Samgold Photos

Showing posts with label omd. Show all posts

October 16, 2015

After purchasing the very inexpensive Coco Ring Flash and reviewing it for macro work, I hoped to write a follow-up post describing how effective it was for portraiture. This variation of ring flash is most similar to ExpoImaging's first iteration of it's Rayflash and was designed to be used attached to a speedlight "on camera". I tried explaining in my original review that it was incompatible with wider focal lengths because most lenses do not clear the front. Below are a few images of the ring flash attached to my OMD EM5 which show what I was trying to iterate.

The ring flash was designed for traditional DSLRs which are larger than most mirrorless systems out there and it may not be compatible with your camera (for example, it is not compatible with my Panasonic GX7). As for flashes, I have successfully used the unit with a Yongnuo YN560 II and Yongnuo YN 560 III, both on and off camera.

Despite these caveats, it has proven to be an effective light modifier in many different scenarios in and out of the studio, check out the examples below.

Back-lit Subject

Situations in which your subject is back lit can prove challenging especially if you are relying on your camera to meter the scene. One solution is to use spot metering to ensure your subject is exposed properly and deal with an overexposed background later. Another option is to switch to manual mode and expose for "the environment", which will likely result in your subject being underexposed. The solution is to then use artificial light to properly expose your subject. The maximum sync speed for flash photography is usually 1/250 so you will need to stop your lens down (f/2.8 - 4) to properly expose for the surroundings or use an ND filter and shoot wide open. In the examples below, I shot at the maximum sync speed and stopped down between f/2.8 and f/5.6.

Subject in the Shade

While reading through the Lighting 101 course provided by the amazing Strobist website I was particularly inspired by the section describing how to balance flash with ambient lighting. You should definitely check out the article but basically you underexpose your shot and use artificial lighting to properly expose your subject. In doing so, you add a bit of depth to your image. The article describes the use of an umbrella but I found the ring flash gives interesting results as well. The examples below were shot with the ring flash while the model was in the shade and were shot between f/4 and f/8.

As a Key Light in the Studio

Ring flashes are popular in fashion photography because the "head on" light eliminates the shadows usually seen when lights are above or on either side of the model. Attaching the ring flash to a speedlight that is off camera allows you to use it as a key light the same way an umbrella or softbox would be used and introduce shadows to your photos. I find that the ring flash is a great alternative to a more traditional light modifier because its output is "narrow" like that you see from a snoot. Taking the ring flash off camera also allows you to illuminate the subject head on but take the photo at a different angle (as shown in the second example below). In order to accomplish this you will need a wireless trigger (I use Yongnuo's YN 560 TX) or set your speedlight to slave mode and trigger it using your camera's built in flash (works well with my GX7 because I can point it towards the ceiling).

Conclusion

Speedlight with green gel camera left, ring flash camera right

Considering the $50 price tag and its versatility, it is very hard for me not to recommend this light modifier. The only real downside is its size compared to the EM5 and that theres no guarantee it will fit every camera. Another thing to note is that the light that the ring flash emits is a bit on the cool side (like silver umbrellas I have used) but its nothing that cannot be fixed in post.

Sam

If you live in, or are traveling to Florida and would like to schedule a photo-shoot, I am currently offering portrait services in and around Central Fl. Check out more of my work at www.samgoldphotography.com

April 19, 2015

I have never been a fan of adding grain to my imagery. I think my obsession with having optimal image quality steered me away from the idea. Recently however, my sister sent me an old photo of our family and seeing it inspired me to experiment with grain in Lightroom. The less than good image quality stemmed from the photo being taken with a disposable film camera at night using the flash which illuminated the people in the photo but not the dark space around us which ended up grainy.

I did not want to sound like an oaf on this subject and while researching the properties of film grain I found this article (a tough but fun read) which states:

The term “film grain” is often incorrectly used to describe the “fundamental” particles in a chemical-based photographic image. Fundamental image particles are the smallest particles that form an image: (a) silver particles or (b) color dye clouds ...

