They are Matthews Baby Jr. triple Riser Stands with Wheels, and they are available at Adorama. Look in the Description (right below the video) for a direct link.
I used 1° and incident meters for years but when I changed to digital with instant playback, histogram and highlight clipping warning in 2000 I realized it was much faster and more accurate to just drape white and black wash cloths over my gray card on a light stand to create a 3D exposure target and WB reference. 1) Start by selecting aperture desired for DOF 2) Using Fill centered over camera raise its power until detail is seen in the black towel in the playback and the histogram spike it creates just kissed the left side of the graph. Starting with just the fill allows seeing where it is creating shadows and the goal should be to keep it shadowless as possible because anywhere there is a shadow cast by the fill there will be a dark distracting noise filled void. Centering fill over the lens on the lens axis minimizes the shadows cast by the fill the camera will see and also causes the fill to fall off front to back relative to the camera. 3) If using back rim light turn it on next, raising power until the placed on the white towel it hits are just below triggering the overexposure warning. 4) Turn on the frontal key light, raising its power until the highlights it creates over the foundational centered fill are slightly darker than the non-clipping highlights created by the rim light. If not using back rim lighting then adjust until just below triggering the clipping warning. What this four step procedure (three if not using back rim light) does is adjust scene range at target / subject distance to EXACTLY fit the dynamic range of the sensor of whatever camera you are using. The most important step technically is raising the centered fill based in detail in the black towel which ensures shadow detail above noise threshold in the deepest shadows. Starting with more fill than that can be used for lighter shadows and a “softer” look. Starting with less fill will result in loss of detail and noise in the shadows. It is always better to err on the side of overfilling the shadows so they are free of noise and then adjusting them darker in post processing via a global levels adjustment with the left hand slider and/or selective burning-in. Even if you meter the use of the draped white and black towels are a very helpful way to confirm lighting visually. That’s how I started doing, soon concluding I could skip the metering and just use the towels which allow setting the lights without needed the subject standing there (impatiently) while you fiddle with the lights. When doing studio light portraits I’d always set the lights for centered ‘Butterfly’ pattern and photograph the subject full face. The symmetrical lighting and full face view will reveal if the subject’s face is symmetrical or not and allow a great deal of freedom of movement which helps them relax, especially when shooting kids. If a face isn’t symmetrical the combination oblique facial angle of 45° from the nose / 90° to camera key lighting which creates a “mask” of highlights on the front of the face and puts the side facing the camera in shadow can make it appear more symmetrical. If changing to that lighting configuration I will have the subject take a break in the next room, reset the lighting with the towel target on stand then call them back under the lights. When shooting with speed lights I mount the fill on Strobroframe camera-flip bracket which keeps it above the lens in both landscape and portrait mode using DIY “Scoop” style diffusers with identical flash and diffuser on a rolling stand - a modified IV pole photo.nova.org/DIY01 a flash technique I learned back in the early 1970s apprenticing and assisting top wedding photographer / teacher Monte Zucker.
So is the ratios of the various light all bases on the exposure of the key? So the key would be 0 and the other lights would descend down the key? Correct?
The triangle ISO-Shutter Speed - f Stop is obvious to anyone using a DSLR. But what is the way to use the other data shown on the lightmeter display : the EV ? How to read the numbers negative or positive ? Thank you for enlightening us !
Mark I am having trouble setting my key light to f11 fro a good starting point, I have lots of lights, I thought my neater lights as not right, so I order a (2) one same problem, help? Ps live your style of teaching
Mark, first of all, thanks for the great videos--I'm a fan. Quick questions: Are you just using those PocketWizards (I'm guessing they're Plus III models?) to trigger the lights with the Sekonic? Or are you also using it on your camera to trigger for shooting? If the latter, is there a reason you'd do that, versus the Profoto Air Remote transceiver?
I just use my old Minolta Flash 5 meter and just turn off the heads I do not want to fire and get a reading and my ratios. I can do this very fast. My old way seems faster than your new meter system. To bad they do not make Minolta Flash meters anymore. Mine has lasted me many years.
Agreed Eduardo, why they did not take photos is a mystery. Ok you have adjusted to a -1.3 ratio... Visual follow up is crucial, we have gotta see what that looks before and after. Plus, and this is a big stick up my bum, kill the open - anything longer than 2 seconds is way too long for TH-cam.
So it measured f/16... I'm not sure that I would use my lens at f/16, but alright, I can live with it. The thing is, how do you know from the light meter which shutter speed must be used? Surely, the aperture is not all there is to it.
shutter speed is factory set Nikon typical is best at 250 given you don't want any ambient light. But yes what your meter tells you at the key light reading, thats your setting so for this it would F16@250 Mark shoots at the lowest possible ISO setting when shooting in a studio and when using strobes. Most of this wasn't said as the point was really just to show how to get the reading between lights not all the other stuff...if that helps?
Always measure your ambient then set flash to fill or if your flash is that powerful to over power ambient light,your ambient is the main light unless you want to over power it
Doubt it.. :/ You really need to have a light reader in order to know how much light is hitting where.. You can get the new Sekonic L-478D for ~$289 on Amazon though.. Still very expensive but if you're planning on making a living off of photo totally worth it..
