Multiple Flash

Attempt No. 1

Attempt No. 2
Nicolette Boese, 20, a senior majoring in dance at Stevens College, poses in one of the school's dance studios in Columbia, Mo., Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009. Boese says she prefers modern dance because it allows her to express her emotions. She wants to find work as a choreographer after graduation.



The key light (dynolight with umbrella) was placed ¾ front right of the subject with a rim light (dynolight with umbrella) ¾ back right and a fill light (dynolight with umbrella) ¾ front left. The rim and fill lights created the cross light we talked about in class. These two lights used half the power of the key light. At first the fill light was too bright, so we moved it further from the subject and then bounced it off a reflector.


I made a few face shots, and I like this one. There’s energy in her eyes, an element missing from the full-body shot. However, I’m not sure the fill light was firing. The rim light was working, but I don’t see it hitting her hair. So, this may be a one-strobe shot and, thus, does not fulfill the requirement of using multiple flashes for this assignment.

This was my first time using the dynolights on location, and I found it be much like working in the studio. I liked the assignment and was really starting to “feel it” at the end. Yet, I stopped too short. I could have ridden that creative wave a bit longer.

Fill-Balance

Auto technician Wayne Rotterman looks under a 2004 Chevy Cavalier at All-Star Automotive in Columbia, Mo., Monday, Nov. 9, 2009. There's a hole in the oil pan and Rotterman says the engine will have to be replaced.

I spent time at the shop while the oil was being changed in my Jeep Wrangler. It seemed like the perfect place to experiment with balancing indoor/outdoor light. I chose the above photo because, while the tire on the left is hot, we see quite a bit outside the garage door and I like Rotterman's expression.


Here's a closer look at Rotterman's face. I like this image because I tried to make the flash mimic the light hanging from the bottom of the vehicle. However, we don't see enough of the outdoors to fill the requirements of this assignment for class.


In the efforts of full disclosure, here's my Jeep, Daisy, as auto technician Charlie Leon changes her oil. I exposed for the outdoors and bounced a flash off the ceiling.

Color Correction

Laurie Andrews, 25, (left) helps Terri Britt, 5, and Makya Britt, 7, while an unidentified child laughs during craft time at the Blind Boone Community Activity Center in Columbia on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009. Andrews is part of a group from Karis Community Church that volunteers at the center once a month.

I chose to visit the Blind Boone center twice for this assignment. The first time, I made green photos because I misjudged the lighting as being fluorescent, so I set my camera to fluorescent white balance and used a green gel on the flash. I also did not find many moments.

Upon my second visit, I tried a combination of green and orange gels, but I found that setting my camera to tungsten white balance and using an orange gel worked best. The above photo is straight from the camera. No crop. No adjustment in Photoshop.

The below photo is a nice moment, but the flash (connected to the camera body with a cord) did not fire! Ah, the joys of learning to use light.


Ryan Wagner of Karis Community Church (right) colors alongside Chaquan McClain, 6, at the Blind Boone Community Activity Center in Columbia, Mo., Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009.

Painting with Light

A ghost appears to be driving a tractor in a haunted field of hay 10 miles east of Columbia, Mo., in October 2009.

Out ghost is played by Erin Hendry, who released her inner horror actress during our shoot. We lit the tractor with several repeated gelled strobes and strobed Erin in white, as you can see. We chose an ISO of 200 and an aperture of f/8.0 on the bulb setting. While my team (Erin Hendry, Christina Manolis and Preston Guerra) and I turned in the above for our assignment in Advanced Photojournalism Techniques, we also made the following photos. Kudoes to my teammates. As you can see, we had a blast!