Film grain is a repeating noise pattern that is an order of magnitude larger than the fundamental image particles. Film resolution is directly related to the size and distribution of silver particles in an emulsion. The noise pattern tends to obscure detail rather than define detail. The pattern is superimposed over the image, not the source of the image.

A common mistake [made by the author many, many times], is to think that film grain is the image-forming element. Many Kodak and Fuji publications, including much of the popular photographic literature (magazines), commonly make the mistake of referring to fundamental film particles as film grain. This further propagates the imprecise usage of the term.

Although this information may seem archaic, the scientist in me found it to be very interesting because it helped me understand how I should better approach adding digital grain to an image.

I think the most important thing is that adding grain should be the very last thing you apply to a fully processed image. It helps to think of your edited RAW (or JPEG) file as the "fundamental image particles" (in the digital world it is actually the pixels making up the image) and the grain as a noise artefact being superimposed on top of it. The end result is that you obtain a digital image that has more of a film like rendering to it.

In Lightroom you are able to add grain in the "Effects" module and the adjustment sliders consist of "Amount", "Size", and "Rougness". When adding grain into the mix, I usually toggle between the "1:1" and "FIT" to look at the changes on a magnified and overall level. This ensures image quality does not deteriorate to the point where you lose fine detail. Size and roughness play a major role in this and amount impacts the overall effects of both. As with all my processing, I just adjust the sliders around until the end result is something I am looking for. In the week of playing around with this process I like Amount:50, Size:20, Roughness:20 for moderate grain and Amount:50, Size:20 Roughness:50 for a more distinct look. Some other things to note are that:

Grain is more noticeable in the darker areas of a photo, especially the mid-tones (or "clipped"/"faded" blacks).
Grain is also more evident in out of focus areas.
Increasing the grain deteriorates image quality especially in subjects with fine detail such as hair or eyelashes.
It helps to look at film images to help understand what looks natural.
When noise reduction is not set to 0, the effect of adding grain is diminished.
If the image was shot at a high ISO, you probably do not need to add additional grain.

Image Samples

Again, I have only been experimenting with this for a short period of time so the information I presented here should be taken with a grain of salt. Some may think it is silly to strive for a good digital camera with a nice sharp lens only to ruin the output with the addition of grain, but I have definitely had fun playing around with it. I am sure film photographers out there would say "just shoot film". For digital photographers who haven't used the medium however, working grain into your aesthetic can a step in the right direction. Anyone else out there add grain in their post processing workflow?? I'd love to hear your thoughts/tips in the comments section =) Sam

If you live in, or are traveling to Florida and would like to schedule a photo-shoot, I am currently offering portrait services in and around Central Fl. Check out more of my work at www.samgoldphotography.com

April 17, 2015

Orlando has held an annual comic/geek-culture convention called MegaCon since 1993 and it has grown to epic proportions in the last few years. I could not find any information for this year, but there was a record breaking 80,000 attendees in 2014. I had never been to one of these events but since a lot of people participate in cosplay I figured it would be a fun place to practice photography. I decided to dip my toes in (attending Saturday) and packed my bag full of (too much) photography gear. This included my EM5, three lenses (45mm f/1.8, 28mm f/2.8 + generic focal reducer, and 14mm f/2.5), two Yongnuo YN560-III speedlights, a YN560-TX flash trigger and a ringflash adapter. I wish I would have left the flash gear at home because there was plenty of available light and I felt it just got in the way sometimes. I set out to take as much cosplay portraits as I could but at the same time did not want to be that annoying photographer guy who was just there to take photos. Next year I am definitely buying a three day pass and participating in the cosplay. I think this will not only translate into more fun for me, but it will be a lot easier to approach people and ask for their photo. Nevertheless, I had a blast running around this year; not only did I meet a bunch of great cosplayers, I also found the event to be a great place for street photography. Below are some of my efforts, hope you enjoy! -Sam