The last blog post I made, about Chris and Michelle’s engagement photo session, was where I first used my new Elinchrom Quadra pack and head. Most of the images posted in that article were done with natural light and maybe a few with an assist from a reflector, since we were in the setting hour of the sun, perfect time to shoot natural light if given a choice. In these 2 images I am about to post, I was shooting into the sun, and wanted to keep some of the dreamy haze and halo of light around their heads and bodies, but not lose detail with too much lens flare or uv haze. The sun was starting to set so the rays were not nearly as harsh as it would have been hours before that. So, if I am shooting into the direction of the sun, and there is more ambient light on that side, than there is to light the subject…..I could blow out the background to properly expose the subjects. No, not a good option. Not the option I wanted anyhow, would look like I can’t control my light. A reflector would help some, but I used the Elinchrom Quadra off camera on a small stand, the way many location and portrait photographers do with Speedlites even. This is no harder to set up. This is bare bulb with the stock plastic pan reflector and diffuser, a pretty hard light, but this was before I got my softboxes or umbrella mount. But outdoors, that bare bulb power is often what you need, especially if you are overpowering sun. I placed the head just below face level, and aimed up slightly, so I wouldn’t wash out the area that the backlight from the sun was already illuminating. I created a distance of about 15 feet, so the flash’s effects would be subtle. I was not looking for high contrast lighting, but about one full stop of fill, where you almost couldn’t tell I was using any. Was at about half power, shot at F 4.5 and 1/200 shutter, 100 iso. Worked perfectly to balance the exposure.

One thing that’s interesting about this pack, is it’s asymmetric, meaning there is an A and B port, the A is for full power, B is for increased accuracy between 8 and 132 watts per second. Faster recycle time too…..if 2 heads are used with this pack, it’s a 2/3 lighting ratio between key and fill. In this next shot, it was a little different. I had to use that antique tractor somehow, there was foliage behind it, and the sun was behind it, leaving only a little ambient light to expose the subject. I bumped my ISO up to 400, and kept about the same distance between the flash and the subjects, same fstop and shutter speed settings. It was obvious I used some sort of flash / lighting here, but being off camera was more directional than on camera, and there was plenty of detail in the background instead of falloff. More samples to come from other shoots.

I recently had the pleasure of booking an October 2012 wedding with a really nice couple, Chris and Michelle! Both live about an hour East of here, just past Lebanon TN. in the country, where it’s peaceful and scenic. I originally met Michelle when photographing a different wedding almost 2 years ago, that she happened to be in. This is a prime example of proper networking and taking care of customers, the fact that she would book me for her own wedding speaks volumes that I took good care of her friend’s wedding photography needs.

As it turns out, Michelle later met Chris at a baseball game she attended, where Chris was a baseball coach, and the rest is history! I went out to where they live to see the church where their wedding ceremony will be, as well as the nice huge house where their reception will be under a tent outdoors, where there are nice rolling meadows and antique cars to use as photo subjects on the big day! We then went out to Chris’s grandmother’s h0me, to do their engagement photos at her home / property in the country. I pulled up to the house behind them and I was in awe of this place. The beautiful gardens and stonework, fields with yellow flowers, antique smokehouses, a really nice barn, and even an antique tractor! Not only was this an impeccable location for photos, but it holds significant meaning to Chris and his family, because his grandmother’s house is the hub for family get togethers and holiday feasts. He spent lots of time there with her growing up, and Michelle had joined them for holiday celebrations there, so this was the perfect place!

That’s one thing I love about wedding photography and engagement sessions, it really helps me to get to know the couple and have fun with them, and discover new places I never knew existed. Always something new! We had beautiful near end of day light to use, and we took advantage of the great locations this property had to offer, I absolutely love the photos and am thrilled to see how connected they are. That’s one thing I love about using a documentary approach for a lot of my wedding and engagement photography content. It’s a look inside the fun each couple has, and clearly seeing the love between them! If the love doesn’t show in the photos, the main ingredient would be missing! Congratulations Chris and Michelle on your engagement, I look forward to Oct. 6 photographing your wedding!! Here are the photos, hope you enjoy!!

