(8+ Nikon SB900s) = (1 Alienbees 1600) (8 x $510 = $4,080) vs ($360)

Comparing my AlienBees 1600 manual flash to my Nikon SB900 TTL flash can be tricky.  It is more like apples and oranges they would say.

One thing you can compare is the guide number.  This translates into what the f/stop would be at say 10 feet.

The guide number for an AlienBees 1600 is 354 with a standard 7″ reflector. That means it will provide f/22 at 10 feet, full power at 100 ISO. The 11″ reflector will get you f/45 at 10′.  The Nikon SB900 provides a guide number of 132 giving you about an f/13.2 at 10 feet full power.

The Nikon SB900 has a zoom head, which is like having a few different reflectors build in.  The f/stop can go up as you zoom from 14mm to 200mm.

• The studio strobes system AlienBees has more available modifiers, ie. Soft boxes, grids, etc.
• Modeling light for studio work, letting you see approximately what you will get before you fire the flash
• Can be used with an inverter, when away from available AC power. While this does cost more you will be able to use it just about anywhere.
• Faster recycle times.
• No overheating issues as compared to the Nikon SB900.  They recommend you stop shooting after 10 shots on SB900 to let it cool.  (I just sent my unit in for overheating)
• It would take 8+ SB900s to equal the output power of 1 AB1600.  With SB900 running about $510 it would cost $4,080 to equal the one AlienBees 1600 priced at $360.

If you need to shoot at f/16 outside the only way to do that is to either buy 8 – SB900s or 1 – AB1600.

• Works on “AA” Batteries
• Can shoot above the sync speed of 1/250.  You can take flash photos outside at 1/8000 second if you choose.
• Can shoot at lower f/stops outside life f/2 or even f/1.4
• Light and much more portable than studio strobes
• Small enough to hide behind objects in the scene of a photo, verses the larger studio lights

Stay tuned for more information.

Alienbees 1600 Manual Flash

You are ready to take that next step in photography—getting your flash off the camera.  Today there are basically two directions to choose: 1) Manual Flash or 2) TTL Flash.

When I made this jump there was only the one choice of “Manual Flash.”  If I were starting over and having to make that decision it would be very difficult one to make.

Nikon SB900 TTL Flash

 
This first blog post will give you an understanding how each system works.  In the blogs following this I will go into the advantages each system has over the other.

There are 3 settings on a camera that impact the photo when you push the shutter with flashes.

1. ISO – This is the light sensitivity setting.  The lower the number the more light is needed to make a good exposure and conversely the high the number the less light is needed.  As a general rule the lower the number the less noise in a digital image, so the idea is to always pick the lowest number you can.
2. Shutter Speed – this is what controls how long the shutter stays open.  The longer the more light that will reach the sensor and the shorter time will decrease the amount of light on the sensor.  The longer the shutter stays open the more existing light will be factored into the exposure.
3. Aperture – This is what controls how much light is passing through the lens to the sensor.  This is an algorithm that is expressed as a fraction.  The number you see is actually the bottom number of the fraction.  The larger the number the smaller the opening.  Think of it like getting a piece of a pie.  If you get 1/8 of the pie you have a lot less than the person getting ½ of the pie.

If you had the camera set to take a perfectly exposed and in focus photograph and then added a flash, the flash will most likely over expose the photograph.  You must take into account the flash output to get a well exposed photo.

The easiest way to know what the settings on your camera will be with a flash is to use a flash meter. 

To keep everything simple, we will first use a room that is totally dark.  If you stand where the subject is and fire the flash you can use the meter to tell you what to set your camera.  You need to tell the meter two pieces of information:

1) What is your sync speed?  What is the fastest shutter speed your can take a picture with a manual flash?  This will be in your owner’s manual.  Many cameras use 1/125 or 1/250 sync speed. 

2) You need to tell the meter what ISO you will be using.

Flash Meter

Once those settings are put into the flash meter you just need to put the incident dome facing the flash and where the subject will be sitting or standing for a portrait.  You can plug the sync cable into the meter to trigger the flash or a different mode letting you just first the flash and it will sense the flash.

After you fire the flash the meter will tell you what f/stop or aperture to set the camera.

To figure all the above you just put the camera flash on TTL mode and take the picture.  You will pick the aperture on the camera and the camera will tell you if the photo is under or over exposed.  For all the same reasons your camera may over or underexpose photos without a flash will be pretty much the same reason it does it with a flash.

Check back for more posts on flashes.

Last night my neighborhood, along with those from the surrounding community, welcomed home U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer James Hogue after serving in after serving two years in Afghanistan.

This is one of the few events happening around America where in the crowd are truly a mix of this country. I was seeing those from the left and right of politics and a blend of faiths all welcoming a soldier who was defending our rights to disagree and for this reason we all were gathering in agreement that this hero needing a warm welcome home.

While the pictures cannot reveal the differences politically they do show the common joy of appreciation for Hogue’s service to our community and country.

Welcome sign donated by Sign-a-rama

Hogue returns to his home in my neighborhood with a police escort and The Sons of Liberty.

Dorie Griggs, my wife thanks James Hogue for his service.

State Sen. John Albers was on hand to present Hogue with a proclamation.

Sons of Liberty Ridersgave presentation to Hogue and his wife as well as a gift certificate for dinner.

More than 100 folks turned out to welcome Hogue home.  Many had never met him before the event.

