News and events from snapfactory

This is the first in a series of videos about our Interactive shoot. In this video we show you how we set up the lights, how we built the set, and some thoughts on the new Profoto Air Remote.

UPDATE: Thanks to all who joined us. We’ll be updating the blog 2-20-09 with thoughts from today.

Our Twitter-Interactive shoot is tomorrow. I’m so excited that if I was a cheerleader I’d be doing spirit fingers. Ok, bad mental image, sorry.

We’re just a few hours from the big project and a whole lot of fun. I’d like to invite you to join us, here’s what were doing and how we’re doing it.

We’re shooting fashion all day. We’re using Profoto Pro-8 Air packs with the Air Remote. We’ll be in a giant 7,000 square foot studio. We’re doing all of this live via Twitter.

Beginning at 7:00am Arizona Time (8:00am PST) we’ll be sending updates to all of my twitter followers. We’ll be giving updates about what we’re doing, the setup, technical details, the styling, the models, etc. We’re going to be as transparent as possible.

The communication isn’t one way, what fun would that be? We are asking you to ask us questions along the way. Want to know how we’re doing something? Ask us. Why are we using that light modifier? Just ask. What makeup are we using? Glad you asked. What’s our workflow? Good question!

We’ll be tagging all of our twitter updates with #snapshoot so it’s easy for you to look them up down the road or even grab an RSS feed for easy viewing.

You can join in on all of this fun by simply following me on Twitter (it’s free). If you’re not sure what Twitter is take a look at this video.

Oh but wait, there’s more…

I’m going to be very busy shooting all day so I’ve asked a few people to help us out. Let me introduce the team and tell you what they’ll be doing.

Heather Lynne Herr @MsHerr will be manning the keyboard all day. She’s a terrific writer, reporter, social media fanatic, and all around cool person. She’ll be forwarding questions to me and typing answers from me. She’ll be talking to the other artists in the studio and giving their updates as well. She’ll be our voice.

Danno @dannophotos will be shooting behind-the-scenes photos all day long. He’ll be feeding the photos to Heather who will post them to Flickr or Twitpic for all to see. Of course as soon as a new photo is live we’ll tweet the info. Need a closer look at something? Just ask and we’ll send Danno over to grab a close up. And, yeah, he’s so cool he only needs one name.

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Jeff Caroli @speedman19 will be shooting video of everything we do – all day. In fact he’s been shooting video of all the preparation for a few days now.

All of this video footage is going to be edited and posted on YouTube, StudioLighting.net and other sites. We’ll be able to give you more in-depth explanations about what we’re doing in future videos. We plan to augment the videos with diagrams and animations just like many of our Digital Photography One on One videos. If you want to see something specific in the videos just let us know.

The Artists

Diane Wallace @dianewallace is our Makeup Artist (MUA). Diane is the best half of SnapFactory. She’s an equally talented photographer but tomorrow she’ll be in her role as MUA all day. She’s been busy designing looks and matching colors and styles with the wardrobe Erin has pulled.

Because Diane and I work so closely together she’ll also be giving creative input on the entire shoot. I wouldn’t even think about shooting something on this scale without Diane on hand to help guide us. She’s a very talented artist and one job title just doesn’t do her justice.

Erin Markis is our Wardrobe Stylist. You’ve seen her in previous videos working with our models and she’ll continue that work tomorrow. She’s been working very hard to gather wardrobe from local designers and stores and has had a few challenges along the way. We’ll be covering this in some of the future videos. It’s been a journey!

Heather Blaine is our Hairstylist. She has some very impressive work and she’ll be working along side Diane and Erin all day to get the models prepped for their next set. This will be my first time working with Heather and I’m very excited about it.

We’ll be shooting in 7,000 square feet of photographer heaven, otherwise known as Loft19. There are actually three studios in Loft19, we’ll be shooting in Studio One and Two. There is also a lobby, conference room, lounge area, waiting area, makeup tables, and coffee bar. This is one of the best studios in the US, so if you see something and want more info please ask about it.

Floyd Bannister is the owner of Loft19 and he’ll be assisting us all day with any equipment or studio needs. Loft19 has an amazing collection of gear and he’ll make sure we have everything we need throughout the day.