My previous articles about strobes and monolights address how flash output and energy are measured, in watts per second. Flash guns / Speedlites’ power output are traditionally measured in guide numbers. Not commonly addressed as such today, but more rather converted to watts per second by various testing. The higher the guide number, the higher the flash output. Guide numbers are determined based on film speed and ISO sensitivity for digital cameras. If you use a higher film speed, or ISO setting, the guide number increases. This is how some manufacturers can fudge those numbers a little, LOL. Doubling the film speed or ISO setting doesn’t necessarily double the guide number. The way this is determined is to multiply the flash to subject distance by the fstop setting that would properly expose the image. Say you used 100 speed film, or used an 100 ISO setting….you were 12 feet from the subject, and the fstop was F8, the guide number of that flash would be 96.

Most manufacturers Speedlites / hot shoe flashes are rated for 80 watts per second, the more common rating used these days. Most common modes are manual (the most reliable), ETTL (auto exposure measured through the lens) which is not my favorite at all, nor the most c0nsistent. And full auto mode, which the camera is set, and the flash has an ambient light sensor and calculates the needed flash exposure to balance the exposure. I personally don’t like the look of on camera flash, especially indoors, it can have a flat look to it. Using a flash sync cord and moving the flash from the hot shoe to a bracket helps create some distance between the flash and the lens, which softens the light a little. My personal preference is to use it off camera, by way of a stand, or a helper carrying it on a pole, and triggering it with a radio slave, as you would a studio light. I find the bare flash generally produces a harsh light when pointed directly at a subject, especially at close range. Outdoors when used for fill, it’s the best way to not lose flash output when you need all you can get, allowing a little extra distance will be your best way to soften the flash’s effect. Many modifiers like the Gary Fong Lightsphere, Lumiquest Bounce, Ultimate Lightbox, and Firefly softboxes and octaboxes for Speedlites will make a nice difference in the pattern and softness of the light, especially off camera which makes the light a more interesting directional pattern.

Using an external battery pack is a must for a flash. Much faster recycle time and longer battery life. This will help with more consistent exposures, especially with continuous use. I highly recommend Sanyo Eneloop Batteries, for the longest life and giving the flash a better recycle time. Here is an outdoor shot, with my Canon 580 EX II speedlite, used for outdoor fill in manual mode, undiffused (mainly because modifiers would have sucked a full stop of light from the flash’s output….but I created about  10 foot distance between the subject and me so the light wasn’t as harsh. Yet was able to use a wide enough aperture to enjoy some halo on her hair from the backlighting through the trees. Hope this is helpful! Though flash output on flash guns may be limited, they are a handy tool when used correctly.

That’s what I bought the Quantum flash for….so I could use it on a flash bracket if I had no assistant, but primarily for off camera use. I used it several times on a bracket….was very cumbersome and felt very top heavy used that way. Q flash has been a gold standard for years, of wedding photography professionals…..but mine didn’t pan out for me. I was working with it in manual mode, and you would have a power setting, in 1/16 stop increments. As well as fstop and ISO settings in 1/3 stop increments. I would switch between 2.8, 5.6, F8, and no difference in flash output. UNTIL I put it in full power, the exposure didn’t change. Though flash outputs were consistent when tested with a light meter, it’s no good if you can’t change the flash exposure when you want to, lol. Well, you can, but this was a defective unit. I went back to Dury’s with it and left it with them for them to test it, to make sure it wasn’t just me, LOL. Was a pretty new unit, so they offered me a new one or to take it back. The longer I had it, the more cumbersome I thought it was. I guess like anything. Some inventions will have their believers and naysayers alike. There are 8 million different free x wire adapters and d adapters, etc. And I had syncing issues with it with Pocket Wizards, unless I used a PC cord from my Pocket Wizard Transmitter to my camera. I really don’t trust TTL mode, and wanted to use manual anyhow. But on this unit it did not work properly. It may be a very fine unit, but at that point I didn’t want another one.

Sure, there are proprietary aspects of every product. But by the time I tallied up all I would spend to get it where I needed it, it would still be a flash gun. LOL. So for about the same price as the Q Flash and battery pack, etc. I decided to go with an Elinchrom Quadra S kit. I bought it at Dury’s, but here is a product link http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/632658-REG/Elinchrom_EL_10292_1_Ranger_Quadra_Head_S.html The head only weighs 8 ounces, LOL! Much lighter than even my Canon Speedlites. Remember last article, I discussed strobes and monolights? This is a strobe, controlled with an external power supply / pack. I also bought an adapter to be able to use any Elinchrom modifier, as well as a Photoflex / Interfit speedring. The adapter is needed because these heads are smaller in diameter, and I can always use an umbrella with it too. It comes with a similar frosted reflector diffuser as the Q flash does….great for outdoor fill, but would be a fairly hard light for indoor use. Plus it has 400 w/s instead of 150! I just felt overall, it’s just as portable, and easy to use on or off camera. Most would not opt to use this on camera / flash bracket…..but if I ever needed the extra power, all I have to do is thread a 5/8 spigot onto my flash bracket and mount it on there, if I ever don’t have an assistant.

