Last night was the big cahuna night for an annual event that I
shoot. Rather busy. Total of 30 people getting their
credentials.
My primary setup was an OM-2S, monopod, stroboframe, vivitar
flash with a 35/2.8, 50/3.5 and 135/3.5. I also had the
IS-3/G40 loaded and ready to roll. Ended up shooting most of
the fast moving parts of the ceremony with the IS-3. Thanks to
sight-line problems, I had to be quick on my feet. The final
(most important) segment of the event was shot from the balcony
by to the side a bit so my vertical angle would be minimized.
The 135/3.5 saved the day. 135mm is a perfect focal length for
this type of thing where your camera-subject distance is around
15-20 meters.
I did some experimenting and adapting as the week wore on. I
started out with just the stroboframe, but eventually migrated
to having the frame mounted on the monopod. What a difference.
No more weight! My left wrist is still suffering from trimming
the bushes behind my house on Saturday--so holding a camera for
very long proved to be agony.
The biggest problem I encountered was an old buggaboo. These
events really are zoom lens territory. I used to use the Tokina
35-70 for this, but had sold that lens. Constantly switching
lenses gets old. Wouldn't mind a 35-135 zoom.
Before last night's ceremony was to begin, I was given a five
minute window to photograph the groups. Unfortunately, my
location that I was going to use was occupied by the choir doing
a last minute practice. So we ended up using a stairway.
Looked good in the viewfinder, but I know that the final prints
will have to be digitally manipulated to remove some
distractions. Grrr.
NiCd batteries in the G40 flash died at a most inopportune
moment. I was zapping through the roll as fast as the flash was
recycling (about every six seconds) when it didn't come back up.
Set it on the floor and grabbed the OM-2S. Since I was going
back and forth between the cameras anyway, it was ready to rock.
The only beat missed was a single coronary one.
This was my first major shoot with the new stroboframe. I had a
homemade bracket that I used for years which worked, but was
worth only slightly more than what I paid for it. I've also
extensively used the classic stroboframe where the flash flips
around and you change your whole way of gripping the thing.
This new stroboframe is the one where the camera rotates, but
the flash stays put. Really nice. Only problem I encountered
was focusing--it forces you to use your right hand for focusing.
I did try getting around that by using a cable release to the
left hand. That worked, but proved to be too much twisting
weight for my left wrist. Once I mounted it on the monopod my
problems pretty much went away. I was able to easily use the
setup without pain.
Compared to last year, my setup was very straightforward and
simple. I learn something new every time I do this. I tried a
new shooting location that turned out to be disasterous. Would
have been fine, except I kept getting upstaged. Ended up that
my best position was a variation of what I had done before, only
to the side.
Professionalism: Making it look simple when inside, you are
jumping hoops like crazy.
AG-Schnozz
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