Lighting for skateboard shots

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Dave Price
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Hey all

i want to get into skate photography big time and learn about all of the of camera flash work that goes on. Where did you lot learn about it? ive had a look on wikipedia but i cant find anything on there about the off camera work that goes on in skateboarding.

Ive seen some of cherryrigs stuff on flickr show how he sets up the shot which has helped out :thumbs: but i want to learn the theory behind it all.

anyone help?
 
For general off camera flash start at www.strobist.com on the Lighting 101 and 102, if you have the money the DVDs are pretty good as well (appx £120). That will give you the basics of flash.

For a book about lighting theory you can't do much better than this

You can then apply that to skateboarding to get the look you want.
 
cheers both above,Ive order the book on lighting and have had a good look around on the skate perception site which has answerd alot of my questions.

but as for equipment,i am still a bit confused on.

I have a Canon 40D with the normal lens kit and a Sigma 10-20mm
As flashes go i have nothing exept a Vivitar 736 AF M flash.

what do i need to get me up and going but with breaking the bank?
 
A fisheye lens? If you flick through any skate mag, a lot of pics are taken with a fisheye.
 
I know not all of them are, but i think its fair to say they are used a lot :)
 
Thought I'd give you some more tips as well :lol:

Forget the fisheye lens to start with, it's better to learn about lighting first than sticking on a £350+ fisheye lens and know jack about lighting. Get a fast 50mm f/1.8 or f/1.4. Use that to work with to start, think of angles, shape, rule of thirds, leading lines.

Also for flashes start off with two or if you can get three. With two flashes try sandwich the skater between them to always try and use the sun as your friend to give a nice rim.
Flashes go for Nikon SB-24,25,26,28. Full manual controls, each to use and as your using them off camera it doesn't matter if they don't match the brand of the camera. Cheap as well as 2nd hand so saving the cash ;)

Don't think to hard when doing skate shots as the simple things are sometimes the best ideas ;)

Hope your have some more ideas now
 
Ive herd a few people talking about this "Rim" lighting, whats is it?

Iva had a look on ebay for a few of the flashes and there going for about 40 quid still with 10 hours left.

Ive also been looking round that skate perception site and they talk about pocket wizards and slaves alot, whats the difference?
 
Rim lighting is lighting either from a flash or natrual light which normally hits behind the skater to make him stand out more.

On SP they talk a lot about PW's because they are basically the industry standard when it comes to radio slaves. There are many other types such as eBay slaves and Skyports. I've been using Skyports for over a year now and they are worth looking at if your thinking radio triggers to fire your flashes off camera. Cheaper than PW's but do the same job

Any more???
 
surely the rim light is quite a hard light to position if its behind the skater? or is it normaly just off set ot the side out of the picture but still behind.

for a basic set up of 3 flashes and the skyports what type of cost would i be looking at? i dont want to spen too much because im off to uni next year (sept 09) and we have all the equipment there to use.
 
It's set off to the side, but behind. So yea

Skyports would cost in total - £343 (1Transmitter and 3Receivers) so one Uni set and then two extra recievers

Flashes, if you can get three SB-25 or 26,28. Some places you can get them for around £50-£60each

Hope that helps
 
just ordered a Nikon SB-25 of tut tinternet
this is the flash i have atm

<a href="http://s78.photobucket.com/albums/j82/Pricer_2006/?action=view&current=IMG_0236.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j82/Pricer_2006/IMG_0236.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

but i cant find anywhere for the skyport to plug or connect to, or is there an attachment or something that goes on the hotshoe? will i be able to run that vivitar and the nikon of the skyport even if they are different makes?
 
IMG_0236.jpg


wrong copy and paste
 
If you don't want to fork out for the SB speedlights, Vivitar 285HV's are good flashes aswell. They are full manual, but you can adjust power and focal length, and as Cherryrig says, go more for a prime fast lens like the 50mm 1.8, rather than a fisheye, they can give bad results which you'll get fed up with. I shoot BMX mainly with a 50m lately, i have found it challenges you a little more with creativity.:thumbs:
 
The thing with 285's and 285HV's is that they are a little harder to fine, don't have a PC port.

Also there is a little issue when it comes to using Skyports with them but FlashZebra have made a cable to work with them though :)
 
cherryrig said:
The thing with 285's and 285HV's is that they are a little harder to fine, don't have a PC port.

Also there is a little issue when it comes to using Skyports with them but FlashZebra have made a cable to work with them though :)
Click to expand...


A new 285HV is less to buy than a 20 year old SB-24 and SB-28s have been going for up to £100 on Fleabay :cuckoo:

Calumet do nice, well made, hotshoe & pc cable unit for about £8, I use them on my 285HVs and SB-600s and they work a treat.
 
Flash In The Pan said:
A new 285HV is less to buy than a 20 year old SB-24 and SB-28s have been going for up to £100 on Fleabay :cuckoo:

Calumet do nice, well made, hotshoe & pc cable unit for about £8, I use them on my 285HVs and SB-600s and they work a treat.
Click to expand...

My SB's cost me £50-£60MAX

I really like the LCD display on the back which to me beats the manual dial on the 285

So they are around the same price depending where you shop

eBay is not all the best place I might add ;):naughty:
 
Depends, cheap is not always the best

People say they work people say they don't, bit of luck sometimes if they work or not

Misfires, short range but for a little novice would be okay I guess :lol::lol::lol:
 
haha true,

ive seen a set in the speedgraphic catoluge that came through today along with that hot shoe adaptort and there is one in there for like 30-40 quid so i may aswell go for that, better than the ebay slaves but not as advnanced as the skyports or PW's.

That shoes is the wrong size for my vivitar, just like a 1/2mm too long for it too clip into, should i try and file it down or just send it back and get a different one?
 
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