Video: Lighting Gear

Hey folks, so here is a video on what lighting gear I use.  I thought I would make this video since I haven't actually reviewed any of my lighting equipment other then my speed lights and my beauty dish.  So here is a video with all of them together!  Hope it helps.

http://youtu.be/UNrIhfw3eqE

Video: What's In My Bag

He folks,

Just made a "what's in my bag" video recently because of the shift in gear I have done recently so this will be the most up to date gear.  It is all the same as my last gear review video however this is all of the gear I use.

Hope you like it,

Tom

Video: Comparison between the SB-600 and the SB-900

Hey, 

Here is my video for my comparison of features that were important for why I upgraded as well as why I would buy each flash.  Hope you like the video!

http://youtu.be/po0uljhsxyo

Video: SB-900

Hey folks,

Just posted my review of the SB-900 and soon I will post up my quick comparison of the SB-600 and the SB-900.

Hope this helps!

Photos: Cave Photo Shoot is Up!

Hey folks,

Just did a very interesting shoot in some cool caves and got some great photos.  I just posted them up on my site and you should check them out!  Here is one of the photos, hope you like it:

Portrait - 35mm f/1.8G

Check out the rest at www.tomhoustonphotography.ca!

Photos: Sneak Peek

Hey,

Just did an amazing shoot on tuesday, had a lot of fun and here is the sneak peek from the shoot.  Below is one of my favourite shots form the shoot and there are two others on my website at www.tomhoustonphotography.ca in the new arrivals gallery.  The model was great and did a very good job even though by the end of the shoot her heels were soaked from standing in puddles for most of it.  Really like these shots, hope you do too!

Portrait - 17-55mm

Don't forget to go see the other photos on my site and I hope you like them!

Photos: Orchid B&W

Hey,

Had a lot of fun with a spray bottle and an orchid last night.  I decided to push myself a little and do some black and whites since I always do colour shots.  So I posted them onto my site on the new arrivals section and here is one of them:

Orchid - Black and White - 105mm f/2.8 Macro VR

I highly recommend just playing around inside with a flash and a macro lens with flowers or other cool objects.  I was originally using my tripod however I find it too restrictive so I turned up my flash and my stutter speed (1/250s) and used my camera handheld.  I ended up using my lens hood for my 105mm as a stand for my SB-900.  Surprisingly it worked really well.  I absolutely love the bokeh and well everything about the 105mm.  Stunning lens.  If you don't have one and love macro I highly recommend it!

Please go check them out on my site at www.tomhoustonphotography.ca.

I hope you like these shots, I really do and stan posted for some colour ones later!

Review: Beauty Dish

Sorry for the small delay on my review of my beauty dish however I wanted to use it enough to make sure I could give a good review.  

Review: Cameron Mini-Max Beauty Dish (Set)

Recently I purchased a beauty dish because I wanted to create different lighting that had more character.  Before the beauty dish I was using two umbrellas with my SB-600 and SB-900.  Most of my portraits had no shadows and were perfectly lit however I wanted more attitude sometimes which two umbrellas couldn't deliver.  So I decided to get a beauty dish.

Thoughts and Opinions:

It was one of the hardest things to assemble since the instructions did not make sense.  Once I decided to ignore the instructions it was easier to built.  However I had never seen how a beauty dish was setup so part of the could have been my lack of knowledge.  Anywho, it is a 20 inch beauty dish and it came with the brackets and a diffuser as well as a honeycomb grid.  The size is great for my SB-900 and the beauty dish and its pieces are well made.  I am not worried about it being cheap and breaking easily.

So far it is a very great light modifier to have.  I do love the light it makes, especially with the grid.  If I need to go back to my shadowless lighting then I can usually achieve it from just using the bare beauty dish or with the diffuser.  

I think it is a great beauty dish to use with a speedlight and is a good size for what I use it for.  I have no complaints with it so far and it is doing everything I need it to.

Usage:

I have used it in five shoots now and I really like the results.  It does add a lot more character than an umbrella which is great.  I am very impressed with the lighting and I find that I am learning to use it even better with each shoot.  

Pros:

- Good Size

- Great Lighting

- Versatile (grid + diffuser)

- Well Built

Cons:

- Springs holding the dish in the centre might lose their spring over time (however there is a spare set)

Sample Images:

Portrait - 50mm f/1.4 D

Portrait - 35mm f/1.8 G

Portrait - 105mm VR Macro 

Conclusions: 

Overall very impressed with this light modifier and I am very impressed with what I have gotten from it.  Well built, lightweight and produces great light.  I hardly have any faults with it and I really like the effect it is having on my portraits.  There isn't much to say about it other than it is a great addition to my lighting setup.

