DIY Westcott Apollo Offset Bracket (28" & 50")

I wanted to share this video from You Tube user snappuppy with a great option for your Westcott Apollo soft boxes. If you want to get some extra tilt from your Apollo then give this a try.

Take some time and also check out his You Tube channel here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/snappuppy

DIY Westcott Apollo Offset Bracket (28" & 50")

I wanted to share this video from You Tube user snappuppy with a great option for your Westcott Apollo soft boxes. If you want to get some extra tilt from your Apollo then give this a try.

Take some time and also check out his You Tube channel here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/snappuppy

Setting Up the Shot - Dominic

Camera - Nikon D300
Lens - Nikon 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5
Exposure - 1/320 @ f/14.2
Focal Length - 35mm

Lighting - Nikon SB900 and Nikon SB600.
Light Modifier(s) - 60" Westcott shoot through umbrella and a Sto-fen Omni-bounce.
Trigger - Nikon SU800


This shot was taken from a bunch of family shots that i took with my youngest daughters play group.

I set up a background in our dinning room, and then the parents and kids came in for photo's.

With this shot I used a Nikon sb900 and shot through a Westcott 60" shoot through umbrella as my key light. I then used a Nikon sb600 with an omni-bounce to blow out the background and to also give a bit of rim lighting to the side of his face. I need to try a few locations for the background light in order to get the right amount of rim lighting and background light.

This was the first time that I had met Dominic and his mother Aimee, and I think that he was not too sure what to make of me here.

Setting Up the Shot - Dominic

Camera - Nikon D300
Lens - Nikon 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5
Exposure - 1/320 @ f/14.2
Focal Length - 35mm

Lighting - Nikon SB900 and Nikon SB600.
Light Modifier(s) - 60" Westcott shoot through umbrella and a Sto-fen Omni-bounce.
Trigger - Nikon SU800


This shot was taken from a bunch of family shots that i took with my youngest daughters play group.

I set up a background in our dinning room, and then the parents and kids came in for photo's.

With this shot I used a Nikon sb900 and shot through a Westcott 60" shoot through umbrella as my key light. I then used a Nikon sb600 with an omni-bounce to blow out the background and to also give a bit of rim lighting to the side of his face. I need to try a few locations for the background light in order to get the right amount of rim lighting and background light.

This was the first time that I had met Dominic and his mother Aimee, and I think that he was not too sure what to make of me here.

Print of the week - Horns Across the Hawthorne

The selected print of the week is available for purchase in many different mediums over at www.redbubble.com. Click on the photo and check out your ordering options.

Print of the week - Horns Across the Hawthorne

The selected print of the week is available for purchase in many different mediums over at www.redbubble.com. Click on the photo and check out your ordering options.

Two points for Canon

There are a few things that I think Canon does better than Nikon, and they have nothing to do with image quality.

The first is that Canon uses a button combination to change focus modes where Nikon has this three way switch. I am constantly accidentally changing my focus mode with the Nikon switch. I think that Canon has the better idea on this one.

The second is their viewfinder extender, the: EP-EX15. Nikon has the DK-17M, but it is no where near the Canon equivalent. The canon extender sits about ½ an inch out from the camera body where the Nikon equivalent is about ¼ of an inch.

However I have a solution to this. I have modded the Canon EP-EX15 so that it fits onto my Nikon D300. The D300 comes with the DK-23 Rubber Eye cup. This eye cup is made up of three parts: There are two that make up the body of the eye cup and the third is the rubber around the body. You can separate the two parts of the body by removing a couple of small screws.

You then remove the camera side of the Canon EP-EX15 the same way by removing a couple of screws. Once you have the units pulled apart you can take the camera side of the DK-17M and it will fit into the eye side of the EP-EX15. These two parts fit into one another pretty well, but they will not screw together. So how would you fasten these two parts together? Simple: get the crazy glue.

As you place the pieces together you just glue them together from the bottom up and you should be fine.

Once everything is together and the glue has dried you can securely place your hybrid eye cup extender onto your Nikon body. With this easy little mod you can give yourself more room behind the camera and, for me at least, more comfort while shooting.

