I heart my softbox
Several months ago I attended a seminar on using a flash for studio lighting, how to get a more natural look, etc. It was a good seminar. I bought a few things, including my very first softbox. I've wanted a softbox for about as long as I can remember, but normally a softbox is a big investment. You don't just buy the box, you have to buy a light and a powerpack and a lightstand. Then you have to buy a transmitter and a receiver so your camera can remotely fire the light.
But this guy showed us how to use this nifty little softbox that holds a flash gun in place of a studio light light. Wow. I already have a really nice flash, and it's got an infrared receiver built right in. The D300 has what's called Commander Mode, meaning it can use its on-camera flash to signal the off-camera flash gun to fire. I had gotten a lightstand as part of a reflector kit about a month before, so that was taken care of. Basically, all I needed was to buy the softbox. Sweet.
So I took the seminar and got the stuff and then it all sat there in a corner of the darkroom for a few months while I finished school.
Went to make Zozer's picture last night for the Christmas card, and thought, "Hey, wait a minute...I have a softbox!" Busted it all out and got it all set up, then spent 15 minutes figuring out again how to get the damn camera into Commander mode and how to get the damn flashgun into Master mode. I had forgotten since the first and last time I played with it was several months ago. Zoe danced around the library and played while she waited, while I snapped, "Watch the light stand! Watch the tripod!" every 30 seconds.
Finally got it all set up and got her into position and started firing. OMG. It was so freakin' cool. I had my softbox, and a reflector on the other side to bounce some light back into the shadows. Beautiful, gorgeous images, with catchlights in the eyes and everything.
I pulled them up on my Mac after we were done and I got my model into her PJs and into bed. Blown away. I didn't need to do a lick of post-processing, other than cropping in slightly (I always tend to shoot wide to give myself more cropping options later).
I could post some of the images here, but since one is for the Christmas card, ya'all will just have to wait to see it. They're being printed at Sam's as I type and M will pick them up over lunch, and I'll address them all tonight and mail them tomorrow. You should have them Monday or Tuesday. In the meantime, you can drool over my sweet little softbox.
But this guy showed us how to use this nifty little softbox that holds a flash gun in place of a studio light light. Wow. I already have a really nice flash, and it's got an infrared receiver built right in. The D300 has what's called Commander Mode, meaning it can use its on-camera flash to signal the off-camera flash gun to fire. I had gotten a lightstand as part of a reflector kit about a month before, so that was taken care of. Basically, all I needed was to buy the softbox. Sweet.
So I took the seminar and got the stuff and then it all sat there in a corner of the darkroom for a few months while I finished school.
Went to make Zozer's picture last night for the Christmas card, and thought, "Hey, wait a minute...I have a softbox!" Busted it all out and got it all set up, then spent 15 minutes figuring out again how to get the damn camera into Commander mode and how to get the damn flashgun into Master mode. I had forgotten since the first and last time I played with it was several months ago. Zoe danced around the library and played while she waited, while I snapped, "Watch the light stand! Watch the tripod!" every 30 seconds.
Finally got it all set up and got her into position and started firing. OMG. It was so freakin' cool. I had my softbox, and a reflector on the other side to bounce some light back into the shadows. Beautiful, gorgeous images, with catchlights in the eyes and everything.
I pulled them up on my Mac after we were done and I got my model into her PJs and into bed. Blown away. I didn't need to do a lick of post-processing, other than cropping in slightly (I always tend to shoot wide to give myself more cropping options later).
I could post some of the images here, but since one is for the Christmas card, ya'all will just have to wait to see it. They're being printed at Sam's as I type and M will pick them up over lunch, and I'll address them all tonight and mail them tomorrow. You should have them Monday or Tuesday. In the meantime, you can drool over my sweet little softbox.
posted by Amy at 9:30 AM
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