Need noobie info

I have shot people quite a bit using on-camera flash and slaves...but now I
have a couple of cheap monos with umbrellas and could use some help learning
to use them effectively. They have a half-power setting....will that
automatically give me the 1:2 ratio I have read about if I set one on full
and one on half and both are the same distance from the subject? How would I
determine the right distance? It's been a long time since I read about guide
numbers....and I don't recall anything about them. Since my camera is just
4mp (Oly E-10) I prefer to take head shots...sometimes a bit more. How do I
calculate my setup? Inexpensive flash meter is on order as well as cable
release....I am sure to have some questions when I get it.

--
Thanks,
Gene Palmiter
(visit my photo gallery at http://palmiter.dotphoto.com)
freebridge design group
www.route611.com & Route 611 Magazine

"Gene Palmiter" escribió en el mensaje
newsTejd.1297$gS1.53@trndny04...
I have shot people quite a bit using on-camera flash and slaves...but now
I
have a couple of cheap monos with umbrellas and could use some help
learning
to use them effectively. They have a half-power setting....will that
automatically give me the 1:2 ratio I have read about if I set one on full
and one on half and both are the same distance from the subject? How would
I
determine the right distance? It's been a long time since I read about
guide
numbers....and I don't recall anything about them. Since my camera is just
4mp (Oly E-10) I prefer to take head shots...sometimes a bit more. How do
I
calculate my setup? Inexpensive flash meter is on order as well as cable
release....I am sure to have some questions when I get it.

--
Thanks,
Gene Palmiter
(visit my photo gallery at http://palmiter.dotphoto.com)
freebridge design group
www.route611.com & Route 611 Magazine

"Gene Palmiter" escribió en el mensaje
newsTejd.1297$gS1.53@trndny04...
I have shot people quite a bit using on-camera flash and slaves...but now
I
have a couple of cheap monos with umbrellas and could use some help
learning
to use them effectively. They have a half-power setting....will that
automatically give me the 1:2 ratio I have read about if I set one on full
and one on half and both are the same distance from the subject? How would
I
determine the right distance? It's been a long time since I read about
guide
numbers....and I don't recall anything about them. Since my camera is just
4mp (Oly E-10) I prefer to take head shots...sometimes a bit more. How do
I
calculate my setup? Inexpensive flash meter is on order as well as cable
release....I am sure to have some questions when I get it.

--
Thanks,
Gene Palmiter
(visit my photo gallery at http://palmiter.dotphoto.com)
freebridge design group
www.route611.com & Route 611 Magazine

"Gene Palmiter" escribió en el mensaje
newsTejd.1297$gS1.53@trndny04...
I have shot people quite a bit using on-camera flash and slaves...but now
I
have a couple of cheap monos with umbrellas and could use some help
learning
to use them effectively. They have a half-power setting....will that
automatically give me the 1:2 ratio I have read about if I set one on full
and one on half and both are the same distance from the subject? How would
I
determine the right distance? It's been a long time since I read about
guide
numbers....and I don't recall anything about them. Since my camera is just
4mp (Oly E-10) I prefer to take head shots...sometimes a bit more. How do
I
calculate my setup? Inexpensive flash meter is on order as well as cable
release....I am sure to have some questions when I get it.

--
Thanks,
Gene Palmiter
(visit my photo gallery at http://palmiter.dotphoto.com)
freebridge design group
www.route611.com & Route 611 Magazine

In article oTejd.1297$gS1.53@trndny04,
says...
I have shot people quite a bit using on-camera flash and slaves...but now I
have a couple of cheap monos with umbrellas and could use some help learning
to use them effectively. They have a half-power setting....will that
automatically give me the 1:2 ratio I have read about if I set one on full
and one on half and both are the same distance from the subject? How would I
determine the right distance? It's been a long time since I read about guide
numbers....and I don't recall anything about them. Since my camera is just
4mp (Oly E-10) I prefer to take head shots...sometimes a bit more. How do I
calculate my setup? Inexpensive flash meter is on order as well as cable
release....I am sure to have some questions when I get it.

You need that flash meter before you can get it right. Anything you
shoot well before that will be just experimentation and luck. Since
you're digital, you have the advantage of shooting, checking, moving and
adjusting lights, and shooting again. Put up something static, a big
doll or stuffed teddy bear, and shoot that for a while.

I'm hard pressed to imagine where you'd want to use both of those
umbrellas at the same time. Maybe a product shot.

Marc

In article oTejd.1297$gS1.53@trndny04,
says...
I have shot people quite a bit using on-camera flash and slaves...but now I
have a couple of cheap monos with umbrellas and could use some help learning
to use them effectively. They have a half-power setting....will that
automatically give me the 1:2 ratio I have read about if I set one on full
and one on half and both are the same distance from the subject? How would I
determine the right distance? It's been a long time since I read about guide
numbers....and I don't recall anything about them. Since my camera is just
4mp (Oly E-10) I prefer to take head shots...sometimes a bit more. How do I
calculate my setup? Inexpensive flash meter is on order as well as cable
release....I am sure to have some questions when I get it.

You need that flash meter before you can get it right. Anything you
shoot well before that will be just experimentation and luck. Since
you're digital, you have the advantage of shooting, checking, moving and
adjusting lights, and shooting again. Put up something static, a big
doll or stuffed teddy bear, and shoot that for a while.

