When I first started shooting with off camera lighting, I used two shoplights that I had purchased from Sears when I was building my house. Since then I have purchased 3 speedlights (one at a time as I could afford them), and no longer use the shop lights. I still don't have any way cool studio lighting, but I do see some in my not so distant future. It is way better to have a limited amount of equipment and know how to use what you have, than to have all this cool stuff and not know how to get the results you need from it. I have always loved to fish and even spent five years of my life as a light tackle fishing guide. I have often noticed that the guy with one of every lure ever made in his tackle box, usually can't catch a fish to save his life. Now the angler with a couple of different lures in his box more than likely knows how to use them, and has a great deal of confidence in them. The same applys to photography. Don't over complicate it with every gadget you see in the popular mags. Get a little equipment and learn to use it right. Build your confidence with results. This shot of Haleigh was accomplished using just two speedlights. One is behind her and has a full CTO (orange) gel on it to make the tree behind her look like fall. The other flash is used without a gel to light her from camera left. Simple setup, not alot of equipment, but great results. At least I think so.
I think your theory applies to many things in life my friend! I don't understand the gel lighting thing, but the picture is cool! :)
ReplyDeleteYes, great results!
ReplyDeleteI agree with the concept of not needing all the bells and whistles; sometime simple is far better.
And Kim, the Gel thing is used to keep hair in place. :) JK
Actually all it means is that a thin piece of colored plastic /acetate stuff is placed over the face of the flash, causing the color of the light from the flash to be orangish. The material is available in many colors, and many of the colors are available in various intensities (full for deepest color, 1/2 for medium color, and 1/4 for just a touch of the color)
(It's called a 'gel' because in the early days of theatrical lighting, before plastics, the color was in a gelatin based material)