Sons of Liberty Rider, officials and Hogue with his daughter

One of the boy scouts was so excited to meet Hogue and find out he was a former boy scout. The scout is reciting the scouts pledge to Hogue.

Probably no one is more grateful for Hogue’s safe return home than his daughter.

June 8th our son Nelson will report to Fort Benning to start his journey of service as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army.  I am thankful that our community supports our troops and am proud to have him make this sacrifice for our nation.

I really enjoy picking up books and reading from all aspects of life. The latest book I read was Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry & Jean Greaves.

Here is a link to it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Emotional-Intelligence-2-0-Travis-Bradberry/dp/097432…

What strikes me as a photographer is how my experiences with other photographers seems to support the notion that emotional intelligence does predict your success as a photographer better than your IQ does.

There are 4 areas the book covers:

1) Self-Awareness
2) Self-Management
3) Social Awareness
4) Relationship Management

I personally feel that this is a great book to read for the photographer who wants to grow. People skills are extremely important and I believe can make or break your career. 

Emotional Intelligence is the dimension of intelligence responsible for our ability to manage ourselves and our relationships with others. The culture you grow up in can help give you an advantage here.  What was amazing in the book was how China’s managers from business tested higher than Americans.  The book attributes this to their culture.

The good news that the book gives us is that while our IQ doesn’t change all that much, because it is more about your capacity to learn the emotional intelligence is more about how you choose to react to situations and events and that over time you can change this.  


The research showed how over many years American’s tested higher each year than before until 2008 when the economy affected us in so many ways.  It is difficult for all of us to know how to respond when your career choice no longer exists and you have to remake yourself overnight to survive.  


If you are a person who likes to follow the rules and when following the rules hasn’t always led to success then this is a great book for you.  It will help you to see how logic isn’t the only way to problem solve.

Fellowship Of Christians United in Service, Hamilton, GA

Student marks the board to be cut as part of a roof repair for an elderly woman’s house in Hamilton, Ga.

Students clean the landscaping of Fellowship Of Christians United in Service offices in Hamilton, Ga.

IMPACT 360 student cuts board for roof repair in Hamilton, Ga.

It’s the same way with the Son of Man. He didn’t come so that others could serve him. He came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many people.

— Matthew 20:28

Elderly woman watches as the IMPACT 360 students and alumni put in stairs to her home in Hamilton, Ga.

Sergej Krylov and Arild Remmereit talk to the students from Elkins Point Middle School orchestra and band. Next to Sergej is his Stradivari “Scotland University” (1734) from the Sau-Wing Lam Collection, courtesy of “Fondazione A. Stradivari” in Cremona. (photo by: Stanley Leary)

Having kids give us a great excuse, if we need one, to take them places we want to go. Parents of kids get to enjoy children’s movies that they may feel awkward going to alone. We get to go to places like Disney World.

Sometimes kids have advantages to give us access to adult subject matter.  This is what happened last Friday night with our daughter.

Seth Gamba is my daughter’s orchestra teacher who organized group ticket sale for the students and parents to see the Atlanta Symphony.  Friday night was special because of guest violin soloist Sergej Krylov and last minute bonus of guest conductor Arild Remmereit.
 

Students, parents and teachers from Elkins Middle School enjoy listening to the artists answer their questions. (photo by: Stanley Leary)

At first you might think the “discounted ticket” was what excited me, but really it was what happened after the concert.

Seth Gamba had asked if the soloist violinist and the conductor would talk to the students after the concert.  They graciously stayed after the event and the students sat on the first 2 rows of the symphony hall for question and answer time.

You could see the faces of the students paying close attention to these superstars.  The parents I think were just as excited and also asked questions.

Arild Remmereit talks about his journey from the time of the student’s age to now. The students got to hear how his path was different than of Sergej Krylov’s. Arild’s mother made him take piano, which he wasn’t fond of at that time and had to practice 5 minutes a day.  Sergej took from his parents and practiced for 6 hours a day as a young 5 year old. (photo by: Stanley Leary)

The lesson is simple—as a student you have access that is difficult later in life to get. Professionals are very excited about talking about their work and answering questions to students.

If you have children be sure you are aware of the opportunities that the community has for them that give them access to “superstars” and go with them.  If you don’t have children—volunteer to help youth programs and by doing so you will not just get an opportunity to tag along to meet superstars you are one for giving of your time.

I seized the opportunity to thank Seth Gamba by offering to photograph him with the conductor and violinist. Follow the lead of Seth Gamba and organize an outing for the students you know to get access to professionals and artists–you will be glad you did. (photo by: Stanley Leary)

Spyder2Express Color Calibration

From the moment you click the shutter to make a photo till the final place the photo is to be viewed can make or break a photo.

After you transfer your images from your digital camera to your computer you can view the images on the screen of your computer.  If you choose to make any changes to the photo’s colors this is where if your monitor is not calibrated correctly you could be changing colors that need no change at all.

I use the DataColor Spyder2Express to calibrate my monitor.  There are many different tools you can use to calibrate.  Pantone huey, X-Rite Eye One and there are other devices to help you calibrate.

The difference between the devices is how many monitors you can calibrate and how many choices of colors that you can choose to calibrate.

If you are using PhotoShop, Lightroom, or any other software to manipulate images then you need to calibrate your monitor so you as you work you are seeing the most accurate color possible with your monitor.

Calibrating the blue channel

Calibrating the red channel