Okay, I’ll admit I like new photo gear, but getting the new Elinchrom Ranger Quadra delivered to me in Wyoming while teaching a photo workshop was better than my first bike at Christmas! Yep, this lighting system is going to change the way you use flash. I’ve longed for more power and faster recycle time than I get from smaller flashes, but pack and head systems are just too big to carry when traveling or hiking to remote locations. The Quadra changes all that. Weighing just over 6.6 pounds, I can easily carry the quadra and heads in my photo backpack with room to spare. The Quadra packs 400 watts of power, recycles in 1/2 second at full power, has a built in Skyport receiver for wireless firing and flash output control, shoots 150 flashes at full power, and recharges to full power in 1 1/2 hours…WOW!
I had a chance to try the Quadra in Wyoming . Using the A head (A is for action) with the standard reflector, I dialed up the power to 400 watts and had my assistant aim the flash at the fly fisherman (woman!) from about 12 feet away. No problem getting F14 amount of light at ISO 100. The A head has a flash duration of 1/3000 (1/6000 in the B port), which is going to be great photographing fast moving sports. And if you are not shooting at full power, the Quadra can deliver thousands of flashes before needing to be recharged. For this fishing image we had to hike across boulders to get in the right location. My assistant had no problem scrambling around with the Quadra hanging on her shoulder and getting the head aimed at the fisherman. I broke out in a sweat imagining her falling into the river with my new pack…I’m pretty sure I would have fainted!
Two other things that are really exciting about the Quadra heads…with an adapter they can be used with almost all the beautiful Elinchrom lightboxes and Octabanks. And they use a LED light for a modeling light which works great for a video light. How excited am I about this new light? I leave for Mongolia tomorrow with the Quadra in my backpack and an Octabank in my suitcase…stay tuned, in two weeks when I return I will post more on this amazing new lighting system! Tech: Nikon D3, 24-70mm, ISO 100, 1/6 at F14; Ranger Quadra with A head and standard reflector, 400 watts, output and firing controlled using a Skyport transmitter from the camera.
One sure sign that summer has arrived in Colorado are convertibles driving down the street with radios playing loud. This concept inspired me to create a dreamy summer shot. Photographing people in mirrors is a tried and true concept, so I thought I would spice things up some with interesting light. Katrina is a friend, and happens to drive a black convertible Saab…perfect. The first challenge with this image was shading her from the sun. This was done fixing a California Sunbounce Sun Swatter above her out of view from camera. I use the sun swatter frequently, it has a soft white material that diffuses the light well. Next was lighting Katrina’s eyes. I first started with a SB900 shooting through a Lumiquest Softbox III, but this tended to add light in places I didn’t want (see set up shot). So I switched to a Lumiquest snoot, which just hit her eyes with little spill elsewhere. Next, I added SB900s from left and right , both positioned slightly behind her. These flashes added accent light to her hair and chair. The accent lights added flare to the image, so I added Honl TTL gobos to control flare. Tech: D3, 24-70mm lens, ISO 400, 1/250 at F11.
A question that comes up on workshops is can you use a lensbaby with flash. The short answer is “Yes”. I really like the lensbaby, love that mysterious feel you get from the selective focus. I use the latest version, the Composer. This version has multiple lenses you can use to give different effects, as well as a wide angle and macro adapter. I like the double glass optic the most. The same principles apply using flash with the lensbaby as with a normal lens. For this image of Christina, I used the double glass optic with the F4 aperture ring. I placed a single SB900 on a stand to her left, adding a Honl 8 inch snoot, and shot away. Tech Data: D3, lensbaby composer with f4 aperture ring, 1/80 sec, ISO 100, SB900 with Honl snoot attached.
Most of my shooting occurs on the road, sometimes in very exotic locations with stunning backgrounds, other times in dreary hotel rooms that can’t get any uglier! So you learn tricks to come away with a decent image, even in uninspiring locations. Show your client some photo magic, and you will be hired again. I always have at least two SB 900s in my bag, and with two lights you can create some nice portraits. One light will be the main light on your subject, the other light will be aimed at your background. If you just shoot your background flash directly at the wall, you will get an oval shape outline from the light, the size being determined how zoomed out the flash is. But if you want to make things interesting, try shooting the background flash through an object. Plants, baskets, glasses all can create interesting patterns on the background. But since the hotel staff sometimes isn’t thrilled to see me sneaking down the hall with a plant from the lobby, I have found a better solution; tin foil. Simply take a standard piece of tin foil, maybe 5 x5 inches square, and cut a pattern into it. Basically you are creating your own cookie, something flash projects through and creates a pattern on the background. I use black wrap foil, a little sturdier and doesn’t reflect the light, but standard tin foil works too. My favorite pattern is a piece with a bunch of random pencil holes into it. If I add a blue gel to my flash, and shoot through this foil aimed at a white background, I get a great background for a portrait. Take a look at the images below. The first shot is just a plain background with the flash shot at it…nothing much, just a blue background. The second image is the same background, but this time the flash is shot through the foil with pencil holes, looks great. To vary the effect, try moving your flash different distances from the foil. Once you have your background down, then all you need is a subject. Annelise is a local model, and she always shines in front of the lens. Tech data: Nikon D3, 70-200mm 2.8 lens, f 5.6 at 1/250 sec. Main light SB 900 shot through a Lastolite Ezybox positioned above and in front of the model. Background light SB 900 shot a blue seamless background, zoomed to 120mm. Flashed triggered by an SU800.
