur who takes relatively decent images. I really don’t mind him aside from his backward logic..
ParticipantThis thread needs to be rebooted anyway, it’s starting to act funny. Like reloading page [1] when submitting a post. Or, not allowing the “last post” url to function properly.. At least, that’s what’s happening here.
ParticipantLol.. You carry on with your bad self. When you move on from your local clients and start getting more of an industrial/commercial client base–You’ll change your attitude. Or, you’ll never get beyond those low paying “gigs”.
As far as clients not caring what you use.. They only don’t care, because they don’t know. As far as your clients never asking, is just because of that very reason. I can safely assume, that your ‘clients’ are not my targeted client. I target clients that have money, and a lot of it. I like money so I can have nice things. I like nice things that cost a lot of money so I’m required to have professional tools that assure me that I’ll 9x out of 10 I will not have to worry about quality and reliability. .
As aforementioned in a previous post; People market their products accordingly.. I.E., Canon markets Consumer gear to amateurs and hobbyist because that gear is generally unacceptable in the professional market. I realize you think that because your clients don’t know the difference you seem to think it’s ok.. A client who hires a plumber doesn’t know two shits about what that plumber is doing.. He could be replacing your SCHD 40 (thick wall pipe) with Schedule 20 (Low pressure thin wall).. It’ll work, but you don’t know for how long–And, it’ll probably be after that plumbers taken your money and is LONG gone that it’ll start leaking or burst.
Which goes to say, people hire professionals because, well.. Professionals have PROFESSIONAL gear, PROFESSIONAL skills/knowledge and the courtesy, professionalism, insurance, etc you’d expect . You wouldn’t hire Stanley Steamer to come clean your carpets with a carpet cleaner YOU can buy from Wal-Mart for 120 bucks and do it yourself cheaper than you could to hire the Professional to do it, would you? No.
In the end, it’s all about $, I would be like you–If I wanted to do this as a semi-pro amateurish type of business venture. I’d venture to say having only 1 year in, and that theory that the glass isn’t important–that you’re not professional.. At least not ethically just because of the, “They don’t know the difference, why does it matter?”.. It matters because you know the difference and you repudiate it as nothing.
As far as lighting goes, I have 8 canon 600 ex rt’s and an ST-E3-RT.. I generally use 2 or 3 and sometimes just 1. Hardly ever do I use all of them.. I have them because you really never know what’s going to happen. I just find it funny that you equate lighting as more important–I’d say it’s equal, but not more so. There again, larger aperture lenses suck in a whole lot more light requiring less artificial/ambient light for good lighting.. Which means I can get a whole lot more flash from a battery pack with much faster recycle times vs. slower lenses. Which is hardly important considering many L lenses are f/3.5 – f5.6 or more.. Trying to compare a $299.00 lens with a $2,299 is pretty much kicking dirt in the eyes of every professional that actually takes this shit seriously.
If it were so simple, if only. I could’ve saved an ungodly amount of money just buying consumer gear; why didn’t I think of that.
ParticipantI actually have clients where I turn over final printed images and they immediately retrieved a loupe and literally scan over the photos for an hour or so.
Generally speaking, if it weren’t for my already being OCD about pixel-peeping and having quality pro gear; I would’ve been nervous.
ParticipantNo one rightly gives 2 shits about what lenses you use.
However, in my decade or so (thereabout) doing photography as a way of living–I’ve come to meet many, many other professionals and I’ve met many professional clients that would simply turn you away just seeing a crop body camera being used as a primary. Most of my pro-clients require an APS-H or 35mm FF sensors. Notwithstanding they generally will require you to use “professional level” gear. Your hobbyist consumer gear can vary GREATLY in respect to IQ from lens to lens. Canon L or Nikkor Pro grade lenses may have a slight variation, but generally maintain quality throughout. Which really applies to ANY and EVERY product available on the market.. Except this comes at no end for photographers.
Your clients may or may not see a difference, because generally your clients are typically happy with whatever “looks ok”. iPhone, cybershot, whatever.. It’s a photo to them. I’ve had one say, “Well, I don’t know much about quality.” — Right there, I can say “Well, I guess I don’t need to pack my pro-gear and just use a P&S”.
I use the logic that, IF my clients were so inclined to hang a photo I’ve taken, and then invite a friend over that knows about photography and notices the portrait, or whatever.. I don’t want my name being branded on something they’re going to say, “that’s a terrible photo, I could’ve done 10x better.”
I realize gear is half the battle, but he who has the better gear, generally wins the battle (considering they have a mental and knowledgeable aptitude for photography). .
That is all.
ParticipantParticipantWhile I encourage your enthusiasm Warren, I must content that a kit lens vs. one of Canon’s most celebrated L lenses for which myself and many others have paid a substantial amount of money for; there is a substantial difference in contrast/IQ/CA/distortion/fringing/etc. Most Professional lenses tout the price tag because they are indeed extremely high quality. Otherwise, why would someone pay $2,299 for a nearly 3 pound piece of glass when there’s a perfect alternate that cost $299?
You can say, “bragging rights”. However, I’d rather be called cheap and purchase a lens that costs $299–if it were just as good.. Bragging rights means absolutely nothing in this case.. (This is a rhetorical statement)
I will say, that the 70-200 f/4 non-is can be had for substantially less, you lose a stop, but the IQ is nearly indiscernible, and it weighs substantially less.
While I realize that not every piece of L glass that’s hit the market has been astoundingly successful–it could’ve been a variety of reasons, but if you get a bad L lens, its generally just your copy (that the distributor/mfg) will repair, free.
If you’re happy with what you use, that’s your prerogative, and you should be; it works for you. However, professionally for an agency that has a real marketing team with an eye for details will generally scrutinize any prospective photographers kit to ensure maximum IQ for that particular shoot. Some even spec what you can use. Imagine that? 🙂
Standard dictates that one who professes him/herself a professional, should in fact have the professional tools for that particular trade. As an analogy–Don’t go trying to get a job as a carpenter with hobbyist tools. People want someone with a particular standard that can be reassuring, and reliable.. I apologize for the crudeness, but a $299.00 lens being used as a professional tool, ought not happen. They market lenses at different capacities and to different criteria of people based on the principal that one is Consumer and the other is Prosumer. The difference is in manufacturing, materials, handling, down to the people who actually assemble it. They are not going to put joe-blow who started a month ago in the same room with seasoned technicians assembling 1500-13,000 dollar glass.
my $0.02 cents
ParticipantHaha, “Capture your memories”, and we’ll turn them into unrecognizable nightmares.. For free!
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