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Modifying umbrella shafts to be tougher - resin?
ThePrettyDamned
Frets: 7484
in Off Topic
One for @RaymondLin perhaps?
I have a few umbrellas and a couple of umbrella softboxes.
They are cheap. They all are really - I've been in store and until you get to mad expensive ProFoto kit, they're all built similarly ie hollow tubing. This means that mounting to a flash bracket dents them, and I'm concerned they'll split.
Okay, I get it, I could order a whole bunch from amazon for less than £100, but I'd rather be smarter and I don't like throwing away stuff that's otherwise alright. I came up with the idea of sawing or cutting off the very tip of the umbrellas that *don't* collapse and filling the void with epoxy resin or something similar. It would result in a much more resilient central rod without massively affecting the weight.
More expensive ones, such as parabolics, and studio quality ones, come with solid shafts but you really, REALLY pay for the privilege.
The main concern is for this one: http://amzn.to/2jUm41O - I have the smaller version too, which I use more, but mostly because the weight of the thing on the central rod doesn't seem a good idea. These don't collapse down, so they sit in their own carry case - not a crazy portable set up but still easy enough to carry with a backpack with flashes and camera.
Obviously, this won't work on double or triple fold umbrellas... But perhaps they'll just have to be replaced as and when. To be fair, being much lighter, they don't seem to be as vulnerable. My lastolite triple fold is going strong and is easily the most used...
Thoughts?
I have a few umbrellas and a couple of umbrella softboxes.
They are cheap. They all are really - I've been in store and until you get to mad expensive ProFoto kit, they're all built similarly ie hollow tubing. This means that mounting to a flash bracket dents them, and I'm concerned they'll split.
Okay, I get it, I could order a whole bunch from amazon for less than £100, but I'd rather be smarter and I don't like throwing away stuff that's otherwise alright. I came up with the idea of sawing or cutting off the very tip of the umbrellas that *don't* collapse and filling the void with epoxy resin or something similar. It would result in a much more resilient central rod without massively affecting the weight.
More expensive ones, such as parabolics, and studio quality ones, come with solid shafts but you really, REALLY pay for the privilege.
The main concern is for this one: http://amzn.to/2jUm41O - I have the smaller version too, which I use more, but mostly because the weight of the thing on the central rod doesn't seem a good idea. These don't collapse down, so they sit in their own carry case - not a crazy portable set up but still easy enough to carry with a backpack with flashes and camera.
Obviously, this won't work on double or triple fold umbrellas... But perhaps they'll just have to be replaced as and when. To be fair, being much lighter, they don't seem to be as vulnerable. My lastolite triple fold is going strong and is easily the most used...
Thoughts?
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To be fair I got some good(ish) stands with my Profoto D1s (not as good as the posh Profoto ones though)
I do have some not bad ones from Portaflash that I bought from Jessops years ago that I will be getting rid of but not sure how heavy the kit is you want to hang from them
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Make a set of jaws for your flash bracket, that fits the shaft exactly and distributes the load. That should prevent them crushing.
Otherwise, try and fill the hollow shafts with dowel or something...?
I understand, but the rest of these ones *are* quality - they're very robust (surprisingly so), and so easy to use (with some limitations, like how much you can angle them down). The diffusion material is a bit meh, but works perfectly well and truth be told I prefer the harder contrast to the shadows when the diffuser is removed - I used it for a shot of my girlfriend the other day and loved the more contrasty look.
Stands are easy for me - I'm using speedlights, so nearly any stand is good enough (I have an awful Konig one that's pants, but perfect for a gridded speedlight even outside - the others are much sturdier and ideal for umbrellas and these smaller octas) and I use quality brackets that are all metal, with the dodgiest quality bit being a Westcott Triple Threat (which is yet to be field tested - doing a shoot with a drummer this week so that'll be interesting to try).
The alternative to the cheaper umbrella boxes and speedlights is, realistically, a big light set up like Elinchrom, Profoto etc - and I don't earn enough to justify that cost (well, yet! I live in hope) and would mean much heftier everything. A cheap, simple work around for these would serve me well enough to start building some money, portfolio, reputation and jobs. Also, they're far less portable (even the portable kit - I've acted as lighting assistant to someone using a pair of profoto B1's and they're much more of a paint to carry around and set up on location, especially the boxes).