Additional Info (Added October 2012):

Here is the link for my video review of my beauty dish: http://youtu.be/ZUU4LCUCuZM

Hope that helps!

Photos: [M.H] Sneak Peek

Hey,

Just did a shoot last week that was a lot of fun.  First time in a while I had to actually elevate myself on stools and other things so I wasn't shooting up at the model.  All and all a very great shoot with the quite tall and lovely model.

Here is a sneak peek so stay posted for the rest!

Portrait - 50mm f/1.4 D

Portrait - 50mm f/1.4 D

I hope you enjoyed the photos!

Photos: Nat's Flower Series Extras

Photos: Nat's Flower Series Extras


So I was able to fit in another shoot and do another flower series shoot in my studio.  I really liked this one because I kind of got to build the shoot from the ground up.  I went out and bought a bed sheet and used pins to make a dress with it.  Got the flowers and used my studio.  The model was a great help and was also able to get the large lily I have ever seen to stay in her hair which, was an impressive feat.


I can't wait to have enough of these photos to call them a series.  I have three currently and hopefully will get more over Christmas break.


These are two extra photos from the flower series however the one shot I will use for the series is not posted yet.  So without further adieu here are the Flower Series Extras from this shoot:

Portrait - 105mm

Portrait - 35mm

Thank you for looking!

Photos: Sarah's Flower Series Extras

Photos: Sarah's Flower Series Extras


Just did a shoot with the lovely Sarah and the shots turned out really well.  It was the first real studio shoot I've done in my studio (unless you count me sitting in front of my magazines as one).  I was really impressed with the photos and since my review of the 35mm DX f/1.8 lens is so popular, everyone should be happy to hear the 35mm will be my new studio lens for full body shots.  Personally I want my 50mm to be my main portrait lens but it is not wide enough to get the full body in the frame so the 35mm it is.


I was really happy with these shots and I hope you are as well.  I will start showing my Flower Series photos when I have enough of them to be called a series.  Two doesn't count as a series yet.  So in the mean time here are some other shots form the shoot!

Portrait - 35mm f/1.8 G 

Portrait - 50mm f/1.4 D

Portrait - 35mm f/1.8 G

Thank you for viewing and I hope you enjoyed them!

Photos: Studio Self Portrait

Hey,


So personally when I get something exciting I usually try to use it as fast as I can.  This case I wanted to use my studio after I had it setup so... I did.  I had this idea after thinking I wanted to review magazines I read since I find some are better than others and thought I would share said info.


As I was thinking about reviewing magazines I thought about doing a photo like this and so here it is.  I will write a review of the magazines I have read probably tomorrow if not for sure this week sometime.

But before I do the magazine reviews I thought I would toss up this photo since I liked it:

Self-Portrait - 17-55mm

Hope you like the first photo up that is taken in my studio.


Just a warning I will probably toss this photo at the top of my magazine review since it is me and all my magazines to date.

Update: Studio IV

Hey,


Amazing news!  The studio is up and functional.


So I wanted to make a studio with the least amount of money spent and pretty much all DIY.  So I tried duct taping (inexpensive I know) the paper to the ceiling.  I had a feeling it wouldn't work but I wanted it away from the far wall because I wanted to keep the heater on.  The paper didn't stay up so I went to plan B.  Turn the heater off and then tap it to the wall itself and not the ceiling.  This will then give better odds of the paper staying up since the force being exerted is perpendicular to the tape instead of how it was set up being taped to the ceiling.  So far so good haha.  It could fall but I don't think it will.


I put some tacks into the tape just as a precautionary thing so that they might hold it enough if it is falling to give me time to notice.


Since I have a studio now (unless it falls down on me again) I will start doing more photography as well as I will change my Model Mayhem profile.  I decided that since I have a studio I could help models with their portfolios as well as building mine own doing shoots.  I have been contacted by a couple of models to do shoot however they have not had ideas of what to do.  So I think I will set it up that if they want Time For Print (TFP) then I will decide on the ideas unless the ones they have are going to build my portfolio. If their ideas wont build my portfolio I will charge for building their portfolio.