Just for the record I do prefer Nikon in just about every other instance.

Two points for Canon

There are a few things that I think Canon does better than Nikon, and they have nothing to do with image quality.

The first is that Canon uses a button combination to change focus modes where Nikon has this three way switch. I am constantly accidentally changing my focus mode with the Nikon switch. I think that Canon has the better idea on this one.

The second is their viewfinder extender, the: EP-EX15. Nikon has the DK-17M, but it is no where near the Canon equivalent. The canon extender sits about ½ an inch out from the camera body where the Nikon equivalent is about ¼ of an inch.

However I have a solution to this. I have modded the Canon EP-EX15 so that it fits onto my Nikon D300. The D300 comes with the DK-23 Rubber Eye cup. This eye cup is made up of three parts: There are two that make up the body of the eye cup and the third is the rubber around the body. You can separate the two parts of the body by removing a couple of small screws.

You then remove the camera side of the Canon EP-EX15 the same way by removing a couple of screws. Once you have the units pulled apart you can take the camera side of the DK-17M and it will fit into the eye side of the EP-EX15. These two parts fit into one another pretty well, but they will not screw together. So how would you fasten these two parts together? Simple: get the crazy glue.

As you place the pieces together you just glue them together from the bottom up and you should be fine.

Once everything is together and the glue has dried you can securely place your hybrid eye cup extender onto your Nikon body. With this easy little mod you can give yourself more room behind the camera and, for me at least, more comfort while shooting.

Just for the record I do prefer Nikon in just about every other instance.

Flash Facts - TTL & Manual Metering

For the most part there are two different main ways to meter your flash. TTL metering and manual metering.

TTL stands for 'through the lens'. This type of metering lets your camera make all of the decision for you. What happens is that your camera tells your flash to send out a burst of light. That light is then metered by the camera when it gets reflected back through the lens and into the camera. Once this happens the camera then decides how much power to set the flash to. Then the flash is fired again and the frame is exposed. All of this happens in a fraction of a second. With TTL you will be able to make your decisions about the shutter speed and aperture or you can set everything to auto.

With manual metering you make all of the choices. The easiest way to meter your flash power in manual mode is to use a flash meter. Walk up to your subject and place the meter where you want the brightest exposure at and test fire your flash. You then will get a aperture setting for that exposure. Dial in the settings and take a test shot. Once you have the correct settings dialed in you are good to go.

Both methods have their pluses and minuses. With manual metering you will get the most consistent results. At times the TTL method will vary from frame to frame. Both are good tools to have and I suggest that you become comfortable shooting either way.

If you are just getting your feet wet with off camera flash then I would suggest that you start out in manual metering. With manual metering there are very few surprises and exposure tends to stay put. You can then take what you have learned with manual metering and then give TTL a try and you should be able to predict what is going to happen. Sometime the misses can lead to some fun photography.

All in all don’t get bogged down with the technical side of metering. Give both a shot, make some mistakes and figure out what happened. Eventually you will figure out what works for you and when.

Flash Facts - TTL & Manual Metering

For the most part there are two different main ways to meter your flash. TTL metering and manual metering.

TTL stands for 'through the lens'. This type of metering lets your camera make all of the decision for you. What happens is that your camera tells your flash to send out a burst of light. That light is then metered by the camera when it gets reflected back through the lens and into the camera. Once this happens the camera then decides how much power to set the flash to. Then the flash is fired again and the frame is exposed. All of this happens in a fraction of a second. With TTL you will be able to make your decisions about the shutter speed and aperture or you can set everything to auto.

With manual metering you make all of the choices. The easiest way to meter your flash power in manual mode is to use a flash meter. Walk up to your subject and place the meter where you want the brightest exposure at and test fire your flash. You then will get a aperture setting for that exposure. Dial in the settings and take a test shot. Once you have the correct settings dialed in you are good to go.

Both methods have their pluses and minuses. With manual metering you will get the most consistent results. At times the TTL method will vary from frame to frame. Both are good tools to have and I suggest that you become comfortable shooting either way.

