Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/11/03

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Subject: NOW: Alienbees vs Brocolor was Re: [Leica] success! but help!
From: walt at waltjohnson.com (Walt Johnson)
Date: Fri Nov 3 17:50:40 2006
References: <82c9dd70611031216h75f22b51n29a9e50516b32090@mail.gmail.com> <454BB28B.4000505@waltjohnson.com> <396618DF-87F5-463A-BC8D-46B0D02D7080@pandora.be> <454BC2C6.7050100@waltjohnson.com> <A3F1644B-CA92-40BE-A4D3-C3C7A0B5FFC3@pandora.be>

Philippe

I thought we were talking about copy work with the artists prints being 
copied. Most of the artists I've done this type of work for are 
extremely particular. Color must be right and the horizontals and 
verticals must be straight. If they aren't you might have to crop into 
the body of the work. Food shots or any subject not hanging on the wall 
are a whole different ballgame. I have always shot my copy work at f 5.6 
or f 8.0. That is the aperture giving the best definition, corner to 
corner, on most 35mm lenses. Maybe some kind of food shot might be a 
good subject for a monthly contest?

Walt.

Philippe Orlent wrote:

> I do a lot of simple pack shots for certain graphic work this way. PS  
> gives me the latitude I need in that case.
> Cheap, fast, simple, effective. Perfect for high pace work that needs  
> at least a bit of a 'look'. Tilting the camera (so no real top or  
> front top shot) combined with wide open diafragm give beautiful DOF.  
> A bit as food is shot today. See f.i. http://users.pandora.be/jean- 
> pierre-wybauw/
>
>
>
> Op 3-nov-06, om 23:29 heeft Walt Johnson het volgende geschreven:
>
>> Where time and money are changing hands I'd be reluctant to count  on 
>> Mother Nature. In doing copy work simple but beautiful is no  
>> substitute for even and controlled. The idea would be to select a  
>> good location, set up your camera and lights and be able to  
>> efficiently  repeat yourself  till all is shot. A tripod is very  
>> necessary for this. The shooting situation you mentioned would be  
>> perfect for beautiful and casual images. Love window light.
>>
>> Walt
>>
>> Philippe Orlent wrote:
>>
>>> How about photographing them on a simple sheet of paper next to a   
>>> north facing window on a clouded day? Add a reflection screen on  
>>> the  other side and you'll have simple but beautiful light.
>>> An incident light meter will give you the proper exposure, and a   
>>> tripod stability if necessary.
>>>
>>> Or is this just too easy thinking?
>>>
>>>
>>> Op 3-nov-06, om 22:20 heeft Walt Johnson het volgende geschreven:
>>>
>>>> As has been mentioned, the Broncolors are specially costly. Back  
>>>> in  the eighties I carried a couple of White Lightnings all over  
>>>> the  southeast. Great units.
>>>>
>>>> Walt
>>>>
>>>> I've never used flash for flat copy work but that doesn't mean  it  
>>>> won't work. Of course, the easy way might be to set them up  and 
>>>> use  high watt bulbs for the modeling lights and no flash.  Want to 
>>>> make  sure what you see is what you get with this kind of  endeavor.
>>>>
>>>> Eric Korenman wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I have had no trouble with my 2 alienbess units - an 800 and a  1600.
>>>>> Both perform beautifully and were cheap (compared to my Friend   
>>>>> Broncolor
>>>>> setup).
>>>>>
>>>>> He (a salty pro) claims there is 'something special' about   
>>>>> broncolor light.
>>>>> I think he looks down his nose and my cheap and slightly garish   
>>>>> alienbees.
>>>>>
>>>>> Any truth to Broncolor light being that 'special'?
>>>>>
>>>>> Eric
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On 11/3/06, Gary Todoroff <datamaster@northcoastphotos.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Dittoes on the White Lightening customer service. Nice folks on  the
>>>>>> phone, fast turn-around and perfect repairs!
>>>>>> Gary Todoroff
>>>>>>
>>>>>> >As far as Alien Bees go...they are pretty nice units, but the  best
>>>>>> >thing is their customer service.  Paul Buff is about 8 miles   
>>>>>> from my
>>>>>> house.
>>>>>> >On the times I have had problems they have worked with me to  
>>>>>> get my
>>>>>> >White Lightnings back up and running very quickly.  Paul gave  me a
>>>>>> >tour one day, nice facility, nice people, GREAT customer
>>>>>> >service.  There may be better lights out there, but my  experiences
>>>>>> >with them are the reason I keep using their products.
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> >--
>>>>>> >Harrison McClary
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> Leica Users Group.
>>>>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more  
>>>>>> information
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Leica Users Group.
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>>>>>
>>>>
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>>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>
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>>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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Replies: Reply from philippe.orlent at pandora.be (Philippe Orlent) (NOW: Alienbees vs Brocolor was Re: [Leica] success! but help!)
In reply to: Message from faneuil at gmail.com (Eric Korenman) (NOW: Alienbees vs Brocolor was Re: [Leica] success! but help!)
Message from walt at waltjohnson.com (Walt Johnson) (NOW: Alienbees vs Brocolor was Re: [Leica] success! but help!)
Message from philippe.orlent at pandora.be (Philippe Orlent) (NOW: Alienbees vs Brocolor was Re: [Leica] success! but help!)
Message from walt at waltjohnson.com (Walt Johnson) (NOW: Alienbees vs Brocolor was Re: [Leica] success! but help!)
Message from philippe.orlent at pandora.be (Philippe Orlent) (NOW: Alienbees vs Brocolor was Re: [Leica] success! but help!)