Nice Lighting! So Simple…

I took this photo for a review of the MindShift BackLight 36L backpack that I posted over on ShutterMuse.com recently. Someone commented that the photo had “nice lighting!”, so I thought I would take a second to explain how I did it. Drumroll… A single Canon 600EX Rt speedlight bounced off the ceiling of my living room. That’s it. No fancy light modifiers, no expensive studio setups and only that one single light source. It just goes to show you how things don’t always need to be made too complicated. I always use the Canon ST-E3 radio transmitter with my 600EX …

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How Has Camera Technology Evolved During My Career?

Recently the good folks from a new camera company called Light, got in touch with me and asked me an interesting question. They wondered how technology changes have played a part in my career as it evolved over the last few years. What a great question! Let’s see shall we…

Flash Manufacturers, You’re Doing It All Wrong – Profoto B1

A few weeks ago lighting specialists Profoto put out a teaser on their website that something big was coming, something new.  Could it be…..?  Was a major flash manufacturer finally going to deliver what I’ve been waiting for…….?  In a word; no. Profoto announced the B1 Air 500.  Essentially a D1 with a li-ion battery in it and TTL capabilities.  It certainly seems to have caught people’s attention judging by all the e-mails I’ve gotten about it. First I have to talk about the TTL which they proudly put at centre stage.  What photographer who spends $2000 on a flash

Canon’s 90EX Flash As Portable Macro Flash

Here’s an interesting little setup which Many people haven’t considered.  I’ve been shooting a lot with the little EOS-M , Canon’s mirrorless camera and it came packaged with the little Canon 90EX flash.  It’s powered by just two AAA batteries and that means that it is decidedly pocket sized !  Whilst it’s marketed as a flash for the EOS-M , it works just fine with any Canon camera that has a hot shoe.  If you use a 5D , a camera with no built-in flash, then it can also be a handy accessory for general shooting and at $150 it

5D MK3 & Canon Wireless Flash System

I’ve just taken delivery of my own Canon 5D MK3 and also the new 600 EX RT flash with ST-E3 Radio trigger.  I’m really excited to try these things out on some upcoming shoots.  I made a quick video yesterday with some first impressions on the flash and the new trigger.  Stay tuned for more in-depth thoughts in the coming days and weeks.

Canon Launches New 600EX Flash And Radio Trigger System

Alongside the unveiling of the 5d Mark III, Canon have also unveiled a brand new flagship flash, the 600 EX.   Pricing and availability The Speedlite 600EX-RT and Speedlite Transmitter ST-E3-RT are scheduled for availability at end of March 2012. The Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E7, GPS Receiver GP-E2 and Battery Grip BG-E11 are scheduled to be available by the end of April 2012. Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT US: $629.99 / EUR: €699 / UK: £679.99 Canon Speedlite Transmitter ST-E3-RT US: $470 / EUR: €320 / UK: £309.99 Canon Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E7 US: $849.99 / EUR: €759 / UK: £789.99 Canon GPS Receiver GP-E2 US:

Pocketwizard Launches the Plus III

LPA Designs have today announced the third iteration of the Pocketwizard Plus lineup.  It integrates several of the features of the Multimax into a smaller, cheaper package that will actually sell for $30 less than the previous version!  Great news!  There has been considerable physical design changes too including a built in antenna and a sideways profile so as not to get in the way of the photographers view when mounted to the camera.  There is a new long range mode designed for remote camera usage, a repeater function (which was previously confined to the Multimax), 32 channels and a

Pushing flash X-sync to the limit

For people that shoot fast moving action with strobes like myself, we are always worrying about sync speeds and flash durations.  Today I’m going to talk a little bit about flash sync and give a quick example of how you can push the boundaries of what can often seem like a very limiting factor with DSLRs.

One of the first questions people ask when they start experimenting with flash is “why does my camera not allow me to use a shutter speed higher than 1/xxx second?”  If you scan through the specifications of a camera you will see one called x-sync.  Typically listed as between 1/180 and 1/250 of a second, this is the fastest useable shutter speed of your camera when using flash. The best way to get to grips with it is to understand exactly what is happening in that split second after you press the shutter button.

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Meet the new Nikon SB-700 flash

As well as the camera and lens announcements, Nikon has also released a new flash, the SB700. More photos and full press release after the break. Nikon UK, 15 September 2010 – Nikon today is pleased to announce a new Speedlight – the SB-700. Packed with features, this is an easy-to-use, yet sophisticated flash in a compact body. It will be a welcome addition to anyone looking to develop their lighting skills and explore the options of the Nikon Creative Lighting system. Zurab Kiknadze, Product Manager Lenses, Accessories and Software, Nikon Europe BV says: “SB-700 offers users the opportunity to

Elinchrom Quadra review and comparison to Ranger RX

For the last three years I have been using the Elinchrom Ranger RX for the majority of my strobed work.  Sometimes I use some Nikon speedlights for fill, but the Ranger is my key light.  I have used it in the rain, in blizzards, in -32 degrees Celsius and it has traveled around the world to Alaska, Japan, New Zealand twice and everywhere in between.  I can depend on this strobe, and it has never let me down.  I have the RX version which is slightly lighter weight than the RX Speed.  For me, recycling time is not such a

Ultra Portable lightstand. 386B Nano Clamp

Ever find yourself skiing,snowboarding or biking with a 40lb pack? Chances are your bag is full of speedlights, cameras and lenses with 4 lightstands hanging off the side just waiting to crack you in the side of the head at every turn. This winter when I started to slimline my gear a bit in an effort to save my back, I decided that i needed to find some super lightweight lightstand solutions. I tried out some $10 tripods from ebay, you know the ones, shiny and silver , made from 1/2 mm think aluminum. Lightweight they are, but they are