Additionally I might do graduation photos to make back some money form building the studio (which wasn't that much) however making money back form photography is never a bad idea.


I thought the construction of the studio would be a little more complex however it wasn't haha.  So my Updates did not have as much detail about the construction as I wanted but oh well.  C'est la vie.  If you have specific questions for me about the studio please do not hesitate and send me an e-mail at tomhoustonphotography@gmail.com.  Or you can comment on a post and I will respond via a comment.


So here are two photos from of the studio however it is hard to capture all of it with my 17-55mm.  Just to give some dimensions, the paper is on a 8'x8' plywood floor.  So it is roughly 9 feet tall and about 9 feet long by almost 9 feet wide.  So a fair size if I want group shots or even someone laying on the floor.

My studio.

My studio from a lower angle.

I hope you are as excited as I am about this.  So yes, one can build a studio in their spare room quite easily.  I spent less than $500 for sure on the materials to build it (excluding flashes/stands/umbrellas).  Now I shall get some flower series shots done hopefully!

Tom

Update: Studio II

Hey,


So I got the seamless paper as I believe I have said.  The roll is now sitting on the floor until I have the floor build.  But I can do another step until then, which is bring in some lights:

Studio, Check.  Seamless Paper Check.

Lights... Check

So I decided to take some photos to play around with the room even though I don't have the flooring or the paper up but... you don't need that to get good shots anyways.

When no one is around to model for you sometimes you must grab a tripod and your remote and do it all yourself...

Self Portrait - 17-55mm

And then if you really want to get all fancy and bust out two flashes with two homemade snoots...  Which can get some cool lighting:

Self Portrait - 17-55mm

So, here is the beginning... I am definitely looking forward to not being the model/lighting assistant/photographer all at once but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

Hope you are as excited as I am about the potential of this room/studio.

Review: SB-900

Review: Nikon SB-900

Thoughts and Opinions:

The SB-900 is a tank of a flash.  It is very robust and very well designed.  So far after having it for a while now, I am very impressed with it.  Since my initial review, I have used it at around 4 shoots now.  It has worked flawlessly all but once.  However I will go into that in the Usage section.  

I think Nikon accomplished a lot with this flash.  And my opinion of this flash is very high which may be from my only comparison is the SB-600 which is not even in the same league.  So the SB-600 is really not comparable to the SB-900.  Sure they are both speedlights however the SB-900 towers over it in both size and functionality.  

I still love the diffuser and gel holder that comes with the flash, as well as the ease of use in terms of the settings and such.  The button locations are good and the flash is easy to use and navigating through the menus and settings is easier that the SB-600.  I am still getting used to it but it is just getting it to be second nature.   

This flash is good enough that I will probably sell my SB-600 and get another SB-900.  The only thing holding me back is the SB-600 is small and compact.  It fits in my Nanuk case and the SB-900 due to how much I already have in the case wouldn't fit right now.  So the SB-600 still gets a lot of points for being lightweight and compact.  The SB-600 is very good for starting out with since its does the minimum of what you need with a flash which is all you need if you are just starting out.  I upgraded and got a SB-900 as another flash because I wanted another flash. I was thinking about the SB-700 or a used SB-800 however I knew that a year after that I would want to upgrade and get a SB-900 so I just decided not to have to upgrade twice.  And I am very glad I did.

Usage:

I have, as I said, used this flash in I think four shoots now and it has performed almost perfectly.  In my last post I focused on nighttime portraits and I almost exclusively used my SB-900 during that shoot.  This was because the SB-600 started making a weird beeping sound which I assume was due to the cold temperatures.  The SB-900 was fine and held its own.  It worked just fine and produced some great photos. 

The size of it does slightly effects usage just because I do have to take extra care not to smoke it off a counter or anything while it is on my camera.  But that is what you trade for with you get the biggest flash Nikon makes.  

I did have a weird experience with it while I was shooting outside.  It was fairly cold so personally I was not worried about overheating the SB-900.  I was not taking a lot of pictures quickly or at a huge power level I thought but the temperature gauge said it was too hot and shut off on me.  Thankfully I had my SB-600 on me and switched to that for awhile which was fine.  After a couple of minutes I switched back to the SB-900 after it had a chance to chill.  It was weird because I felt the outside of the SB-900 when it claimed it was overheating and it was actually pretty cold.  I think it was shooting in TTL that caused it to shoot at a high power and I guess that did it.  Again I wasn't shooting that quickly because it was group shots so they took a while to decide how they were going to pose and such.  Oh well, I guess that is why you have backups.  I have not had this happen again since then and I have used it outside three other times since then and it has been fine.  So I guess if you don't want to risk the chance of overheating just shoot in Manual.  I believe I have also read or heard that somewhere else as well.

