When you’re down to the macro focusing range, it is almost never recommended to shoot wide open. The reason for this is because you’re focusing so closely to the subject, very little will be in focus at any given aperture. So you’ll need to stop down the lens. But in order to also minimize your post-production, we recommend putting a flash on your camera to get it right the first time around. Set that sucker to TTL, and put a Rogue FlashBender on it and hover the modifier over the subject. The flash output will bathe the subject in beautiful soft light that will look extremely natural–perfect for shooting the rings at a wedding. Flashes can be affordable too, just take a look at this list! And when you’re ready for more, take a look at our lighting modifier guide.
Need extra help? Here’s a demonstration of how flash and apertures work together.
Gear Used: Canon 5D Mk II, Tamron 90mm f2.8 VC, Phottix Mitros, Large Rogue Flashbender
Want more Useful Photography Tips? Take a look at all of them right here.
We’ve reviewed the Rogue Flash Benders and the Rogue Grid here on the site before, but today the company announced something else of monster proportions. This kit includes the new XL Pro FlashBender–which is larger than the previous large version. As it stands, we believe that the large reflector is one of the best upgrades for modern wedding photographers, but the XL may now take the cake. The new kit also includes the diffusion attachment which essentially turns the package into a small softbox by taking your flash’s light output, making it bounce to hit the white surface and then receive even more diffusion by passing through a translucent white attachment.
However, this time around you have the choice of a Strip Box Diffuser Attachment, Soft Box Diffuser Attachment, or Silver/Black Reflector Attachment (which will add extra specular highlights and really bring out the sharpness of your new lens.
The Rogue XL Pro Lighting kit is available for $99.95 at Adorama.
Lighting intimidates every person getting into photography. It is a whole other skill to be learned but once you get into it, it can become addicting because of all the creative possibilities you open yourself up to. Relying on natural light can be great if you can get the right light. But as artists, we can always create our own. And to shape the light to get exactly the look that we want, we need modifiers. It is best to imagine light as a stream coming out of a hose. If you change the shape of the head and the direction, the stream itself also changes accordingly.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at a bunch of light modifiers we recommend. For more, we recommend that you check out the Lighting Section of our Reviews Index.
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Or so…Remember our recent article on simulating acid trips using Rogue gels? Coincidentally, ExpoImaging has just introduced a series of Rogue Lighting Kits that come with all you could potentially need to take pictures like these. And more.
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Take a good look at the photo above: there are four flashes in place. One on the right, two right in front of Avi and one on the chair on the left of the photo. The Rogue Gels were sent to me a while ago but I never had a really cool and creative idea to use them until I started to build my use of multiple flashes. Currently, I use two flashes on radio triggers with the other two being set to slave mode and being set off by those on radio triggers. Each flash in the photo was then gelled a different color.
To make the absolute best of the situation, I resorted to my old technique taught back in cinematography school: use one light at a time. So I set one flash off at a time and adjusted the intensity of each as the power steadily built up. Thankfully, Avi is one patient dude.
Check out the two results after the jump.
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If you’re a hot-shoe flash user, chances are that you already own the Rogue Flash Benders. In my opinion, they’re one of the best modifiers around due to their flexibility and versatility. Photojojo, aka the site/shop of all things cool and awesome in the photo world, are announcing that they’re selling the benders in their store tomorrow with the diffusion panel and as always, they’ve gone the extra step to show some demonstrations in their really cool and a bit hipsterish ways.
Make no mistake though, the benders aren’t hipsterish. Though I admittedly don’t use them as often as I used to, I swear by the large bender. They’re excellent for event, journalistic or wedding photographers, but I wouldn’t necessarily use them for in-studio portraits. However, they can be turned into a snoot, which can give off an awesome effect if desired.
Head on over to Photojojo and see what they’ve got.