Our models are all coming from The Agency Arizona. Travis Given from The Agency AZ has been working with us for a couple of weeks to make sure we have the right models for the job. If you have any questions about rates, booking, or other model stuff we’ll pass it along to Travis.

Katie Masters, Madeleine Hall, Erika Shelton, and Carly Vollmert will be our models for this shoot. We’ve already posted a quick video of them at their fitting. If you missed it you can click here to take a look.

And finally, there’s me. I’m Mark Wallace @jmarkwallace. I’m a commercial, fashion, and fine art photographer. I’m also a photography instructor. We’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other tomorrow. I hope you join us!

Late last year I got an e-mail asking if I wanted to play with a super secret PocketWizard toy. I’m a huge PocketWizard fan and so of course I said, “bring it on!” In January I was given a couple of MiniTT1 and FlexTT5′s to play with.

I’m an avid PocketWizard user, I’ve even created videos about them. I’m also a long time Canon shooter. So when the new toys arrived it was almost as good as Christmas. I hired a model for a day and hit the street.

The first thing I tried was shooting with my flash “hidden” from my camera. In the first setup there was an umbrella and a column between the flash and camera. I had a MiniTT1 on the camera and a FlexTT5 on the flash. This challenge was so simple that I think the PocketWizards actually laughed at me. “Is that all ya got??” The system executed flawlessly.

My next test was to try adjust the flash exposure compensation from the camera. The new PocketWizards make the camera think the flash is actually sitting on top of the camera itself. So I ran the flash through a series of tests playing with my under and over exposure compensation settings. The PW shrugged this challenge off too. It worked perfectly.

Left: proper exposure. Right: Flash set to +1 exposure compensation.

To really try some groovy tests I slid a Canon ST-E2 on top of the MiniTT1. I added another flash to the mix and was very happy to see that I could adjust the lighting ratios with the ST-E2 just like it was operating normally. The PocketWizards are essentially invisible to the system. Spectacular! It’s the best of both worlds. The ease of use of the Canon system we all know and love and the security of a radio trigger from the best in the business.

Ok, so now I knew the system could see through walls, worked flawlessly with the Canon gear I already owned, and was smaller than the other PocketWizards I had in my bag. Now it was time for some more difficult tests.

The next tests were designed to see if I could shoot at a distance and in bright sunlight. Here in Phoenix the sun can be a major challenge. We rarely see clouds in the sky. This bright sunlight can really destroy a line-of-sight system. The sun just washes out the signals from the transmitter. The first test was moderately easy. I shot in the shade at a distance of about 20 feet from the flash. Not a problem at all.

My model, Sarah Coggin, smiles as I shoot away.

The moderate light and distance test was easy for the PW system. We decided to put the system to the ultimate test – direct Phoenix sunlight. We headed to Papago Park and shot in nasty 2:00 direct sunlight. This light was brutal; a true line-of-sight killer.

Yeah, we were melting.

We shot a few tests in this location. I really wanted to see how the system would hold up shooting in a rugged area. Again, I had no issues. The flash behaved just as if it were sitting on top of my camera. I could adjust flash exposure compensation, turn the flash on and off, and do anything I wanted all from a distance from the flash.

Left: flash turned off. Right: fill flash added.

The new PocketWizards had passed the field tests with flying colors. The following day I did a few tests in the studio just to see if they would feel at home.

Canon 430 EXII mounted to a PocketWizard FlexTT5.

A couple of Canon 430′s with FlexTT5 units. On Camera: MiniTT1 and Canon ST-E2

In the studio the units continued to behave as expected. By mounting a ST-E2 to the top of the MiniTT1 on my camera I was able to control light ratios right at my camera. I did a quick technical test: shoot, adjust, shoot. Repeat. Using the ST-E2 this was a breeze.

Shifting light from left to right – all from my camera.

The last test was to shoot as the sun was going down. I wanted to see if the TTL would behave as expected with quickly changing lighting conditions. My model and I drove down the road to a local park and I shot almost directly into the sun allowing the flash to fill her face.

Again, the PocketWizards behaved just fine and we were able to grab a few great shots before we lost our light.