Off camera would be super sweet with this thing. I have a small Bogen stand that goes 6′ high but folds up very small. So even if I had 2 of these heads, a spare battery for the pack, an additional stand, and my 2 small Photoflex softboxes, plus adapters and speedrings, it would ALL fit into a duplicate Think Tank bag like I use for my cameras and lenses / triggers etc. So, notwithstanding larger modifiers, I could have everything I need for most any event, portrait photography session, wedding photography, corporate event photography, in 2 rolling / backpack cases! For very other need, there’s my studio, lol. My off camera mobile idea is the same 5/8″ spigot atop my monopod…..my assistant carrying the pack in a backpack and hand carrying the head mounted on the monopod. Using either the standard reflector or one of my small softboxes, following me and I use my Skyport transmitter to adjust flash output on the pack from my hot shoe. The pack contains an integrated Skyport receiver already, so that’s one less thing to connect. Any lighting off camera is always better, and more directional light pattern. This would come in very handy during wedding receptions, especially in darker reception halls. And it’s no harder to set up than a Speedlite. The pack is rated for 200 full power flashes, which I hardly ever would use full power anyhow. Another neat thing to do, if I used on camera flash and used the Quadra off camera as a rim light or fill light, it has a smart sync, that will not fire the flash until the final flash burst, if I decided to use second curtain on my Speedlite, for motion or fast dancing, and drag my shutter a little. I think it’s win win, more on that later. Results from field test coming soon!

As I’ve always said, it’s better to learn studio lighting a piece at a time, and learn how to work with less before buying more. Whether an amateur or hobbyist photographer, or emerging professional photographer, everyone’s budget is different. I do not think having a larger budget is necessarily an advantage when it comes to developing talent. I always recommend visiting peers’ studios or attending workshops and familiarizing yourself with different lighting equipment before buying any. I never recommend buying no name products found on Ebay, lol. In the event something goes wrong, there is no support. First, it is wise to assess your needs, based on style of shooting, studio space, portability, and frequency of use. Whether you go with Alien Bees, Hensel, Elinchrom, Profoto, etc. and if you are learning lighting, you are better off buying one at a time, with your choice of diffuser, based on your preference of lighting style. I have seen a few doctors and lawyers with an interest in photography who buy 4 or more heads and modifiers, and haven’t the faintest clue how to use it. That is why it is wise in my opinion to get good with using one, and then when you feel ready, get another if needed. Part of being a good photographer is being resourceful and knowing how to use what’s available, and not making things harder and more time consuming than it needs to be. And when you get to the point when you have a full arsenal of lighting, you know how to use what you need, and how to make it all work together, proper metering etc. Knowing how to work with less is as valuable as knowing how to use a full studio.

Monolights have a self contained power supply, whereas strobes work off a power pack which is the control panel. You can’t go wrong either way, though for different situations, there will be pros and cons to either. Monolights generally are heavier and less portable, and are best used in the studio, and also are preferred by many photographers because of slightly faster recycle time and no loss of flash output that especially longer cords can cause with strobes, going from the power packs to heads. Strobes are powered and controlled with a pack, and heads are lighter because there is no power supply integrated. Also many these days have integrated receivers, and a hot shoe mounted transmitter can control the flash output of any strobes running off a pack. The pack goes dead, the heads won’t work. Which proves that a backup battery is a smart idea. Just know and trust your equipment. Also assessing power output needs is key, and the modifiers that will fit each brand. Strobes and monolights are measured in WS or watts per second. Which is a measurement of electrical energy, the dominant factor in total flash output. Recycle time, color consistency, and ease of use are also factors when buying. Sure, good equipment is important. Knowing how to use it and understanding how it works is even more important. Here is a location shoot with one light, strip softbox, mixed with very little ambient light. Minimal setup. Almost guerrila style, lol.

