Club Photography

I gave club photography a try at Leather & Lace at the Inferno which always has interesting and great attire. I wanted to try out my new Cybersync Mod made for the style I was going after. I wanted the cool background ambient of club lights, lasers, etc. I felt if you use on-camera flash, the light is projected out like a headlight and either washes out or kills off too much of the ambient. So I used an off-camera handheld hot-shoe flash with my mod mentioned in a previous post at 1/16th power. For a diffuser, I used the built-in bounce card as I didn't need to totally light my subjects. I decided the light high, camera left as I was shooting with my right, and aim it down like a spotlight allowing the background to show but it depended on what I was shooting. After some experimenting, from what I could see on my LCD, I liked the results best at 1/5 sec, 800 iso, with rear curtain sync. More pics.

New Years Fashion Extravaganza @High Noon Saloon

This was my 4th fashion runway shoot. All were under different conditions. Dark nightclub, expo hall, outdoors, etc. Shooting runway offers many challenges. Poor lighting, crowds (people wanting to take pics from where you are shooting), varying skin tones, weird angle of shooting and a very fast pace. Sometimes, more exhausting than wedding photography. You have one chance and only one chance to get each end of runway pose. There is no redo.
This particular show was an extremely low-level (ambient) lighting. Most fashion photographers I've talked don't like to use strobes for runway and I've wondered why. I mean you are there to capture the designers collections. Poor ambient lighting will not show off colors, details. I applied what I've learned from David Hobby's amazing Strobist site to my style for runway shooting. Each show needs a different style of lighting depending the venue, space, etc. This show was happening in between two bands to add to any set up problems.
I always show up early that day during runway coaching and get some BTS shots and scout out the place to see what I can do for lighting. This event was going to be a challenge. The elevated stage was 3 1/2 to 4 feet. That puts me at shin/knee height with the models who can be 7 feet tall in heels. I was skeptical about a ladder due to a crowd that is drinking. I decided to go with a milk crate or small step ladder to get some elevation. Now for the lighting challenge. The shooting angle was lower than I wanted so I definitely didn't want my light to shine upward giving the spooky campfire flashlight feel. I decided to try out my new Cybersync hand-held mod from the previous post. Shoot with my right and hold my flash off-camera statue of liberty style with the left to get some height. And to get some sort of diffused/softer light, I went with a DIY foamie thing like this. After some test shots the night of the event, I noticed a blending of subject to background due to the black curtains behind where the bands played. I decided to stick a second flash with a colored gel to provide some contrast. Wasn't the best placement but I literally had a minute or two to set it up after the drum set from the first band came down and the next set was put up for the band that was playing after the fashion show. Designs by Hoi Polloi, Silversark and Gypsy Couture. More pics.

DIY Ghetto Wizard Gut Hack

Ok. So I've been using poverty/Fleabay wizards ie. Chinese wireless flash triggers. I generally have not had many problems with them so haven't considered plopping down serious $$$ for the oh so coveted Pocket Wizards. I started strobing last year after coming across the all-mighty-himself, David Hobby, and his Strobist site. Changed my life. Anyways, as I was saying, generally did not have much problems then it all hit the fan and of course when... during a fashion shoot for a magazine. I have 4 lights, all triggered via poverty wizards so you can see why I was reluctant on plopping down for 5 pocket wizards at $188 a pop. I had to revert to backup plan and shoot corded and rely on slave modes. I decided it was time to upgrade. Research led me to Cybersyncs. Got em via UPS yesterday. Now comes the problem of how to hook all of these to hot-shoe flashes as the poverty wizzes have a built in hot-shoe. I am shooting 2 nightclub events, first time shooting in that kind of environment, and am following K10D: Bar/Nightclub photography tips. The poverty wizards are no longer a trusted option so going to use the Cybersyncs as I don't want to deal with cables around people who are dancing. So basically, one hand-held light off-camera and want to make a convenient wireless solution with my new trusty Cyaberyncs.

A: the not-so trusting "Poverty Wizards" Pt-04. They served me well in learning strobing but not reliable anymore for my needs.

B: One of my pt-04 receivers died after a year so I noticed it looked like the Cybersync could fit snugly into the body after removing the bottom portion with my dremel. I took the 1/4 to mini cord, (won't use) that came with the Cybersync, cut it and soldered red wire to the lead (center) of the hotshoe of the pt-04, white wire to the ground. Added a zip tie to prevent the wire from being pulled out and drilled a hole for the cable to peek through.
C: this is temporary use so just taped up the space that was left and around the unit at the bottom.
D: the completed unit :)