Post Your Best Holiday Card Picture [Archive] - The-Digital-Picture.com Community

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Mark Elberson

12-05-2009, 05:25 PM

I took this today. I'm doing a re-shoot tomorrow (8 month olds will only pose for so long!).

strobist: Triggered via CTR-301Ps

430EX @1/2 powerbounced off of ceiling
430EX @1/2 power shot into background
430EX @ 1/4 powercamera left into shoot-through umbrella

50D, EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS,f/5.6, 1/200, ISO 200

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Oren

12-05-2009, 05:57 PM

Mark Elberson

12-05-2009, 06:54 PM

Amazing Mark, that's what it is!

I really don't know how did you manage to take the picture of the this lil' guy with all this setup - it sure wasn't easy at all.

Off topic:

BTW, I've got my CTR-301P few weeks ago and finally (yesterday) I managed to make it work with my old flash and my homemade safe sync that I used between the old flash and the CTR so the flash doesn't burn my CTR.

If anyone is interested, my brother checked the output of the CTR-301P with a digital scope, the result is:

The CTR has some Vx voltage in its output (around 5V I think, but not sure) and when there is a trigger, it drops to 1.6V for 25ms.

Oh and Happy xmas guys!/emoticons/emotion-1.gif
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Thanks so much!!! I learned from the last time I tried to take his picture in this fashion that if your setup isn't ready before he is that it's not going to work! He did really well though. I was able to take about 50 frames before I decide not to press my luck any further :-)

Congrats on the CTR-301P purchase. Have you had a chance to test them out? I can only sync up to 1/200. At 1/250 a slight black line appears on the bottom of the frame. For what I paid though I can deal with that. 1/200 is still pretty good considering.

I'm glad that your homemade safe sync worked and thanks for sharing the voltage information. I'm sure lots of people here were curious (especially after Sean wrote all of his posts about OFC "Off Camera Flash" which got so many of us inspired to enter the world of the strobist.

Dave Johnston

12-05-2009, 08:06 PM

Great shot Mark, I agree that it isn't always easy to get a little guy like that to hold still for very long.

Oren, I use the CTR-301ps as well. They have been great for me and I get the same line at the bottom of the frame that Mark was talking about if I use 1/250. What are you gonna do for 40 bucks though, right?

Here is one my wife and I shot as a JOKE for the family members this year. They all have this whole rivalry thing going on. We don't really watch a whole lot of sports, we just happened to go to competing schools.

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Canon 50D+Tamron 28-75 f2.8 @ 55mm f/9 1/50 ISO-400. One 580ex @1/8 power shot through 33inch white umbrella, camera right triggered by CTR-301p.

Going back, had I not just done this to get it done, I would have remembered to turn the big lamp over our heads off, or at least CTO gelled the flash. I was in a hurry and didn't think my family would pay much attention to a little color caste, so no reshoot. After all, it was just for fun. My wife thought it was a little too cheesy, but that was the point.

P.S. I just got the Tamron lens, and it is SUPER SHARP, even one stop from wide open with a little softness at 2.8. I am more than pleased with it.

Oren

12-06-2009, 05:20 PM

Mark: I haven't tested it yet for range, accuracy and the like, but I did check the max sync speed since this kind of test is very easy and quick. Results: just like yours - small black line at the bottom of the frame at 1/250, NO black line at 1/200 and below.

Hmm is it just me or it doesn't work (flash trigger) when the camera is in live view (my 50D at least)?

Oh yeah - great shot Dave! You and Mark have set a pretty high bar for everyone else [:)]

lcnewkirk

12-06-2009, 05:40 PM

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XS, 18-55IS, 50mm, 1/100, f5.6, ISO 100, 430EX bounced off ceiling

This was my favorite of the shots I took yesterday. My wife put a couple others on the actual Christmas card though. In most of the shots, the string of lights are super dim. Anyone know what I could do to make them stand out more?

Lewis

Sean Setters

12-06-2009, 06:26 PM

I may throw in a couple later, but I just started sifting through the results from Saturday. This is my favorite so far:

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Canon 50D, 17-55mm f/2.8 IS

1 Vivitar 285HV, camera left, shot through a 28" Westcott Apollo softbox. 1 Vivitar 285HV, camera right, shot through a 15" Alzo mini softbox. Both flashes 1/2 CTO gelled.

Dave Johnston

12-06-2009, 08:25 PM

Anyone know what I could do to make them stand out more?

I would leave your aperture settings and ISO as is and decrease your shutter speed. Try 1/60 then slower to get it right. This increases exposure of the ambient light, as your flash is only concerned with the aperture. When I set up a shot i usually get in manual mode and get all of the ambient exposure the way I want it before I add in the flash. Then when I have it right, I add in the flash to taste. Give it a shot.

Cheers.

Mark Elberson

12-06-2009, 08:44 PM

Great contributions everyone. I can't wait to see somemore!

Sean Setters

12-07-2009, 11:42 PM

I'll ad one more from that shoot now that I've got them sorted and edited.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2597/4168294206_ffc82af62c.jpg ("http://www.flickr.com/photos/budrowilson/4168294206/)

EXIF and strobist info can be found via image link.