So it has not been perfect but perfect enough that I wouldn't want any other flash.  Everything can behave strangely here and there so I am not to worried about it heating up too much in the cold that one time.  There has been nothing to say is a major issue with this flash or any issue really.  It is hard for me to describe how great it is since a lot of it is just how well and easy it works.  So I hope I conveyed that here that it is an outstanding flash and just works amazingly for what it is and how much it costs.  

Pros:

- Ease of Use (especially when you are used to it)

- Power

- Functionality

- Build Quality

- Zoom ability

- Accessories (Diffuser, gels and gel holder) 

- Portability (Still better than a studio light setup)

- Versatility 

Cons:

- Large (But that comes with the flash and compared to a studio light it's nothing)

- Heavier than a SB-600 (However again, very light compared to any studio light)

Sample Images:

Portrait - 50mm - SB-900

Portrait - 50mm - SB-900

Portrait - 50mm - SB-900

Conclusions: 

This is a great flash hands down.  I have it overheat once for what I thought wasn't a great reason but it has not done that since so I am not too concerned.  The functionality and ease of use is great and the build quality inspires confidence.  The usage thus far has been great however to be honest, it is only as good as my skill level.  I am sure a better photographer than myself could get even more better lit photos.  So the usage does come down to who is using it.   But in terms of the flash itself, I wouldn't go to another flash.  Almost so much I will eventually get 2-3 of these depending on my wallet and how much portraiture I get into.

All and all this is a awesome flash.  If you have a SB-600 and want another flash and have the cash, get a SB-900.  Or if you are looking for a first flash and have money to burn, then why not.  But it is very obvious why this flash is #1 from Nikon.

Lastly I just thought I would touch on the fact I brought up studio lights a little in this review.  When you compare it to an SB-600 it is a little unfair since as I said it is in a different league.  Something that is more comparable is a studio light.  The SB-900 is much more versatile than a studio light and way more lightweight and compact.  So yes, against my SB-600, the SB-900 is larger and less compact however to something that is a better substitute (Since SB-600 are not often the go to lighting option for a studio), a studio light, it is still much better in my opinion.  

If you are debating a flash, and a SB-900 is on the list... get it even if you have to save up for it longer.  

Focus: Nighttime Portraits

Focus: Nighttime Portraits

I decided to write this after my experience with doing a portrait shoot at night.  I wasn't planning on the shoot being at night however by the time the makeup was done and we got to the location, the sun had already punched-out for the day.  I just want to go over some of the things I learned and maybe you have already learned these things but if not here you go.  So, my setup.

So I had one light stand and umbrella with me since there was a lot of walking involved.  Because of this I had my SB-600 on the stand and the SB-900 on my camera as a master/flash.  I used my 50mm, 105mm and the 17-55mm during the shoot.  

First off I was using my SB-900 for a AF assist light with the IR light or however that sensor works.  You can use your external Nikon (maybe other brands but I only have Nikon flashes) flashes to shoot a beam or red light at the subject to have your camera focus in darkness.  It is a great function and tool to have however it still is very hard to pin-point someone's eye through your viewfinder in the darkness.  The red light helps but it is still difficult however I got much better with it from practicing.  

After a couple of shots my SB-600 started making some funking beeping sound that didn't sound so good.  So I assumed because it was the very cold that night getting to it, so I turned it off and just used my SB-900 on camera.  This worked and I didn't need the SB-600 for what I was doing anyways.  Nevertheless I was still disappointed in the SB-600.  Moral of story, I'm glad I bought the SB-900.

Something that I didn't have that could have been nice was a flashlight.  Since I wasn't planning on it being dark I didn't bring one however I am sure it would have been nice.  I didn't need it per say however if you do not know your kit well and need help finding things then a flashlight of some kind would be good.  I am lucky enough that I know where everything goes and have a good routine of where I place lens caps and batteries and other small easily lost pieces.  

