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[OM] Re: OT event photos

Subject: [OM] Re: OT event photos
From: Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 26 May 2008 20:29:15 -0700
Chuck Norcutt wrote:
> Ya done good!  Nice work for a single light on-camera.  
Thanks! What's not obvious is sometimes extensive work pulling shadows 
up and highlights down, moving central tonal points, etc. Nor, I hope, 
is the outright surgery done in a few instances to deal with reflections 
off glasses. More than one eyeball or glasses frame was duplicated, 
flipped and eased into place where all detail was simply gone. The price 
of a single light on-camera.
> But I'm not sure why you gave it up for the Fuji F30 at the reception.  
Didn't, actually. The reception shots are with Canon A650 IS. I took the 
650 along than night as back-up in case of problems with the prime gear. 
With 6x zoom, IS and some sneaking around, I figured I might get at 
least some useful shots in an emergency.
> Some bounce flash from the 540EZ on the 5D would have worked well if you'd 
> have held a constant distance and figured the exposure after a couple test 
> shots and chimping of histograms.  Hold the distance constant (like 10 feet) 
> and frame with the zoom.  The pull out wide angle panel works well as a 
> catch-light reflector when pulled straight out and left there instead of 
> folded down as a wide angle diffuser.  Just position the flash head a little 
> down from straight up to bounce off the ceiling and let the wide angle panel 
> kick a little light forward.
>   
I put the big rig away for several reasons. For one thing, what I 
considered my committed gig was over. I was at least partially switching 
from photographer to participant, including significant time at the 
munchie tables. Due to odd meal timing, I'd had no dinner, and happen to 
love raw veggies with dip. Add some super little cream puffs and a few 
chocolate chip cookies and I was a happy photographer/eater.

That's one reason there are only six shots. Another is that the back of 
the chapel as people filed out was a packed madhouse. The first four 
come from that, along with a few failures from the conditions. In the 
reception itself, as I said, I was mostly schmoozing and eating. I 
provoked the hood over the head shot for fun and was requested to do the 
group shot. Paid gig, I'd have tried something more. The ceiling was 
hopeless for bounce, high and broken up.

The F30 shots are from a party the next night. I wasn't sure if I would 
play photog at all, but the F30 in it's little belt case is never in the 
way. Put down food and drink, pop out camera, take a couple of shots, 
disappear it again and get back to the real business at hand. As it 
turns out, I went through a few bursts of picture taking and got some 
decent party shots.

That's where the 5D at ISO 3200 and 50/1.8 might have been some use. The 
lighting was just too low for the F30 without flash. Then again, using a 
fast lens would have had little DOF and many of the group shots would 
not have had folks in focus. As it was, the F30 has the shadow chops to 
allow pulling up folks and things far enough away that flash fall-off 
otherwise relegated them to the shadows. Look at the depth over which 
the lighting seems relatively even in several shots. That's pull up 
shadow, pull down highlight.
> This shot (for example) along with a lot of others in this set is made in 
> exactly that way.
> http://www.chucknorcutt.com/Christmas_2007/img_5379ec.htm
>   
I remember that series. It wasn't happening for me. I'm just not going 
to carry a big rig and put it in front of my face at a party. A 5D with 
540EZ is a substantial mask. Way too much schmoozing, eating, chanting, 
singing, including some wonderful improve, to do. Julia is an excellent 
musician and many others there were musicians. Keyboard, flute, violin, 
harmonium and drum appeared. I only use my voice, but in the right 
group, it's tons o fun making up verses, harmonies, stretching lines....

Again, the ceilings at the party would have been bad for bounce. One 
room dark orange, the other darkish brown painted pressed tin - and a 
deep beam between them to block the bounce.

Thanks for the comments.

Moose

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