Hunting Easter Eggs. In this image, one speedlite with a Lumiquest softbox was used to light the egg and another flash in a Lastolite Ezybox was used to light the girl behind. The balanced output was automatic calculated by the E-TTL system, even when the lights where illuminating different planes, requiring different power levels to achieve a similar light effect.
Dark Blue
-Gerard.
This is a ’see it to believe it’ kind of post. After the war of the pixels, the digital SLR Titans Canon and Nikon went on to the war of the ISO and the EOS 5D MKII is the Canon answer to the Nikon D3 field advance.
With an EOS 5D MKII in my hands, I had to test this high ISO feature in something else than the ubiquitous gray wall picture. I though of the night pavilion of our local zoo as the best place for such a field test. The pavilion is dedicated to the night crawlers from the nature and light levels are accordingly VERY low.
Slender Loris in the dark (at the zoo, ISO 12800)
Christmas trap
Happy New Year 2009 to all of you!
-Gerard
Plasma Light
This Christmas, with the high ISO feature of the new EOS 5D MKII, that reality changed. I re-explored the plasma light with a totally different result. Using ISO 6400, the rays of light are crisp just like the eye experiences them.
I still love the mystery it creates.
-Gerard.
I’ve previously written about the Ring Flash adapter from Short Images, an innovative accessory fitting the Canon 580EX II Speedlite (and Nikon SB-800). Using the fiber optics principle, the ringflash adaptor uses acrylic light “pipes” that evenly distribute the light from the speedlite in a ring shape around the lens. This configuration creates a particular light source that eliminates shadows while still providing some 3D modelling to the subject photographed. Although the concept of the ring flash comes from the medical sector, where it was originally developed and used for dental photography, the world of fashion has developed a taste of this special light, making it an iconic look in the industry.
Classical Ring Flash ” wrap” Shadow
Behind the scenes
The EOS collection includes the MR-14EX Speedlite, a ring flash dedicated for macro photography. The macro ring flash is designed to clip around the Canon EF100 f/2.8 Macro and MP-E65 specialist macro lenses, although it can be attached to other lenses using a metal ring that screws-on like a filter. Its close distance to the lens axis and compact form helps approaching insects and other small macro subjects.
Frog portrait taken with the MR-14EX Macro Ring Flash
With the introduction of the Short Images’ Ring Flash Adaptor, photography enthusiast looking for a ring flash are now confused, not knowing what to choose.
The Ring flash adaptor has been designed as a portable alternative to the heavy and expensive studio units, yet delivering the expected effect. Its generous size allows for applications in portrait and fashion photography. Also, its portability becomes a real asset for social photography of many kinds.
Portrait of Nele, taken with the Ring Flash Adaptor
The differences in size and power of the MR-14EX macro ring flash and the ring flash adaptor strongly determine the range of applications they can be used for.
A common misunderstanding is thinking that the MR-14EX macro ring flash can be used for general purposes or people photography.
Comparison image taken with the 580EX II
Comparison image taken with Ring Flash Adaptor
Comparison image taken with the MR-14EX Macro Ring Flash
Its small size and low power becomes quickly an issue as the flash-to-subject distance increases, as the light becomes very flat and the power range gets to its limit. For people photography, there’s an additional issue as its close distance from the lens axis produces a fairly strong red-eye effect.
The inverse case is more interesting to look at: Can be the Ring Flash Adaptor be used for macro photography?
A couple of experiments reveal a very interesting answer:
Macro image taken with MP-E65 Macro Lens and the Ring Flash Adapter
Image of setup
Interestingly, the Ring Flash adapter can be effectively used for macro photography, providing a very even, and somehow flat, light.
Yet, there’s a feature of the MR-14EX that places it a step higher for macro photography applications: By changing the ratio settings between the two half flash tubes composing the MR-14EX, it’s possible to modify the effect of shadows and adapt the impression of depth.
3D effect with ratio control on MR-14EX. Ratio used: 1:4
If you are looking for a general purpose ring flash, for casual use on many different subject, including people, the Ring Flash adaptor is the choice. Photographers dedicated to macro photography will be better served with the MR-14EX as its compact size and ratio features make it an excellent choice to capture the miniature world at our feet.
-Gerard.
Anemone in light
Some people swear by natural light for natural subjects, but in a place like Belgium, you are better off if you take your light in your pocket. This photo of an anemone was taken using an Ezybox Hotshoe powered with a Speedlite 580EX. Note that I’m using the recessed border of the Ezybox to flag the background from getting illuminated. That way the flower gets ’soaked’ in light while the -otherwise busy- background gets obscured into a second plane.
Setup image for the Anemone image
In this setup picture you can see how cold and miserable the day was.
Always take your light with you.
-Gerard.
Macro Beauty
Exploring a bit beyond the initial ‘ focus on the eye’ images that we produced at the beginning of the shoot. By pulling the focus to the make-up in between the eye and the eyebrow I find that you can better appreciate the detailed make-up work of Daisy and the rest of the image takes on a dreamy, peaceful look.
Make-up: Daisy van Winkel.
Model: Annelies
Copyright: Daisy Van Winkel and Gerard Maas.
Light info:
One 580EX in an Ezybox Hotshoe 11 o’ clock with the camera at about 6 o’clock .
My living room is not very big, but with some improvisation and the compact form of the speedlites, it’s possible to create some interesting portraits. In this shoot, the make-up artist Daisy van Winkel said “I’m going to make it interesting for you… I hope you like it shinning”. Then, the clockwork started turning on how to cope with a highly reflective make-up and make it stand out.
My solution was to surround the model with light, ‘wrapping’ her with light all around not only in the left-right-up-down plane, but also mixing directions from the back and the front as you see in this “aereal” of the setup:
I don’t know how it all fitted there, leaving still some room for her to stand in front of the ad-hoc Ikea background. We had to jump around the light stands to move around but it’s all part of the fun 
Thanks to Delphine for the modelling.
