Tuesday, September 29, 2009

My First Maine Media Workshop



I've just completed my first week of instruction at Maine Media Workshop, it was also my first time to the great state of Maine. I had a wonderful time during the week with some really great students. I'd like to thank the staff at MMW for running a wonderful venue and making me feel so welcomed. I would also like to extend a special thanks to my class assistant Jen, thanks so much for all your help!

The photo at the top of the post is from a light demonstration while on location at the Lincoln Center school in Rockland, ME. I did this photo in the small theater at the school, I find that a lot of students don't think about including a strobe within the actual frame of their photo.

I used two SB-800's, I fired them using the CLS system build into my Nikon D-700, WB-daylight. The strobe at the rear of the photo had a full cut CTB (color temperature blue) gel on it and was fitted with a grid. The front light is a FourSquare™ boomed overhead and slightly forward of the subject. You can see the set-up in the image below.

Seated in the theater in the production image above is Peter, one of the 4 models we had available for the students to photograph while at this location.

We also made a visit to Firefly Restorations in Hope, ME. Peter stood in front of this wonderfully restored Fire Truck giving me his best Jack Nicholson. Peter is lit with a single SB-800 with a full cut CTO on it, WB-daylight.


The photos below show another lighting demonstration we did in class one day. Anthony shown here, needed a new photo of himself for this coming seasons ski pass. I used the chalkboard in the classroom as the background for his portrait. The key light was an SB-800 inside of my FourSquare™ clamped to an overhead pipe. I had 2 SB-800's placed behind and to each side of Anthony for the kickers, these were fitted with Full CTO gels and barn doors which help prevent flair into my lens. I also clamped another SB-800 onto the chalkboard using a Justin Clamp, this flash was also fitted with a full CTB gel and a foam cutter to prevent any forward spill onto the back of Anthony.
To round out the shot, I used an Orbis Ring Flash for some fill. The ring flash is a wonderful tool to use when adding some fill. Here is the set up for the photo shown above.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

David - I always enjoy and learn from your posts. I am curious what the setting might have been for the flash in the FourSquare and what f-stop you were getting?

David Tejada said...

Hi Rick: I really don't keep track of such information, for this reason. I first make a creative choice as to what f-stop I want to use and than adjust the power of the flash to give me what I need.

It is more about holding to a creative vision rather than the flash tell you what f-stop to use. DT

Unknown said...

David - I agree. I select f-stop first and adjust light from there.

I did not ask my question very well. I am curious from a technical output perspective how much light a single SB could put out through a fairly large box like the FourSquare at that distance.