Chuck,
Thank you for all of this good information. Your "ramblings" are very
interesting, at least to me. I have tried to answer more of your
questions below.
My son still isn't home yet. On Tuesday's he goes to school after work.
I'll nab him as soon as he gets home and plead for a release from this
job. But, like I said before, I just don't want the kids to end up with
just a bunch of candid audience shots. I'd feel worse about that, than
I would about "missing" the wedding. We'll have to wait and see what
he's got to say later tonight.
Quoting Chuck Norcutt <chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>: Chuck Norcutt
once said:
> I'm back and thought I would add a bit about flash. Even if you hire a
> photographer you might still want to take your camera to get a few shots
> of your own. You might also want to take a flash and I don't understand
> why you think you can't use the Nikon with other than the SB-15.
The reason I thought that is because the FG doesn't have a PC terminal.
I had thought there was an adapter, but wasn't aware of the AS-15. I
think I'll get one of those.
>
> The Metz 45-CL4 can act as a TTL flash but you're obviously not using it
> in TTL mode on the OM-1. I don't see any reason why you couldn't also
> use the Metz on either the Nikon or the Pentax... assuming you so
> desired. Perhaps the Nikon and Pentax don't have PC connectors like the
> OM-1 does but that's not a problem if you add a Nikon AS-15 hot shoe to
> PC adapter for $18.95. You can buy a Chinese made equivalent at Ritz or
> on ebay for less but the AS-15 is exceptionally well made in comparison
> and you can use it on any brand camera.
If I get the AS-15, that solves that problem for the FG. But, I'd still
need a 35mm lens for it. All I have for the Nikon is a 50 and the 70 -
210 zoom. The Pentax KX has a PC terminal, so that's not a problem.
> <http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/37086-REG/Nikon_3066_AS_15_Sync_Terminal_Adapter.html>
Thanks for this link.
> Since the Vivitar 283 has potentially very high trigger voltage I
> wouldn't use it on other than the OM-1 without measuring to see if it's
> safe on the FG and KX/KM which I assume have electronically controlled
> shutters and *might* be damaged by flash units having trigger voltages
> much over 12 volts.
Yep, my 283 has a terminal voltage of 255 volts. The FG is
electronically controlled, but the KX and the KM are both mechanical
shutters.
> That still leaves the Metz as a very powerful flash which also has that
> nice little wink light in the front for fill-in flash when using the
> bounce. And that's exactly the way I'd use this flash when indoors with
> moderately low ceilings. Point the flash head up to the ceiling and
> slightly forward (which will cast shadows under the eyes, nose and chin)
> but the Metz's wink light in front is supposed to solve that. Sounds
> good but I've never used one. I just point the bounce head up in the
> air and put a little white reflector card at the edge of the beam to
> direct a bit of it forward for fill. Probably a little bit softer light
> then the Metz's front facing flash tube. But it should surely work.
Would this diffuser do the job for me? Could this be used outdoors
also? Or is it just for indoor work?
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/34997-REG/Metz_MZ_5417_60_33_Bounce_Diffuser_Reflex.html
>
> I was a little concerned about your notion of shooting flash at subjects
> 35-40 feet away.
I was only estimating that to be the farthest distance at the gazebo
location. I would expect the farthest real photos to be about 15 to 20
feet. Probably not even that far.
> Not sure why you want to do that but I wouldn't
> recommend it unless there's absolutely nothing between you and the
> subjects. Flash intensity varies by the square of the distance. If
> you're shooting someone 40 feet away and have proper exposure for that
> distance, someone 28 feet away is 1 stop overexposed, someone 20 feet
> away is 2 stops overexposed, 14 feet away is 3 stops overexposed and 10
> feet away is 4 stops overexposed. In other words, everything out to
> about 14 feet is going to look like a white ghost. Keep the flash
> distance to within 10-15 feet and small groups and use bounce whenever
> possible to soften and diffuse the light and help mitigate the inverse
> square law of flash exposure.
>
> If you have to do outdoor fill flash (difficult) the Nikon is the best
> bet since it can sync at 1/90 second vs 1/60 on the OM-1. But that
> still won't help much if you're trying to fill in bright sunshine. In
> bright sun using Portra 160 you'd need to sync at 1/90 and f/22. Some
> (maybe all) of your lenses might not be able to close down that much
> which means that you'd have to use very slow film or add a neutral
> density filter or both. Then you need a powerful flash to blast through
> the small aperture, ND filter and slow film. Hard to do. Best keep
> shots in the shade where you don't have to fight the sun and preferably
> in full shade where you're not also fighting the sun in the background.
Yes, I'll try to keep all outdoor shots in the shade.