If you are just getting your feet wet with off camera flash then I would suggest that you start out in manual metering. With manual metering there are very few surprises and exposure tends to stay put. You can then take what you have learned with manual metering and then give TTL a try and you should be able to predict what is going to happen. Sometime the misses can lead to some fun photography.

All in all don’t get bogged down with the technical side of metering. Give both a shot, make some mistakes and figure out what happened. Eventually you will figure out what works for you and when.

Setting Up the Shot - Trailing Shadow

Camera - Nikon D300
Lens - Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8
Exposure - 1/200 @ f/13
Focal Length - 32mm

Lighting - Nikon SB900
Light Modifier(s) - 60" Westcott bounce umbrella closed over flash
Trigger - Cactus V4

This was shot in studio with the model just about leaning up against a grey wall. I took my 60" Westcott bounce umbrella and closed it around the strobe that was in it. When you do this the light becomes far more focused wile still retaining some softness.

By having the model so close to the wall I could get a nice and strong shadow from the light source. By moving the light from side to side I could elongate or shorten the shadow to my taste.

I was able to get the grey to go more toward blue by adjusting the white balance.

Setting Up the Shot - Trailing Shadow

Camera - Nikon D300
Lens - Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8
Exposure - 1/200 @ f/13
Focal Length - 32mm

Lighting - Nikon SB900
Light Modifier(s) - 60" Westcott bounce umbrella closed over flash
Trigger - Cactus V4

This was shot in studio with the model just about leaning up against a grey wall. I took my 60" Westcott bounce umbrella and closed it around the strobe that was in it. When you do this the light becomes far more focused wile still retaining some softness.

By having the model so close to the wall I could get a nice and strong shadow from the light source. By moving the light from side to side I could elongate or shorten the shadow to my taste.

I was able to get the grey to go more toward blue by adjusting the white balance.

Print of the week - Crater Lake

The selected print of the week is available for purchase in many different mediums over at www.redbubble.com. Click on the photo and check out your ordering options.

Print of the week - Crater Lake

The selected print of the week is available for purchase in many different mediums over at www.redbubble.com. Click on the photo and check out your ordering options.

Setting Up the Shot - See No Scarlett

Here is an example of what you can do with a very basic bounce flash. I placed a reflector over Scarlett's head and fired my SB900 at it.

I was able to let more shadows in around Scarlett by using a fast shutter speed of 1/3200.

In order to get that shutter speed I used a Nikon SU800 as the flash commander which allows you to get as fast as 1/8000 of a second with CLS capable flash units.

See no Scarlett


Camera - Nikon D300
Lens - Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8
Exposure - 1/3200 @ f/2.8
Focal Length - 70mm

Lighting - Nikon SB900
Light Modifier(s) - White reflector and bounce card
Trigger - Nikon Nikon SU800

Setting Up the Shot - See No Scarlett

Here is an example of what you can do with a very basic bounce flash. I placed a reflector over Scarlett's head and fired my SB900 at it.

I was able to let more shadows in around Scarlett by using a fast shutter speed of 1/3200.

In order to get that shutter speed I used a Nikon SU800 as the flash commander which allows you to get as fast as 1/8000 of a second with CLS capable flash units.

See no Scarlett


Camera - Nikon D300
Lens - Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8
Exposure - 1/3200 @ f/2.8
Focal Length - 70mm

Lighting - Nikon SB900
Light Modifier(s) - White reflector and bounce card
Trigger - Nikon Nikon SU800

Mixing it up with Manual focus.

Every now and again I love to bust out my old M42 lenses and throw them on my Nikon. These old lenses have great image quality, are sharp as hell, and are loaded with personality. Beyond their attributes they tend to be very inexpensive as well


To get these lenses to work with any DSLR camera all you need is an adapter ring. I got mine for about twenty dollars on eBay. There are a few different versions of the M42 lens adapters. The one that I picked up is the most simple version. It is one machined piece of metal with a Nikon F mount on one side and then a threaded 42mm female thread in the front center of the adapter ring.