I'm hard pressed to imagine where you'd want to use both of those
umbrellas at the same time. Maybe a product shot.

Marc

In article oTejd.1297$gS1.53@trndny04,
says...
I have shot people quite a bit using on-camera flash and slaves...but now I
have a couple of cheap monos with umbrellas and could use some help learning
to use them effectively. They have a half-power setting....will that
automatically give me the 1:2 ratio I have read about if I set one on full
and one on half and both are the same distance from the subject? How would I
determine the right distance? It's been a long time since I read about guide
numbers....and I don't recall anything about them. Since my camera is just
4mp (Oly E-10) I prefer to take head shots...sometimes a bit more. How do I
calculate my setup? Inexpensive flash meter is on order as well as cable
release....I am sure to have some questions when I get it.

You need that flash meter before you can get it right. Anything you
shoot well before that will be just experimentation and luck. Since
you're digital, you have the advantage of shooting, checking, moving and
adjusting lights, and shooting again. Put up something static, a big
doll or stuffed teddy bear, and shoot that for a while.

I'm hard pressed to imagine where you'd want to use both of those
umbrellas at the same time. Maybe a product shot.

Marc

Well....see...there is something I didn't know....I use a shooting tent for
products. So if you use just the one Brella....which one gets it? Fill I
would guess. Maybe I can get a foam wig head to practice on...


"Marc 182" wrote in message
...
In article oTejd.1297$gS1.53@trndny04,
says...
I have shot people quite a bit using on-camera flash and slaves...but
now I
have a couple of cheap monos with umbrellas and could use some help
learning
to use them effectively. They have a half-power setting....will that
automatically give me the 1:2 ratio I have read about if I set one on
full
and one on half and both are the same distance from the subject? How
would I
determine the right distance? It's been a long time since I read about
guide
numbers....and I don't recall anything about them. Since my camera is
just
4mp (Oly E-10) I prefer to take head shots...sometimes a bit more. How
do I
calculate my setup? Inexpensive flash meter is on order as well as cable
release....I am sure to have some questions when I get it.

You need that flash meter before you can get it right. Anything you
shoot well before that will be just experimentation and luck. Since
you're digital, you have the advantage of shooting, checking, moving and
adjusting lights, and shooting again. Put up something static, a big
doll or stuffed teddy bear, and shoot that for a while.

I'm hard pressed to imagine where you'd want to use both of those
umbrellas at the same time. Maybe a product shot.

Marc

Well....see...there is something I didn't know....I use a shooting tent for
products. So if you use just the one Brella....which one gets it? Fill I
would guess. Maybe I can get a foam wig head to practice on...


"Marc 182" wrote in message
...
In article oTejd.1297$gS1.53@trndny04,
says...
I have shot people quite a bit using on-camera flash and slaves...but
now I
have a couple of cheap monos with umbrellas and could use some help
learning
to use them effectively. They have a half-power setting....will that
automatically give me the 1:2 ratio I have read about if I set one on
full
and one on half and both are the same distance from the subject? How
would I
determine the right distance? It's been a long time since I read about
guide
numbers....and I don't recall anything about them. Since my camera is
just
4mp (Oly E-10) I prefer to take head shots...sometimes a bit more. How
do I
calculate my setup? Inexpensive flash meter is on order as well as cable
release....I am sure to have some questions when I get it.

You need that flash meter before you can get it right. Anything you
shoot well before that will be just experimentation and luck. Since
you're digital, you have the advantage of shooting, checking, moving and
adjusting lights, and shooting again. Put up something static, a big
doll or stuffed teddy bear, and shoot that for a while.

I'm hard pressed to imagine where you'd want to use both of those
umbrellas at the same time. Maybe a product shot.

Marc

"Gene Palmiter" writes:

I have shot people quite a bit using on-camera flash and slaves...but now I
have a couple of cheap monos with umbrellas and could use some help learning
to use them effectively. They have a half-power setting....will that
automatically give me the 1:2 ratio I have read about if I set one on full
and one on half and both are the same distance from the subject? How would I
determine the right distance? It's been a long time since I read about guide
numbers....and I don't recall anything about them. Since my camera is just
4mp (Oly E-10) I prefer to take head shots...sometimes a bit more. How do I
calculate my setup? Inexpensive flash meter is on order as well as cable
release....I am sure to have some questions when I get it.

The "right" distance is as close as possible to get the coverage you
need and not get in the way. The purpose of umbrellas, softboxes,
etc. is to make "soft" light, that is, light that casts soft shadows.
The measure of softness is the angular dimension of the light source
when viewed from the subject position -- the bigger, the softer. So
moving it closer makes it softer. At some point, it's getting in the
way too much, and then it's too close.

I haven't taken out my flash meter since I started shooting digital
with multi-light setups. I guess if I wanted to actually measure the
lighting ratio it'd still be more convenient, but mostly I just
eyeball it or calculate it. Similarly, even more so, for guide
numbers.
--
David Dyer-Bennet, , http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/
RKBA: http://noguns-nomoney.com/ http://www.dd-b.net/carry/
Pics: http://dd-b.lighthunters.net/ http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/
Dragaera/Steven Brust: http://dragaera.info/