The Hot Shoe Diaries Workshop @ my shot

Have a chance to work with model and all the lighting equipments at Joe's workshop. And I gonna tell you, it was fun but stress, yupe had to admit this is the first time I am felling that nervous taking a picture. Although you know all the technical part to use a flash, when you are thrown at a location with a bunch of equipments, there are a lot of decision to do. Where to shot? What is the strategy? One light? Two light? Softbox? Umbrella? And I began to sweat, down at the basement car park at Shangri La Hotel. Not because of the heat, but because my mind was blank. Thankfully, there are group members who are willing to help me out, setting up the light, holding the panel, and gave me advice on the camera setting.

So, here are my 3 shots of that day. All are straight out of camera without any post processing.

Before that, a big hand to Ong Tou! Who work very hard posing in front of my camera.

First shot. Tried to blend the flash with ambient light. One light on the camera left in an EzyBox softbox set at TTL with aperture priority setting on the camera.

Second, I turned the camera to manual, and set the shutter speed at 1/250 to kill the ambient light. The same softboxed speed light is on the camera left, but I add another light behind the model point it up to the ceiling to create back-light to separate the model from the background. And then I have a Gold TriGrip Reflector set at camera right to reflect some light from the softbox. Still find that the left hand side of the model face is a little too dark. Should have hold the reflector higher or bring in another light on the camera right.

Third shot was not set up by me, I just jump into a scene that already set up by another participant. This is also a 2 lights scenario. Again, the same softboxed spped light is now set at camera right, pointed at a height approximately where the model will stop in the air. Another one is gelled with blue, manual setting at full power pointing at the ceiling, one feet away at the end of the corridor. Camera's white balance is set to tungsten.

I was running out of time and this is the best jump I can catch. Lighting is perfect, but I failed at catching the right moment. :(

A little bit disappointed with my own performance that day. Looking at the photos taking by other participants, mine was like....

Anyway, glad that I'm taking the first step, and it was a great experience for me. Like what Joe had signed on my book - "Keep Shooting" , and I will get better and better. :) Again, more thanks.