There is only one issue with this set up and that is some of the lenses cannot focus as close as they were designed to on film camera. To overcome this I bought a set of three macro ring adapters. They work by putting the lens farther away from the sensor and increase the minimum focus distance. This works brilliantly and as they are only machined aluminum they too cost next to nothing on eBay.


Most newer higher end cameras will allow you to place manual focus lenses onto their bodies with an appropriate adapter. You will control the aperture manually but most camera functions will work without a problem. On my Nikon cameras TTL will also function with out any problems.


The focus lock light will also work with this set up on most higher end Nikon camera. It is incredibly helpful to make sure that you have your focus correct and as sharp as possible. Just make sure that you check your camera's manual to make sure that it is a supported function with manual focus lenses mounted.



Using macro extension rings with your M42 lenses will allow you to get into macro photography with out the cost of buying a macro lens. Just make sure that you have a good sturdy tripod to keep everything steady. This situation would also benefit by using your camera timer to trip the shutter or any other method of remote triggering your shutter.


By using some old M42 screw mount manual focus lenses on your DSLR you will have a very inexpensive way to freshen up the way that you shoot and have more lens options in your bag.

Mixing it up with Manual focus.

Every now and again I love to bust out my old M42 lenses and throw them on my Nikon. These old lenses have great image quality, are sharp as hell, and are loaded with personality. Beyond their attributes they tend to be very inexpensive as well


To get these lenses to work with any DSLR camera all you need is an adapter ring. I got mine for about twenty dollars on eBay. There are a few different versions of the M42 lens adapters. The one that I picked up is the most simple version. It is one machined piece of metal with a Nikon F mount on one side and then a threaded 42mm female thread in the front center of the adapter ring.



There is only one issue with this set up and that is some of the lenses cannot focus as close as they were designed to on film camera. To overcome this I bought a set of three macro ring adapters. They work by putting the lens farther away from the sensor and increase the minimum focus distance. This works brilliantly and as they are only machined aluminum they too cost next to nothing on eBay.


Most newer higher end cameras will allow you to place manual focus lenses onto their bodies with an appropriate adapter. You will control the aperture manually but most camera functions will work without a problem. On my Nikon cameras TTL will also function with out any problems.


The focus lock light will also work with this set up on most higher end Nikon camera. It is incredibly helpful to make sure that you have your focus correct and as sharp as possible. Just make sure that you check your camera's manual to make sure that it is a supported function with manual focus lenses mounted.



Using macro extension rings with your M42 lenses will allow you to get into macro photography with out the cost of buying a macro lens. Just make sure that you have a good sturdy tripod to keep everything steady. This situation would also benefit by using your camera timer to trip the shutter or any other method of remote triggering your shutter.


By using some old M42 screw mount manual focus lenses on your DSLR you will have a very inexpensive way to freshen up the way that you shoot and have more lens options in your bag.

Nikon CLS – An introduction

Nikon’s Creative Lighting System (CLS) gives you the ability to wirelessly control compatible speed lights from your CLS capable camera. The wireless control is done through the hot shoe mounted flash units, the built in flash, or with the Nikon SU800. Compatible flash units (the SB600, SB700, SB800 and the SB900) have a built in infrared receiver on the side of the flash. The Nikon SB700, SB800, and SB900 are all able to be set up as commander units. The Nikon SU800 is a dedicated controller unit. Consult your cameras manual to see if your camera model is CLS capable.

As mentioned above some Nikon cameras have the hardware and software built into them where they use the pop up flash to transmit and receive the IR signals to communicate with compatible flash units. However the top pro line cameras that do not have a pop up flash so you have to use the SU800 or CLS commander capable flash units.



The SU800 is generally my go to method for CLS control. I found that when I used my on camera flash as the controller I would get two sets of catch lights in my clients eyes. It is not that big of a deal to go in and remove one of them in post, but I would rather not have to do it. Also the battery life of the SU800 is much greater than a speedlight in commander mode.

Eventually the IR signal transmits to the flash units the same information it would as if it was still connected to the camera. The signal is line of sight so your camera needs to see the flash units and the flash units need to see the camera in order for the communication to work. If you are shooting in a room the signal can bounce around and will usually find its way to the receivers on the flashes.