I first must apologize for being a little bit missing in action lately, with my site updating and blogging! I had my website completely re-designed by Titan Associates (They are re-designing their site as well, please excuse the temporary condition). But I can definitely vouch for them being good at what they do and having good communication, and taking care of what I needed! I have been with Photobiz for nearly 4 years with my previous site, and they are great to deal with…..but I wanted to go another direction with my site, and they have no plans of going away from the flash platform for their sites. So to get any SEO value, or  to create a mobile friendly experience, I had to do a mirrored HTML site and a splash page….which I didn’t like doing for two reasons. It creates an extra step for my viewers….and splash pages seem passe by now.

I had them build me a WordPress site, all HTML, and very clean. And mobile friendly. Although I must admit, I almost hate for people to view my work and make a judgment on it, on a tiny screen phone! No wonder some people can’t tell a difference between a professional photographer and the Uncle Bob’s out there doing cheap weddings and portrait sessions, lol. You do get a much better sense of a photographer’s work on a larger screen, or in print…but these days especially, having a mobile friendly site is crucial. Flash is not supported by many of the most popular mobile devices, and doesn’t have as successful of an SEO value, as far as search engines crawling them. Surprisingly, many photographers still use a flash site with very little text.

I really feel this will make an easier, and better viewing experience with this new design….and also my blog is now integrated with the site design, which makes it easier to find! I pride myself on having interesting and useful information on this blog, and not just a bunch of spammed keywords, lol. Also, the design element is more consistent with my business card colors and design, so this will also help with brand identity. I hope to get your feedback on the new site and blog, and feel free to make any suggestions! Also, please tell others about this blog and follow it. As far as I know all my existing followers have been imported to the new blog along with the article content. Thanks for all your support, and this is an exciting time for Jay Farrell Photography! New article to come soon!

AKA Clay and Tiffany Just last month I had the pleasure of photographing their engagement session at Riverwalk Park in Clarksville, where they had their first official date. They were married at The Cumberland Room in Clarksville, where my assistant and I went to work on April 1 to photograph their wedding. We were met by Clay in his military uniform, and immediately saw the candy bar set up….with you guessed it….GUMMY BEARS! A definite favorite of both my assistant and mine! Feast your eyes on the gummies, won’t you?

It was a nice warm sunny day, the ceremony was outdoors in the ballroom’s outdoor courtyard, yes we mastered the lighting challenge with the harsh afternoon sun The reception was inside the ballroom, where I went around and captured some portraits of the family and guests, as well as some journalistic candid photos of them. Using that fly on the wall approach helps me get real expression when guests are eating or sharing a drink, during the dances, the interaction of the cake cutting, the kids playing, and in this case the grandmother out dancing everyone in attendance! It was a fun day and an exciting day in their lives, thank you for letting me capture your story!

About a month ago, I bought a Quantum Flash T5DR flash gun and Turbo SC battery pack, good for 400 full power flashes, from Dury’s. I just wanted something with better manual control and with more power than the Canon Speedlites…..also Q flash’s are work horses, and do not overheat in times of rapid use. They are an especially sought after flash for wedding photographers and event photographers especially…..as well as being good for outdoor portraits and being powerful enough to provide fill light in most cases. My particular flash is not a hot shoe flash, it does not have it’s own integrated battery or power supply, it connects to the Turbo battery for power. So it needs to be used on a bracket if being used on camera. The way the center of gravity is, it makes that particular setup very cumbersome and heavy. Especially with having to be wired to the battery. I have used it on camera a few times, and works well, but it’s just cumbersome. TTL requires a separate adapter, which I have….and a special Free X wire receiver and transmitter for off camera TTL use. I do not put much stock in TTL, especially with Canon TTL systems. It does ok in a controlled room without pockets of ambient light. But it struggles to provide accurate exposures with ambient light being mixed in the subject area. Or in cases where you would normally meter for contrasts of skin tones, black tuxedo, and white dress all in the same photo. Often the TTL system will balance it like a grey card and you don’t know what the focal object will be. That’s why I won’t really use TTL especially if I would have to buy those triggers.