Frankly, I'm being a bit picky - I do great with a silver reflective, a white reflective and a white shoot through but these boxes really control spill in a cool way, like a big spot light. I can't image they'll be used extensively, but they certainly have their place.
lol
not ruling it out
If/when you're in the market for other lighting kit, check out Lencarta. They do decent quality gear at good prices. They get a lot of love on the talkphotography forum (and they're a notoriously finicky bunch over there)
That said, I bought a Profoto octobox with a ring mount before Christmas and it is wuakity piece of gear. Withstand being knocked over by the win and my flashes survived the fall.
Yeah, I have an idea that my next step up would probably be an Atom setup - I LOVE my speedlights and the portability and versatility so getting an extra 2 or 3 stops of power would be nice, but they are quite a bit more expensive. The modifiers look good - I'll have a gander again, see what they've got.
I already have a Lencarta power pack, though, which is good.
Awesome, I'll have a look! I'm actually thinking I could replicate the look of these boxes with something like a deep silver umbrella or parabolic, I think it's the depth and colour that is getting the 'soft but contrasty' spotlight look, whereas I'm used to using shoot through umbrellas as close as possible to soften everything up. It'll also make angling them much easier - these ones are not able to point down on a light stand as they're designed to work on a boom stand (which is a possibility, but not right now - I'd rather keep things simple).
My first experience with profoto was a deep white umbrella, brand new (as in, we took it out of the packaging) and upon erecting it, one of the spokes popped out... So we switched to a soft box. It was very well made but a pain in the arse to set up compared to the newer generation stuff.
The umbrella, we reckon, was freak accident as the kit itself was extraordinarily well put together. Not a nylon like material, but more of a solid plastic sheet. Proper thick spokes, too. I told the chap about my set up and he said he operated with speedlights for years - but since going big lights couldn't look back.
or leave it on and use it as a reflector.
https://www.calphoto.co.uk/product/Calumet-45-Soft-Bounce-Umbrella-With-Removable-Black-Cover/AU3045
But the soft box that I upgraded to is this..
https://www.calphoto.co.uk/product/Profoto-RFi-5-150cm-Octa-Softbox/339-335R
https://www.calphoto.co.uk/product/Profoto-RFi-Speedlight-Speedring/339-960R?tracking=|searchterm:PROFOTO|RFI%20SPEEDLIGHT%20%20%20%20%20128.33%20%20%20%20%20%20SPEEDRING
The result is single soft light source off camera with a bright background.
Really nice, is that with speedlights or a portable strobe? The light is SUPER soft, I don't tend to go that soft but if I wanted to I doubt I could without ganging lights up in a massive mod...
Beautiful model, too. I love the composition with the moon, too. Absolutely love it.
That's amazing. Expensive, but it's really great to see just how good speedlights can be, well used.
I did a quick mini shoot for my girlfriend for my portfolio and to present some ideas to a drummer who wants some promo shots and came up with two I love - one is a gridded speedlight and the other is a snooted back light and one of those Godox boxes (31.5") without the diffuser.
Gridded light only:
https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/317/32627489591_fe68401290_c.jpg
Backlight (deliberate lens flare - I accidentally caught one with a bit and liked it, so took the lens hood off and shot it again!) and godox box:
https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/415/32627488351_3dca51ce1b_c.jpg
So a very different kind of shoot, but I love lights - they're my favourite part of photography.
I learnt natural light on film and there was so little leeway. I was very disappointed... And then one day, I put an auto thyristor flash on the camera, bounced it off a wall and my world changed.
To be honest, nice one for learning. I have met a few "old hands" for experience and they staunchly say that flash is for amateur photos, looks unnatural etc. Yes, it can (and sometimes I'll make it less natural!) but that doesn't mean it's not a great photo. Also, using flash off camera as fill just makes natural light better if it needs it.
The biggest change to my flash use was when I accidentally left a full cto on my speedlight and shot a portrait... Of my tortoise! I was disappointed, but on colour correction natural light turned bluer and the sky positively glowed. It was dramatic, and a bit extreme, but all of a sudden white balance was something I could control, and I can split tone in camera. Love it.
1 - use it so it doesn't like you are using it
2 - embrace it and make it a voice
One needs to master both and use it for the art, as opposed just a technique. That's the tricky part and to be honest, I am still learning.
1 flash behind them on a stand to create a rim light.
1 flash held by bride's left arm pointing up.
One flash on stand shooting through bare on purpose for the starlight effect.
bare flash
This is the new stuff
btw, these are the umbrellas at work
Exactly! I found it eye opening to hear well established pros here saying flash always looks unnatural.
It takes practice - just go for it. I've been using off camera flash on film cameras for about 3 years. Mostly without modifiers - I find hard light most interesting, although I like umbrellas and stuff.
The main thing is my photos look different to other people's.