While I had my test units I tried a few other things. Will they trigger a PocketWizard Plus or Plus II? Yes, they are fully compatible. Will they trigger your Profoto equipment with the PocketWizard built in? Absolutely. Are they small and easy to pack? Yes. Can you buy replacement CR2354 batteries at Walgreens? I did, however David Hobby found them a bit harder to find than I did. I guess my Walgreens rocks.

Speaking of batteries you’ll need to keep them fresh in your flash units. The TTL accuracy declines as battery power declines. For best results use an external battery pack. I use Quantum Turbo packs.

Another feature that’s really amazing is the ability to upgrade and tweak the units via a normal USB interface and the PocketWizard Utility software (included in the box). As new cameras are rolled out and things are improved you simply plug your PW into your laptop and do a quick upgrade. How cool is that?

I tested the units on Canon 420 EX, 550 EX, 430 EX II, and 580 EX II units. I did experience some minor issues with RF interference caused by the 550 and 580 EX II units. PocketWizard addresses this on their website:

RF noise emitted by the 430EX, 580EX and 580EX II flash units limits the reception range of FlexTT5 to approximately 50 feet when flash is normally mounted. Reception can be increased using steps described in the Instruction manual. It can be greatly improved by separating the flash from the FlexTT5 by using the Canon OC-E3 cord.

Hopefully newer versions of the units will eliminate this issue altogether.

A few other folks had the opportunity to play with these units prior to public release. Please take some time and read what they had to say as well:

• David Hobby (Strobist)
• Rob Galbraith

The Bottom Line

If you’re a Canon shooter and a strobist this is a no-brainer. The MiniTT1 (for your camera) and the FlexTT5 (for your flashes) just makes sense. They are compatible with other PocketWizards and are small enough to throw in just about any camera bag.

If you’re a Nikon shooter be patient. Although I’ve not been given any information I’ll take a wild guess and say that a Nikon version has to be coming in the future. How soon? I have no idea, but I do know PocketWizard is always eager to be the best in every market.

If you’re a studio shooter, like me, who primarily shoots with studio strobes and an existing PocketWizard set up I think the MiniTT1 is a perfect choice. It has such a small profile that you’ll forget it’s on your camera. Chase Jarvis had some interesting thoughts on this subject.

For all the details and specs on the products check out the PocketWizard site:

• MiniTT1 Canon
• FlexTT5 Canon

And finally, here’s a groovy video to play us out.

I received a quick call from a client on Wednesday asking me if I could squeeze in a short shoot Thursday morning. The shoot was simple, some head shots of a few doctors shot to match some of their older headshots. Two softboxes, a muslin background, very straightforward and quick. Easy, right?

Doctors tend to be pretty busy and my client made sure to tell me that we were on a very tight schedule. One of the doctors had a speaking engagement at a different location at 12:00 and so we agreed that I’d arrive at 10:30 have everything set up by 10:45 and we’d be done with the first doctor by 10:50. We’d shoot everyone else after he was done.

This shoot was simple so I just jotted the time down on my calendar and then called my assistant to give her an update on the schedule change for Thursday. Since the shoot was close to the studio we’d just meet there and drive to the location together.

I usually send an e-mail confirmation to the client with the time and location and copy assistants, MUA, AD, or anyone else involved in the shoot. Since this shoot was so simple I skipped this step which would turn out to be a big mistake.

Somehow in the rush of the day I entered the information in my calendar one hour later than we’d agreed. When I called my assistant to go over schedule we agreed to meet at the studio at 11:00 and be on location by 11:30. Since the location was only 10 minutes from the studio I thought we’d be early…

Yesterday at 10:45 I got a call from my client asking me where I was. “You’re 15 minutes late and the doctor needs to be leaving soon. Are you close?” After realizing my mistake I quickly loaded all the equipment in my Xterra and drove like a mad-man to the location. I called my assistant on the way and told her to meet me at the location.

The problem was that my assistant didn’t know the location since I hadn’t sent her a confirmation e-mail. This easy step would have also let my client know that I’d scheduled the shoot incorrectly and allowed us to painlessly fix the mistake.

