Lesson 12 Still Life

Live View with EOS Utility and Lightroom 4

 

Using Canon EOS utility has a great advantage in Still Life in that you can see in real time how you light is looking on the object.  It is especially useful for placing reflectors and gobos.  I have made a list of setting in order to use the Canon 5DMII with Live View in the EOS utility with Lightroom 4.

There are two important settings on the Canon that must be made:

1.       Go to the Menu with a wrench and two dots. 

2.       Go to Live View/Movie func. Set

3.       Set Silent shoot. To Disable.  (Must have this set so that the flash will fire when we make a picture with Live View on.  I didn’t know about this setting in our demonstration and that is why the flash wasn’t firing)

4.       In Menu go to the camera symbol and scroll down to C.FnIV Operation/Other and go to option 1 and set on #3 AE lock/Metering + AF start.  This will set the focus start to the button on the camera with AF-ON and will disable the shuttle button from trying to focus.

Now open the Canon EOS utility.  You might have to open it in applications.  You should have the camera tethered and on at this point.

1.       Click on Camera settings/Remote shooting.  You should see the remote shooting screen with all you camera settings.  The settings can be changed on this screen.

2.       Next go to the Preferences Screen

a.       Basic Settings only check the Show main window button.

b.      Destination Folder change the folder to Watched Folder on the desktop and keep everything else unchecked.

c.       File Name  Do not modify

d.      Download Images  set to Images not yet downloaded

e.      Remote Shooting check box for Save also on the camera’s memory card

f.        Linked software None

g.       OK

Now open Lightroom and make the following changes:

1.       File®Auto Import®Auto Import Setting

2.       Set the Watched folder on the desktop

3.       Set the destination folder to somewhere not on the desktop.

4.       File Naming set to Filename.

5.       Make sure the Enable Auto Import is checked

6.       OK

 

Go back to the remote shooting screen and press the Set-up menu then press the Live View/Movie func.set. button.

1.       Under LV func. Setting check Stills only

2.       Under Screen settings click Still display

3.       OK

 

Now click Live View shoot button

1.       Set the white balance to Auto (give a better preview image and does a decent job with the capture)

2.       Play with the focus setting and see what works.

3.       Take a picture with the remote button and make sure the flash is firing.

 

 

We also talked about using the PocketWizard Multi Max on SpeedCycler.

 

1.       Press the Menu button.

2.       Press A for Advanced Menu

3.       Press D for SpeedCycler

4.       Set the channel (Let’s say 17) and have A and B activated by pressing the letter to high light it.

5.       Now set the internal pocket wizards on the 1200R packs by turning on off and then set the MultiMax to 17A only and hold down the test button while someone turns on the 1^st 1200R pack and the pack fires.  This could take a few seconds.  Now turn off that pack.  Change the MultiMax to read 17B, hold down the test button while someone turns on the 2^nd 1200R pack and the pack fires.  Turn on the 1^st pack.  Now set the Multimax so that it is set on SpeedCycler on channel 17 and both A and B are highlighted.  Each time you press the test button one strobe will fire at a time and in sequence. ABABAB etc.

6.       If you are using the 2400 packs, use the PocketWizard III and set one to 17A and the other to 17B.

Used AutoAlign to re align layers

 One light from under light table

Used MultiMax to capture images.

Production Stills by Roy Rochlin.

 

Assignment 12 Still Life

Photograph a Shiny Metal object and define its shape and characteristics by use of it reflective
qualities.

Photograph a glass object and define its shape and characteristics by using its transparency.

Post a photograph that you like the lighting and that you wish to emulate. Sketch out how you think it was lit. You can use this file to make your sketch:
http://www.diyphotography.net/lighting-diagrams

Lesson 11 Night Photography

Assignment 11 Night Photography

Go outside between dusk and dawn using whatever existing light is available recognizing its color and mood, make a photograph that is surprising by what it reveals.

Lesson 10 Light Painting

 

Light Painting with flash

Light painting with continuous light.