I have found the auto mode to work much better. Still having trouble with manual mode, still looking into exposures not changing with fstop setting adjustment. And the flash output is the same each time when working correctly, tested with light meter. The auto sensor is on the flash itself instead of through the lens, like TTL. I decided that going off camera would provide a much better and more directional light than on camera. This could be handy at wedding receptions with an assistant. I would mount the Q flash to my Manfrotto monopod, by screwing it on. The sync cord to a Pocket Wizard receiver is attached to the front of the flash with heavy duty velcro. This would be carried by the assistant, who would have the battery pack in their pocket. Now, on the camera, I’d have my Pocket Wizard transmitter, or transceiver in the hot shoe, with a PC cord from the Pocket Wizard to my PC port on the camera. That way, my assistant and I aren’t hard wired together. I took Nick’s recommendation, from Dury’s and bought an Ultimate Light Box, it’s a small plastic softbox that doesn’t lose as much light as rival modifiers for Speedlites, and does indeed have a less harsh light than the stock diffuser. Here are a few random samples of this off camera setup, in my house. Will update you more as I use it more

This was one of the looks we did, when I was in Atlanta shooting with Angela. One of her outfits, when we were sorting them for the shoot, just screamed parking garage for some reason.  So we found a part of the parking garage near her building that had some empty spots and where people wouldn’t bother us. And off we went! Now I will explain the setup, may sound cumbersome for an on location setup but it took me 15 minutes to set it all up by myself. The result was worth it, and we got nice high contrast lighting with good spill control, and the lighting was directional, as opposed to on camera flashes. There was no light in the garage, except some overhead florescent lights, with a really cold color temperature….but the use of strobes or flashes would overpower any color cast that could be caused by any overheads lights.

The main / key light was an Alien Bee 800 and a medium softbox, feathered and not direct. It was about 6 feet away from her to her left, with the center of the softbox about even with the top of her head, very little downward angle. She was about 15 feet away from the wall where the blue color gel was feathering it. I placed it slightly further away from the subject area, with the gel covered pan reflector and that strobe right up against the wall. When working with gels, you have to be careful of spill. The distance between it and the subject area eliminated the possibility of getting color spill from the gel. If working in a tighter space, the use of a flag may be necessary. To the subject’s right, from about a 45 degree angle behind her, I used a 20 degree grid, from a c stand up about 10 feet high, aiming down as the rim light to the subject area, about 10 feet of distance between it and Angela. This was to create some contrast and brush light on her, where there would have otherwise been light falloff areas. It was a matter of metering and positioning, especially when working with grids and gels, positioning may take some playing with to get it in the right spot. Oh yea….almost forgot. I used a Pocket Wizard receiver on the key light and the background light with the gel, to eliminate syncing issues, the background light was able to trigger the rim light, so a third receiver wasn’t needed. There was no power in the garage, so I used my new Vagabond Mini on the Key light and the background light, and my old vagabond II for the rim light. This way i didn’t have to run extension cords everywhere.  Hope this helps!

I combine my errands to save fuel. Recently I was out running a couple errands in the area where my gym is, two birds, one stone, and after a workout, I stopped at the Chinese restaurant across the street. It was getting kindof late, I was a little tired and hungry and just did not feel like taking the time to cook that night. I saw these 2 people near the restaurant’s entrance, one was a guy maybe early 20′s and the other, honestly wasn’t sure if it was a guy or a girl, about same age LOL. They asked me if I had any money to spare because they were hungry and needed something to eat. They were polite and humble, yet they usually are. And you never know if they are well meaning people who had hard luck and really are hungry, or if they are just panhandlers looking for a crack rock or a bottle of whiskey. I just don’t like being approached by random people because you never know their intent. I have worked in some bad areas and have heard every story in the book….but again, some may be legit. I just told them, sorry I do not have cash on me but I wished them luck and went on. Which I really don’t ever carry cash, I use debit card for everything pretty much, so I was telling them the truth.

My first instinct as a business owner, that this is not good for business, having their customers approached by panhandlers. So I told the manager that there were 2 people outside that say they are hungry and are asking for money, and it may prevent some customers from entering the restaurant. Looked like he asked them to leave the premises and they did. One way to tell if they were legit, was to invite them in and offer to cover their dinner tab, since it was a buffet and maybe would have been 25 dollars. If they accepted the offer, I’d know they are for real, but if not, I’d quickly know they were looking for their next fix. I don’t believe in supporting peoples’ laziness or habits, when I work for my money…..but also I don’t mind giving the hungry something to eat. Now I kindof wish I did that, not that I have 25 dollars to burn, now especially, but if they were hungry, and I helped feed them, it’s just good karma and it would help them out. Maybe the fact that I thought about this afterwards is symbolic of something, just not sure what, but I hope they got the help they needed, if it was food. Next time that happens, and they say specifically they need food, I’ll offer them food, now that I think about it, I think I should have done that with them.