If you're not using any ambient light, the ISO and aperture are in fact the only things that matter for exposure. The flash duration is much shorter (1/10,000 second on some) than the shutter sync speed.
hahaha everything looks complicated until you learn it.. Remember the first time you got you hands on a dslr how complicated it looked? Now its a piece of cake!
i understand lighting ratios, and i get the convenience of pushing 4 or 5 buttons and turning a knob to 'get it right' but the title should still be "metering for light ratios using the SKL358"
Tbh I don't think this lesson really got to the point it was supposed to. It didn't show how different light ratios looked or anything, just how to use a lightmeter
Two lights at 45º. The erroneus McAndless way of lighting aplied to photography. Simetric shades, simetric highlights, dark band in the middle of the figure... The worst way to learn to light.
They are Matthews Baby Jr. triple Riser Stands with Wheels, and they are available at Adorama. Look in the Description (right below the video) for a direct link.
Brilliant Mark as always. I always learn something new from your videos. Thanks.
Ok Adorama, you have finally brought Mark back on a regular schedule. I'll start spending money with you again.
As always as , I have taught my items from you my dear Mark.
Thank you
Really looking forward to the light ratios series.
I used 1° and incident meters for years but when I changed to digital with instant playback, histogram and highlight clipping warning in 2000 I realized it was much faster and more accurate to just drape white and black wash cloths over my gray card on a light stand to create a 3D exposure target and WB reference.
1) Start by selecting aperture desired for DOF
2) Using Fill centered over camera raise its power until detail is seen in the black towel in the playback and the histogram spike it creates just kissed the left side of the graph. Starting with just the fill allows seeing where it is creating shadows and the goal should be to keep it shadowless as possible because anywhere there is a shadow cast by the fill there will be a dark distracting noise filled void. Centering fill over the lens on the lens axis minimizes the shadows cast by the fill the camera will see and also causes the fill to fall off front to back relative to the camera.
3) If using back rim light turn it on next, raising power until the placed on the white towel it hits are just below triggering the overexposure warning.
4) Turn on the frontal key light, raising its power until the highlights it creates over the foundational centered fill are slightly darker than the non-clipping highlights created by the rim light. If not using back rim lighting then adjust until just below triggering the clipping warning.
What this four step procedure (three if not using back rim light) does is adjust scene range at target / subject distance to EXACTLY fit the dynamic range of the sensor of whatever camera you are using. The most important step technically is raising the centered fill based in detail in the black towel which ensures shadow detail above noise threshold in the deepest shadows. Starting with more fill than that can be used for lighter shadows and a “softer” look. Starting with less fill will result in loss of detail and noise in the shadows. It is always better to err on the side of overfilling the shadows so they are free of noise and then adjusting them darker in post processing via a global levels adjustment with the left hand slider and/or selective burning-in.
Even if you meter the use of the draped white and black towels are a very helpful way to confirm lighting visually. That’s how I started doing, soon concluding I could skip the metering and just use the towels which allow setting the lights without needed the subject standing there (impatiently) while you fiddle with the lights.
When doing studio light portraits I’d always set the lights for centered ‘Butterfly’ pattern and photograph the subject full face. The symmetrical lighting and full face view will reveal if the subject’s face is symmetrical or not and allow a great deal of freedom of movement which helps them relax, especially when shooting kids.
If a face isn’t symmetrical the combination oblique facial angle of 45° from the nose / 90° to camera key lighting which creates a “mask” of highlights on the front of the face and puts the side facing the camera in shadow can make it appear more symmetrical. If changing to that lighting configuration I will have the subject take a break in the next room, reset the lighting with the towel target on stand then call them back under the lights.
When shooting with speed lights I mount the fill on Strobroframe camera-flip bracket which keeps it above the lens in both landscape and portrait mode using DIY “Scoop” style diffusers with identical flash and diffuser on a rolling stand - a modified IV pole photo.nova.org/DIY01 a flash technique I learned back in the early 1970s apprenticing and assisting top wedding photographer / teacher Monte Zucker.
Thank you thank you thank you . Brilliant
So is the ratios of the various light all bases on the exposure of the key? So the key would be 0 and the other lights would descend down the key? Correct?
How fortunate that this video isn't about lighting methods. However, I did learn something new about my light meter.
The triangle ISO-Shutter Speed - f Stop is obvious to anyone using a DSLR. But what is the way to use the other data shown on the lightmeter display : the EV ?
How to read the numbers negative or positive ? Thank you for enlightening us !
Mark I am having trouble setting my key light to f11 fro a good starting point, I have lots of lights, I thought my neater lights as not right, so I order a (2) one same problem, help? Ps live your style of teaching
Mark, first of all, thanks for the great videos--I'm a fan. Quick questions: Are you just using those PocketWizards (I'm guessing they're Plus III models?) to trigger the lights with the Sekonic? Or are you also using it on your camera to trigger for shooting? If the latter, is there a reason you'd do that, versus the Profoto Air Remote transceiver?
Thanks Mark. I take it the light meter worked with Profoto Air remote?