>
> I think you can do fine with 35mm as your widest lens but it's best to
> check the venue ahead of time.
My son and his finance are planning to take me and my wife with them
this Saturday down to the gazebo to shoot some engagement photos for
them. The gazebo location is in Laguna Beach.
> Sometimes you may be asked to shoot a
> larger group shot and you just can't get far enough back to get everyone
> in. 28mm may help in those cases but I'm leery of going shorter since
> perspective problems can start to rear an ugly head.
Looks like I should get the AS-15 and a 28mm for the Nikon and go with
that setup. Nikon FG with MD-14 motor drive, Metz 45-CL-4 connected to
a AS-15 adapter, then either the 50mm lens or the Vivitar 70-210 zoom.
> I've never done it
> alone but assisted once in producing a 2 shot panorama of an orchestra
> where we had a lens wide enough to cover the angle but the distortion
> would have been unacceptable. We just had to tell everyone to hold
> perfectly still for a minute and do a little PhotoShop touch-up.
>
> Speaking of checking the venue ahead of time. This is part of what a
> pro gets paid for. I've never shot a wedding or bar mitzvah in an
> unfamiliar place without spending an hour or two investigating the place
> ahead of time to make sure my equipment is going to be up to the task.
Will be doing that this Saturday. See comment above.
> You need to figure out the "lay of the land" and check whether there
> might be unforeseen obstacles. For myself I need to make sure that I
> have adequate access to electrical power for studio flash units and that
> the power was sufficient that it wouldn't all be monopolized by the DJ
> should he get there before me. You also need to get to know the DJ if
There is not going to be a DJ. (I know, a boring wedding.)
> there is one since he's often acting as master of ceremonies and keeps
> things running on a schedule (his, not yours)... although as father of
> the groom you could certainly have a more of a say in the execution
> schedule of events that a photographer typically has... which is close
> to none.
>
> Go easy with the flash. Flash can greatly enhance photos if done
> properly or totally blow them into oblivion if overdone. This is one
> place where negative film is easier. It's much more forgiving of
> overexposure than digital or slides.
>
> I'm through rambling,
Thanks for rambling Chuck. You should do it more often, I learn a lot.
> Chuck Norcutt
>
>
> Jerry wrote:
>> Hi Everyone,
>>
>>
>> Hi, my name is Jerry and I'm going to be shooting my youngest son's
>> wedding in July. This is going to be my very first wedding and I'm a
>> little nervous about it. I'm seeking some advice, tips, suggestions,
>> etc. First of all, this is not going to be a high cost wedding. The
>> wedding is going to be in southern California, on a grassy ledge
>> overlooking the beach, under a gazebo, sometime during the afternoon.
>> Attendance has to be limited due to restrictions by the land owners. I
>> suspect the head count to be between 50 and 75.
>>
>> Now, for equipment I don't own, nor can I afford to buy a DSLR. I still
>> live in the Dark Ages. Cameras I have that I could use: 1) OM1n, 2)
>> Nikon FG, 3) Pentax KX/KM, 4) Olympus XA2, and for a digital P&S, a
>> Kodak DX6340. I know this is funny, but please don't laugh; at least not
>> so loud that I can hear you. :)
>>
>> For flash, I have a Metz 45-CL4, and a Vivitar 283.
>>
>> For lenses I have: for the OM1n I have a 50, a 35-105 and a 75-150
>> lenses. For the FG I have a 70 - 210 plus a 50. For the Pentax I only
>> have 50mm lenses. Between now and the wedding I could, if need be, buy a
>> lens or two.
>>
>> My first inclination is to use the OM1n, with Winder 2, and the Zuiko 35
>> - 105 lens, with the Metz 45 flash for the outdoor shooting. With this
>> setup and ASA 200 film, I can still reach out to 35 to 40 feet, which I
>> *think* will be far enough. After the wedding, there will be a dinner
>> indoors at a nearby restaurant. Will the 35-105, at 35mm, be suitable
>> indoors, or should I get something wider? I will probably also use the
>> Kodak for some of the indoor shots. For a cheap P&S, it takes very good
>> photos. Is there any other low cost equipment that I absolutely must
>> have?
>>
>> I do have a motor drive for the FG, but the only flash I can use with it
>> is a Nikon SB-15. Not enough power, I'm afraid.
>>
>> So, there you have it. My mediocre equipment list and the task at hand.
>> Please recommend a film to use, color and/or black & white. I will most
>> likely be sending the film out to some lab (recommendations?) that can
>> also produce CDs. Also, please advise as to what shots to be sure and
>> not miss. So please advise away, I really want to get some good photos
>> for these kids.
>>
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Jerry
>>
>>
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>>
>
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One Happy Snappy,
jv
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