Action Pics
Looks like basketball season is in full swing. We completed the first of four nights of shooting tonight for a local sports programs. This is the third year that we have worked with this organization. Reviewing my lighting notes from last year confirmed that I shot mostly with a 35-70 2.8 lens. This year we are working with the new 85mm 1.8. Lighting is extremely dark in this gym. We rely on two sb28's triggered with cyber syncs and superclamped behind the goals for our main light and let the ambient light work as our fill.
Another Day
Truck Shoot
Got a call from a client requesting a shoot of a big-rig truck he had on his lot. I have shot for him a couple of times before. Last time we shot images for his web site and made a couple of prints for his office. Here is one of those images.
After some discussion we agreed to shoot this one at his farm. I had been to the farm before but couldn't couldn't recall the exact layout or which way the sun would set. I got there about thirty minutes before he arrived and figured out quickly that my original idea wasn't going to work. I made a quick call to him and asked permission to drive toward the back of the property. After just a few minutes I had the spot picked out. I had only brought four speed lights with me since we would be shooting at twilight. This should have been no problem except that he could only get the truck to a certain spot due to its weight. Scratch plan A...move onto plan B. I was originally going to shoot with one of my favorites lenses which is my 17-50/2.8 but with the placement of the truck I wanted to opt for a longer lens to compress the background a bit. So I drug out my 70-200. Backed up to where I needed to be with the lens and then a new issue crossed my mind. I typically shoot with speed lights in CLS mode but had never tried to fire them at the distance I would be working. Wasn't really sure what to expect but I did have my trusty radio slaves in my bag. I was working at a distance of about 50 yards. Yep, 50 yards. Here is the setup shot for the final image.
You can really only see two of the three lights in the image. One you can see right beside my jeep. This light wasn't even being used. It was just left there from some earlier shots I was doing. The two lights being used for the final image are almost next to the truck. If you look hard you can make out one of the stands just to the left of the truck. Couldn't tell you what the exact settings were on each but they were both run in manual with one in group A and one in group B. I did pull out the tripod for this shoot. This is only the second time this year that I have used it. Don't like the way it ties me down for most of my shooting. Below is the final image from the shoot.
You just have to take one problem at a time and work through them. You can't predict everything that will creep up on a shoot.
New Lens
Last year I spent the majority of basketball season using a 50mm 1.8 and a 35-70 2.8. While this combination worked ok, I knew there was a better choice for working in the dimly lit local gyms. As a small business it is always difficult making gear choices. I had been wanting another lens for my bag but budget constraints this time of year make purchases few and far between. Since I rarely used the 35-70 I decided to put it on Craigslist. Within an hour of posting, an email came in. We agreed to meet and off I went. The guy looked the lens over and seemed to like what he saw. He put it on his camera and went around the shop shooting with it for a few minutes. Settling back into his desk he asked why I wanted to get rid of it. I told him I wanted to get a new 85/1.8. He tinkered with my lens for a few more minutes and said he would be right back. I sat there a little confused until he reappeared with his camera bag. He opened his bag, pulled out a shiny 85/1.8, and offered it to me for examination. To my surprise he proposed a trade. I accepted and was off. The lens works great and we both came away a winner in the deal. Each of us got exactly the lens he wanted. So when you think you can't afford the lens you need to complete a job, be sure to check Craigslist. Yes, you can always rent a lens but I always hate doing that for a lens that isn't going to set me back more than $500 bucks. Just seems like wasted money. You wallet doesn't always have to suffer to get a new piece of gear.
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