As for things I learned shooting was one to use the lights in background.  I am sure if you have seen other nighttime portraits you have probably seen the out of focus lights in the background.  It creates a very cool effect that I have always liked however this was the first time I had done it in a portrait.  When I first saw the effect of my 50mm at f/1.4 and the bokeh, I loved it.  Here is an example of what I mean from one of the photos I took that night:

Nighttime Portrait - 50mm - SB-900 on D90

Personally I have seen this effect a lot in many photos from christmas trees to street lights but I have never done it in a portrait and I loved it as I mentioned.  So because I knew my model was a creative person I decided to try something fun that I thought would look cool.  So I got her to blow "bubbles" with the out of focus lights being the bubbles.  

Blowing "Bubbles" - 50mm - SB-900 on D90

Another thing I learned is pick someone who trusts you to take photos of at night in the fall.  I say this because it was absolutely frigid that night and I was very lucky that a) I got the model to bundle up in a warm outfit and b) that she was a trooper and didn't mind walking and standing outside in the cold to get these shots.

Now for just personal points, I loved the effect of the lights in the background at large apertures.  However be careful because if I was at f/2.8, the circles turned into octagons (or however many edges it had) and had edges to them... therefore not as cool looking.   I personally really like being in control with the light.  Yes, it was very hard to see what on earth was in your viewfinder but very worth it in the end.  Also I got used to making out the model in the dark with the red light from the SB-900.  I liked the pitch black background you can get with shooting at night.  This shoot was at a park where there was enough open space to not have my flash's light hit anything.  For this shoot I wanted the model in a normal black peacoat however it didn't contrast with the black of the environment.  If you did want to have a strong contrast between colours of your subject and background this is a easy way to get that.  If I got my model to wear a red peacoat for example, she would definitely stick out a lot more. 

So yeah, I just wanted to share my experience with shooting portraits at night because I found I learned a lot in the process.  Therefore why not share what I learned and experienced.  

I hope this helps! 

Lens Re-Review: AF-S DX 17-55mm f/2.8 IF ED

Lens Re-Review AF-S DX

Hey,

I remember saying this lens wasn't as sharp as I wanted it to be for portraits however I just did an event for a friend's surprise birthday party and it may have changed my mind.  The photos were very sharp when I was at f/4.  This was not a problem because I was using it with the Sb-900.  Still not my 50mm but the 17-55mm does the job well.

Thought I would toss that out there as well.  But be sure to read my full review.

Update: Sneak Peek: Rachel Bond

Hey,

I was fortunate enough to work with Rachel Bond recently doing a country photo shoot.  We were worried about the rain however the bad weather held out until we were about to leave.  It was a great shoot and we had a lot of fun.  So here is a sneak peak of what we got:

Rachel Bond - Country Shoot - 50mm f/1.4

Rachel Bond - Country Shoot - 50mm f/1.4

I hope you enjoy these.  And just to note it was very difficult narrowing down what were the best photos to use from the shoot because there were many favourites.  I will toss up different photos on my Facebook Page just because there were so many great photos to choose from.  Stay posted for a link for when I put them up on Flickr.

Review: Initial Review of SB-900

Review: Initial Review of SB-900


Well, where do I begin.   

Thoughts and Opinions:

This is one beast of a flash, and I am pumped to have it now.  From my first impressions of taking the flash out of the case I loved it's design.  In the case itself the diffuser and gel holder is in the bottom zippered area while the flash is in the velcro flapped case.  Most might toss this case straight into the garbage however I have a full Nanuk 925 hardcase so I am going to keep it. I will also keep the flash in the case it came in and carry it in my lowe pro sling back.  I will also keep my other lighting gear in there as well (since my case is full).  

So now the flash.  It's big, it's bad and it's huge.  First off, one reason I got this flash was the on and off (as well as remote and master) switch.  This switch is much easier to use and offers much better functionality.  The SB-600 isn't that great in terms of turning it on and off as well as to the remote mode.  The zoom function is also easy to use as well as changing through the modes.  The modes are easy to understand so far and it is not so different from the SB-600.

Usage:

All I have done is just played around with the settings so far however I have a couple of shoots planned so it will get it's work cut out for it.

Pros:

From my initial thoughts,

- Ease of use

- Power

- Functionality

Cons:

- Large (However that is for power I am guessing.  Also the head has to be large to allow for a 200mm zoom)

- Heavy (but a workout is never terrible)

(I am being optimistic but I will let you know after a day of shooting with it)

Sample Images:

None at this time.

Conclusions: 

I am looking forwards to using this flash in the near future for sure.  And I will let you know what I conclude after I use the flash.