Postingan

So Long (for Now!) and Thank You.

Gambar
In 2006 I started a lighting blog while working full-time as a staffer at The Baltimore Sun. By early 2007, it became obvious that I didn't have the personal resources to give 100% to both Strobist and my job at the newspaper. That’s exactly the position I find myself in today. For the past year I have been working on a new project. It is photography-based, and will be as unique to the photo space as Strobist was back in 2006. But, as I found with Strobist in 2007, this project will require all of my focus. So I am shifting Strobist into archive mode to allow myself the time and mental space to do that. If I had more available brain cells/hours in the day, I would be happy to do both. Alas, I do not. So I am choosing the one I think can make a bigger difference to photographers. When the new project launches, I’ll do my best to make sure you hear about it. So please, stay tuned! For those of you who are interested in our in-person lighting workshops and/or our X-Peditions trips (

SLC-1L-13: Conservancy Critters

Gambar
When lighting with small subjects, a speedlight is generally all you’ll ever need. Further, because of the scale and distances involved, even with a small flash you’ll be working at low power settings. For these photos of some of the resident animals at the Howard County Conservancy, we used a single speedlight generally at one-eighth power, and let the environment of the impromptu studio to the rest of the heavy lifting for light modification. Read more »

iPhone Users: Put an AirTag in Your Camera Bag

Gambar
Apple’s new AirTags are a straight-up gift for photographers. After testing one for the past couple of weeks, I’ll be hiding an AirTag in my scooter, one in my car and another one in my camera bag. Read more »

Notes on the Paul Buff Link 800ws Flash

The Paul C. Buff Link monobloc studio strobe ($895.95) delivers 800ws of portable power, and deserves consideration from anyone in the United States who is considering a big gun for use on location. Please note: This is not a full review. There have been several thorough examples already published — most notably this one by Mike McGee. There are many others, from the usual suspects, a Google search away. Rather, this is a quick write-up of some first-hand impressions, thoughts and features I have not seen much mention of elsewhere. Read more »

SLC-2L-15: Cross-Pollination

Gambar
Lighting with flash can give you more than just the ability to control the quality of your light. With the inherent consistency of light from (manual) flash, you can layer in slices of time as well.  But first, you’ll want to lock down two things: the ambient light portion of your exposure, and your camera’s physical position. Read more »

SLC-OE-08: Turning the Corner

Gambar
Whew. What a year.   But if you're reading this, you made it through!  As we all move into a hopefully much better 2021, here are three things you can do to improve your experience as a photographer for the coming year. Read more »

SLC-0L-05: Lighting's Gateway Drug

Gambar
Quick, guess the lighting. If you said two lights, and use of high-speed sync to get the shallow depth of field, that's a pretty good guess. If you said zero lights and a rigid high-efficiency reflector, that's an even better (and correct) guess. When working with an inexperienced assistant — or looking to introduce someone to the world of off-camera lighting — a rigid/high-efficiency reflector is a fantastic and inexpensive place to start. Read more »