Production stills by Benz Siripatrachai

Light Painting

A history of light painting can be seen here:

http://lightpaintingphotography.com/light-painting-history/

Much of this work is done with the light source pointed at the camera and recording the light source as it travels.  I want to concentrate on another aspect of light painting and that is lighting a subject with the use of a continuous light source such as a flashlight or even a cell phone.   Along with this idea of light painting is the idea of using multiple pops of a flash that is moved to different positions throughout the exposure.  Since digital photograph has made it easy to combine images with the use of layers, it is now practical to make a series of captures with the flash in different positions and combine them in layers.  The easiest way is to use Lightroom, selecting the images you want to use in Library Grid Mode, right click and choose Edit In…  Open as layers in Photoshop.  Now each layer can be controlled separately with the use of  masking and any of the adjustment tools.

To make an image using a continuous light you will need to keep the camera on a tripod and the shutter open.  This discussion is for the Canon 5DMII.  Set the exposure for a length of time that will allow you to paint the light on the subject and the background (30 seconds is the maximum time allowable).  The room has to be dark enough that it doesn't pick up any stray light during the long exposure. The f stop and ISO are determined by trial and error. With practice a rhythm will develop and improve your painting skills.

You can also use the Bulb setting but the shutter has to remain depressed during the entire exposure.  You can use the Canon Remote Switch RS-80N3 to release the shutter and keep it open by exposing the red dot on the release handle.  Slide the mechanism to close the shutter.

To make an image using a multiple flash image you are going to actually make multiple captures with each exposure having the flash in a new position.  With the camera on a tripod and the flash in one hand you setup the remote exposure as outlined below.  A special cable is needed which is outlined below. 

Remote Camera Setup    

We learned how to remotely trigger the 5D MII by using a special cable called the Canon N3 to mini phone by connecting the N3 side to the Canon's remote control terminal and the mini side to the Pocket Wizard II's camera port. By setting another Pocket Wizard Plus II to the same channel as the one attached to the camera, the camera shutter can be released by the remote Pocket Wizard Plus II when you press the test button remotely.   We need a third Pocket Wizard Plus II to be attached to a Canon 580EXII (this is the only Canon flash with a pc connection) using a pc to mini cable. The pc end is inserted into the flash's pc terminal and the mini end is plugged into the 3rd Pocket Wizard Plus II's flash terminal. The 3rd Wizard has to be set on a channel that is one number higher than the other two Wizards. The 580EXII is set on External Manual Metering by using the custom function 5 option 3 as described below.  Now we have the 580EXII and 3rd Pocket Wizard Plus II in one hand and the remote camera firing Pocket Wizard Plus II in the other. As we point the flash where we intend the light to land, we push the test button on the 1st Wizard and it trips the shutter and then automatically uses the pocket wizard mounded in the camera's hot shoe to sync with the flash and 3^rd PocketWizard that is set on the next higher numbered channel. The subject needs to remain perfectly still and then as many captures from as many positions can be captured.

To use the flash on Manual External Metering you will need to set the custom function on the flash. There is a external reflected light sensor on the front of the 50EXII that will read the light where the flash is pointed.  Press and hold the light symbol/C.Fn buttom for 2 seconds.  Use the scroll wheel to find the #5 custom function and press the Sel/Set button and scroll down to #3 and press Sel/Set button again.

 

To set the ISO and f stop:  Tap the SEL/SET button so that the ISO is blinking.  Use the wheel to select your ISO then tap the SEL/SET button again to set it.  Next tap the SEL/SET button twice so that the f stop is blinking.  Use the wheel to select your f stop and tap the SEL/SET button again to set the f stop.

Aaron Jones 1980’s light painting.

http://vimeo.com/50172307

Have fun!!

 



Assignment 10 Light Painting

1. Make a photograph using flash as a painting tool.

2. Make a photograph using a continuous light source as a
painting too.

Plan what you want to achieve with light painting. The
lighting scheme should be hard to achieve conventionally.

Lesson 9 Dedicated Flash Canon System

Using various light modifiers with Canon 580EXII

Production Stills by Jean Bettinger

Assignment 9 Dedicated Flash Canon System

Use direct flash on camera Priority setting
Use direct flash off camera Priority setting
Use flash fill Aperture Priority
Use flash with modifier (Bounce card, bank or ceiling) Priority setting.

Layout your best result from each of the 4 techniques, write down your camera settings for each photograph and post as a single entry.

Read the two pages from the Canon 580EXII manual to help understand what the settings mean