Looking over a few things today and realized that the hours are running out on this year!
I've been neglecting this blog in the last week or so, opting to spend my time reading books and magazines, watching movies, and spend time with family and friends. I've also been busy trying to wrap up the editing of my photos from December's photoshoot and starting to plan my January shoot.
In the next little bit I've got a busy photo schedule, but that's what makes it fun right!?
Part 2 of the boxing shoot happens this coming weekend. This will be a more traditional shoot to feature JS3's clothing line. Trying to come up with a lighting plan for this, and am thinking a two light setup will work nicely... although it would be super nice to have a ring flash for this.
I know the Orbis is new to the market, and by all accounts decent and affordable, but I won't get my order in time for this weekend if I go that route. Have briefly considered going with the Ray Flash Ring Flash but think I'll purchase this once the model for the SB-900 becomes available.
So my only other option for ring flashing bliss is the diy route. There are a lot of diy ring flash designs out there...some are a lot better than others. Found this design by Richard at Eye on Birmingham which looks the slickest, but I'm not loving the idea of having to cut PVC pipe with a jigsaw in order to get my sb-600 to shine into the middle of the contraption.
The only other diy ring light that I'll be able to make (and still looks half decent) is the two plastic bowl version mentioned on Strobist but originating from this Flickr page.
I'm thinking this one will actually save my fingers and time in the hospital, and will also end up costing me less than Richard's really slick looking ring flash.
Regardless, I need to have something operational by either Saturday night or Sunday.
Other than those plans, I have some reading to catch up on: Photoshop User, Digital PhotoPro, Lee Varis' "Skin," Jamieson and McCormick's "Digital Portrait Photography and Lighting", and the history book I got from my sister this Christmas "2oth Cenutry Photography." I highly recommend this last book for photography history knowledge. First, it's cheap ($14 at Costco I think she said?) and second, you get a good A-Z look at photographers of the 20th Century. Each entry shares examples of that photographer's work and also talks about their shooting style, influences, where they trained, who they worked for....really really awesome read.
Later today I'm going to do a quick run through my photos from '08 and share what I was up to the past 12 months.
More soon...
Posts
Nikon V2 In My Bag
9 years ago
Hi Kat. I've read about the Orbis ring flash in Strobist. It sounded good and best of all inexpensive. Perhaps the Orbis ring flash is something for the new year. You'll have to tell me what you think of it once you have had a chance to play with it a bit.
ReplyDeleteI'm also thinking about the new Canon 5D MarkII but am still .. thinking. Still trying to convince myself it would be a give me better quality images. Now if it would just make me a better photographer ....
Sounds like we have the same taste in books. I too have "Skin" and "Digital Portrait Photography and Lighting". If you don't already have them you might want to consider "Fashion Shots" by Alex Large and Jane Wood, "Photographing People- Portraits, Fashion, Glamour" by Roger Hicks, Fracnes Schultz, Alex Large and Jane Wood. These two books are published by Rotovision and have really good lighting plan diagrams in them.
I have to have a look at "20th Cenutry Photography." I always like to read about style, influences, where photographers trained, who they worked for ... now if only we had such luck. :-)
Take care and all the best for 2009.
Haha... you mean better gear doesn't make you a better photographer!? oh man there goes my reason for getting a D3x!! ;)
ReplyDeleteI was looking around for a good bowl at the dollar store yesterday, but they were all the melamine kind and I think that's a bit too thick to cut into. Think I need to find the disposable party bowls.
Thanks for the book suggestions. Will have to look into those when my reading pile is a third its current size.
The "20th Century Photography" is by Taschen so I'm sure Chapters etc will have it lying around. Noticed on their site they've got a bunch of other photography books that would be good to read.
Thanks for the good wishes!