Lesson #1: Always send a confirmation e-mail.

When I arrived at the location, a large medical building, I realized that I had no assistant and less than 10 minutes to set everything up. My first challenge was trying to haul all the equipment by myself through the building and up the elevator to a conference room. I was hauling:

• 1 Profoto Pro-8
• 2 Heads
• 2 Softboxes
• 2 Speed rings
• 1 Background support system
• 1 Muslin background
• 2 C stands
• 2 sandbags
• An extension cord
• One rolling camera case fully loaded
• My MacBook Pro in a Crumpler bag

Luckily I have a dolly and I was able to put almost everything on the dolly and roll it with one hand while rolling my camera bag with the other. My laptop bag was slung over my shoulder.

After negotiating the elevator (it took three times to get the door to stay open long enough to roll everything in) I made it to the conference room.

The conference room was very small and had a large table with chairs around it. There was no room for anything. I only had about 30 seconds to figure out a solution. I quickly grabbed the chairs and started stacking them on the table (throwing might be a better way to describe it). That gave me just enough room to put up the background on one side of the table and the lights on the other.

Since the room was so small I actually had to stand in the hallway and shoot through the doorway.

Lesson #2: Maintain and inspect your equipment on a regular basis to avoid failure.

Once the background was up I started putting the lights together. The c-stands and the heads went up in seconds and then I started to put the softboxes together. While putting the second softbox together the speed ring popped into two pieces. The screws that hold the outside ring had come loose over time and allowed the speed ring to come apart. This was something I could fix in 5 minutes, but I didn’t have 5 minutes to spare.

The solution was to have my client hold the softbox in place while I shot the first doctor. He was in place and ready for his headshot. I quickly metered the light and thought the worst was over.

I took a quick test shot to show my client (who was still holding the softbox) just to make sure the cropping was what she needed. That’s when my CF Card failed. I had a doctor who would wait about 30 more seconds, my client holding my softbox, and a dead CF card.

Lesson #3: Always bring a backup.

Luckily I had another card in my pocket. I quickly swapped the cards, took the test shot, got the OK from my client and took the photos of the doctor before he dashed out of the room for his next appointment.

We had about 10 minutes until the next doctor was going to arrive so I called my assistant and gave her the exact location. She’d figured out which building we were in but had been waiting in the lobby for me to text or call her.

I also did a quick repair of the speed ring. I always have a Leatherman with me so it was easy to fix things up.

After the initial rush things settled down and we were able to get all of the photos with no further issues. The bottom line is that all of the chaos could have been avoided with one simple e-mail. No matter how simple the session you should always follow up with the client. Lesson learned.

A few days ago James Andrews (@theNetImp) sent me a tweet about his small studio space. He suggested that I should make a video about shooting in small spaces. So I asked how many of my twitter followers had a studio smaller than 20×20. The response was overwhelming. So I asked them to send me links and photos so I could see these spaces. I’ve posted a few below.

I will be making a video about shooting in small spaces, but I’d like you to help me create it. I’d like you to answer a few questions:

• How large is your studio or space (conference rooms, etc., count)
• What specific issues are you seeing?
• Do you have any tips or tricks you are willing to share?
• What equipment are you using?
• What have you been able to accomplish in your studio?
  

You can answer these questions by using the comments section below or just sending me a note on twitter (@jmarkwallace). I’d love to see the results of your work, so if you have work you’re proud of post a link in the comments section below.

Here are a few of the small spaces that I’ve seen so far.

Studio space of John Milleker @JohnMilleker

Mark Howells-Mead’s space @mhm72

The very nice small studio of Marc Landry @FastTimesInc

Ingrid’s closet studio @ingridspangler

Studio/Home theater built by James @jamesbdotcom

It’s not a laundry room, it’s a studio! (Don’t miss the video)
From the mind of Nathanael Gassett @NathanaelG

397 square feet of awesomeness via @adrienbisson

Elvis would be proud! Ryan Chahanovich’s studio @ryanchahanovich

Harley Pebley’s basement studio. @hpebley3

Kathryn Lymburner’s basement studio @photokat81

Want to share your small studio space? Paste a link to your image in the comments below.