Love,Sharon. She actually seems like she likes to model. I'd hire her.
I have a L-308s, which works fine with my speedlights but is 2 to 3 stops under with my studio lights, any ideas?
Hi,
How can i get those tripods you used in holding your lighting in this video? can i get them on your Adorama ebay?
Thanks
Is the video covering creating light ratios online yet?
You're yhe best Mr Wallace!!!
I just use my old Minolta Flash 5 meter and just turn off the heads I do not want to fire and get a reading and my ratios. I can do this very fast. My old way seems faster than your new meter system. To bad they do not make Minolta Flash meters anymore. Mine has lasted me many years.
Still have my minolta flash meter 4
In a studio environment, the shutter speed is usually set to 1/160 for Canon and 1/200 for Nikon.
then how do you apply these readings to the floor light pack
well it's the Profoto D1 ? with a sekonic ?
i have the L-758DR DigitalMaster can i trigger my Profoto d1 with it ?
Agreed Eduardo, why they did not take photos is a mystery.
Ok you have adjusted to a -1.3 ratio... Visual follow up is crucial, we have gotta see what that looks before and after.
Plus, and this is a big stick up my bum, kill the open - anything longer than 2 seconds is way too long for TH-cam.
CruellaDeMille The goal is the ratio not the pictures ..
Did he say he had the optional radio trigger attached to the back?
So it measured f/16... I'm not sure that I would use my lens at f/16, but alright, I can live with it. The thing is, how do you know from the light meter which shutter speed must be used? Surely, the aperture is not all there is to it.
Mark good job, and I like your English, is it standard English?
he uses USA type of English. every area in the world that talks english do it with some discrepancies. hope that helps, good sir..
When it say f16 and you want to take a picture, do you put your f stop at f16? What about the ISO and Shutter speed?
shutter speed is factory set Nikon typical is best at 250 given you don't want any ambient light. But yes what your meter tells you at the key light reading, thats your setting so for this it would F16@250 Mark shoots at the lowest possible ISO setting when shooting in a studio and when using strobes. Most of this wasn't said as the point was really just to show how to get the reading between lights not all the other stuff...if that helps?
Always measure your ambient then set flash to fill or if your flash is that powerful to over power ambient light,your ambient is the main light unless you want to over power it
Mark!!
Can you do this on a Sekonic L-478DR-U.
Ive subscribed your channel. Your videos are great. How about making a
video for calibrating Sekonic Light meter, example L308. Thanks a lot.
Video for sekonic light meter 718 gigi
Is there a video for light ratios for people that can't afford a light meter like that?
Doubt it.. :/ You really need to have a light reader in order to know how much light is hitting where.. You can get the new Sekonic L-478D for ~$289 on Amazon though.. Still very expensive but if you're planning on making a living off of photo totally worth it..
You can use your camera and a grey card and set ratios that way.
Hello How do you trigger the flashes?
remote
SO.... You always get the light ratio from your KEY light? Correct?
In previous episodes, he's mentioned that he likes Sekonic Meters that have Pocket Wizards built in.
What did Sharon do?
you good sir have a valid point.
Thank you
"Well Sharon, that was a lot of fun." - Really?
If you're not using any ambient light, the ISO and aperture are in fact the only things that matter for exposure. The flash duration is much shorter (1/10,000 second on some) than the shutter sync speed.
nice ad bro. but the L358 still looks complicated to use.
hahaha everything looks complicated until you learn it.. Remember the first time you got you hands on a dslr how complicated it looked? Now its a piece of cake!
i understand lighting ratios, and i get the convenience of pushing 4 or 5 buttons and turning a knob to 'get it right' but the title should still be "metering for light ratios using the SKL358"
also, no disrespect Adorama; your vids are helpful. I'll check out the Adorama Learning Center :P
the prettiest girl in mark's models lineup - Oh Sharon.
it showed 200 - i.e 1/200 sec
Big burritos
me too. adorama is probably not paying him enough.
Since you cannot adjust the sun..measure it first and adjust your flash to do whatever job it needs to do..fill or key.
Alright If you have this meter, mine is not as advanced.
I thought I was watching Chris Elliott there for a second.
Dude I did not get that at all. You need to take a camera lights and light meter and let us know what everything is doing.
That light meter isn't exactly intuitive.
He didn't say but that is how he's triggering the lights.
Tbh I don't think this lesson really got to the point it was supposed to. It didn't show how different light ratios looked or anything, just how to use a lightmeter
Two lights at 45º. The erroneus McAndless way of lighting aplied to photography. Simetric shades, simetric highlights, dark band in the middle of the figure... The worst way to learn to light.
That's why he began by telling us that the lighting set-up was for demonstration of lighting ratios ONLY !!!
Now he made me NOT wanting to buy that light meter :D
why, good sir
Guna
what in the HELL did he say?
He said to press the button...BOOM, there you go!
Always meter for the key light for your main exposure. Otherwise you'll average your exposure and then your ratio is messed up!
Too long trousers, mr. Wallace! ;)
Too many words, this could be half as long.
she's hot!
omg sharon is hot!