Light Meters

Sometimes I wonder if I'm old school and a borderline dinosaur. But then I think about it and I realize that sound technique is critical to fine photography. It's not a substitute for a keen eye and interesting content, but when combined with those attributes, a photograph sings and encourages the viewer to spend time and linger.

I've been a diligent user of handheld light meters for a very long time. My first serious meter was a Gossen Luna Pro. It was the industry standard for decades- if you wanted the most accurate results, you owned a Luna Pro. As I started using flash, my meter use became even more important. When I light a scene, I can do it faster because I've taken meter readings all over and I know exactly what things will look like.

Now, many years later, I still use Gossen meters. In my Studio in a Backpack I carried the Gossen Digisky. It's a very full featured meter with a huge range of f/stops, shutter speeds, and ISO settings available. It's always on the money and consistently repeatable. And the nicest thing is that it has a wireless transmitter built in. The Elinchrom strobes I use (stay tuned- there will be an in depth article about them in next week or two.) have a wireless system built in, too. The Skyport system (also to be reviewed in coming weeks) is a small and powerful radio slave and having it inside my Digisky makes things simpler and more convenient. My Skyport can stay connected to the camera while I walk around reading the strobe exposures. Nice.

Now, if you don't need the extensive features contained in the Digisky, you might want to look at the Digipro F. I carried it as my back up and I've found it to be a perfect complement to the more expensive unit and available for a price that the budget conscious photographer will find attractive.

The Lastolite Tri Flip Kit Reflector

When you open my Kata backpack, the first thing you see is a large flat compartment with a 33" Lastolite TriGrip Reflector in it. This is a fairly indispensable item to own. It's relatively small, light, and can be used in a bunch of different ways.  The primary way I use it is as a fill for my portraits. When I light, I almost never use a second light to fill shadows. The fact is I love shadows- they give faces shape and character. But I want to control just how dark they are. In some situations they need to be inky dark, in others barely there, and, most of the time, somewhere in between. Using a reflector to bounce a little light into those shadows gives me the control I need.

Generally, I use the TriGrip with the Trigrip bracket . Although this bracket includes an arm so you can attach a shoe mount strobe, I took this off. The arm made it a little bulky to carry in my backpack and I figured if I needed to use the Tri Grip as a diffuser, I had other options. I generally put one end of the bracket on a light stand and on the other I attached the reflector with a Super Clamp . The bracket has a double ball joint which makes it infinitely adjustable, so I can place the reflector in any position I need.

The TriGrip has some features I really like. Unlike other collapsible reflectors, it has a  built in handle with a velcro strap. If I'm working with an assistant, this makes it really easy for them to hold wherever I need it. The kit also comes with two reversible covers with different surfaces. These include black, silver, gold, half silver, half gold, and others. They slip over the translucent white stock surface and essentially give you 8 tools in one. The black can be especially useful if you want to put an outdoor subject in the shade and then light them with a strobe. Or the silver can be used to bounce a little sparkle into your subjects face on a cloudy day or when you have to shoot under florescent lights in an office situation. And using the translucent white as a diffuser on a sunny day to soften that hard (and often hideous) light can allow you to make an attractive portrait in less than opportune conditions.

Studio in a Backpack

In early 2010 I was lucky enough to live, travel, and photograph in small towns and villages throughout Europe for three months. You can read about it here . I had a specific look I was trying to accomplish in the photographs I produced and I put together very specific gear in order to do that. You can see some of the pictures I did there on my web site .  

Over the last year or so I’ve been doing workshops covering my “Studio in a Backpack” and I’ve been asked if I could publish a list of the items in that notorious pack. So here it is. Keep in mind that I had another case with various chargers, cords, and back-ups that I left in my room when I was shooting, but this is exactly the outfit I carried when I went out to photograph. Over the next weeks I’ll be posting follow-ups every few days with more detailed descriptions, estimated prices, and the reasons I chose those particular tools. For now, here goes.

Kata Beetle 282 Backpack

2- Manfrotto 5001B lightstand

2- Elinchrom Varistar umbrella-softbox 33”

Gitzo #1541 Series One tripod with #GH1781QR Series One quick release ball head

Lastolite TriFlip  30” 8 in 1 Grip Reflector Kit

Lastolite Trigrip Bracket

Manfrotto 026 Swivel Umbrella Adapter

2- Manfrotto 035RL Super Clamp with Standard Stud

2 each- Manfrotto #118 and 119 studs

2- Manfrotto 039 U-Hook

Metz Mecablitz 58 AF-2 shoe mount flash

Metz P76 Power Pack

Metz Mecalux 11 Hot Shoe Slave

FlashZebra.com Item #0126 Female Hotshoe to Elinchrom Skyport adapter

Elinchrom Skyport Universal Starter Kit

Elinchrom Ranger Quadra Head A Pro Set

Gossen Digisky and/or Digipro F light meter

small roll black gaffer's tape

various CF cards, straps, cords, etc.

Cameras to be discussed in a later post