One drawback to the Nikon Creative Lighting System is that it does not work the best in bright sunlight. There are photographers out there that have absolutely no problem with the CLS system in daylight and there are those that do. I myself find the CLS system lacking in performance in daylight.



A work around that I have had success with is using the Nikon SB900 as a commander to the other flashes. You can set the SB900 to commander mode so that it is telling the other flashes what to do. To help the signals go back and forth I angle the flash head toward the receiving flashes. The added power of the Nikon SB900 helps the signal punch through the day light. This method of control will also work inside as well. If you are needing to trigger a flash that is not able to pick up the signal from a SU800 then switching to a flash as the controller might just get that signal through.

The Nikon CLS system is quite possibly one of the most versatile flash control systems and it is the reason that I switched from Canon to Nikon. In addition to the control features you also have my personal favorite feature: Auto FP high speed sync. This feature allows you to set your shutter speed all the way to 1/8000 of a second. You are able to do this because the flash will first fire a series of flash pulses that will be recorded by the camera as one image. It is this function that allows me to get such deep shadows around my subjects.

As long as you are able to maintain relative line of sight the Nikon CLS system offers you spectacular versatility with your flash units and opens many more options for your creativity. The Nikon Creative Lighting System is one of the easiest ways to get your flash off camera and maintain complete control.

Nikon CLS – An introduction

Nikon’s Creative Lighting System (CLS) gives you the ability to wirelessly control compatible speed lights from your CLS capable camera. The wireless control is done through the hot shoe mounted flash units, the built in flash, or with the Nikon SU800. Compatible flash units (the SB600, SB700, SB800 and the SB900) have a built in infrared receiver on the side of the flash. The Nikon SB700, SB800, and SB900 are all able to be set up as commander units. The Nikon SU800 is a dedicated controller unit. Consult your cameras manual to see if your camera model is CLS capable.

As mentioned above some Nikon cameras have the hardware and software built into them where they use the pop up flash to transmit and receive the IR signals to communicate with compatible flash units. However the top pro line cameras that do not have a pop up flash so you have to use the SU800 or CLS commander capable flash units.



The SU800 is generally my go to method for CLS control. I found that when I used my on camera flash as the controller I would get two sets of catch lights in my clients eyes. It is not that big of a deal to go in and remove one of them in post, but I would rather not have to do it. Also the battery life of the SU800 is much greater than a speedlight in commander mode.

Eventually the IR signal transmits to the flash units the same information it would as if it was still connected to the camera. The signal is line of sight so your camera needs to see the flash units and the flash units need to see the camera in order for the communication to work. If you are shooting in a room the signal can bounce around and will usually find its way to the receivers on the flashes.

One drawback to the Nikon Creative Lighting System is that it does not work the best in bright sunlight. There are photographers out there that have absolutely no problem with the CLS system in daylight and there are those that do. I myself find the CLS system lacking in performance in daylight.



A work around that I have had success with is using the Nikon SB900 as a commander to the other flashes. You can set the SB900 to commander mode so that it is telling the other flashes what to do. To help the signals go back and forth I angle the flash head toward the receiving flashes. The added power of the Nikon SB900 helps the signal punch through the day light. This method of control will also work inside as well. If you are needing to trigger a flash that is not able to pick up the signal from a SU800 then switching to a flash as the controller might just get that signal through.

The Nikon CLS system is quite possibly one of the most versatile flash control systems and it is the reason that I switched from Canon to Nikon. In addition to the control features you also have my personal favorite feature: Auto FP high speed sync. This feature allows you to set your shutter speed all the way to 1/8000 of a second. You are able to do this because the flash will first fire a series of flash pulses that will be recorded by the camera as one image. It is this function that allows me to get such deep shadows around my subjects.

As long as you are able to maintain relative line of sight the Nikon CLS system offers you spectacular versatility with your flash units and opens many more options for your creativity. The Nikon Creative Lighting System is one of the easiest ways to get your flash off camera and maintain complete control.