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What's on Your Walls?

Seeing your own work writ large on the wall really is so much more satisfying than seeing it on a computer screen, and I would advise anyone to try it.

But a very talented photographer, who goes by the name of Ryan Hyde,  raised an interesting point over on my Flickr stream.  Apparently he was told by his art teacher that “to surround yourself with your own photography motivates you to only be as good as you have been”, and it’s actually better to surround yourself “with work that is greater than, or at least different from, yours” to generate new inspiration.

I kind of agree, and at the same time don’t.  We don’t just only have our own photos (and paintings) on the walls in our house (right now I’m looking at a print of The Scream, and on the opposite wall is an extract from Bosch’s ‘Garden of Earthly Delights’) – so yes, I do agree you need to surround yourself with other images to keep the creative mind striving.  However, I’m never 100% happy with my own work – and having that around me just makes me think “yep, that’s a good shot – but I could’ve done this… or that… and that would’ve been so much better!”

What do you think?  Do you have your own prints on the wall?  Or would you rather have the work of others?  Maybe we should swap?!

Looks like they’re finally trying to engage their internet presence a little more.  Still, we’re all in favour of freebies here at Photographywired.com!

As for off-camera flash, well I’ve started reading the strobist blog but I guess I will have to compile a list of what I need to buy…  What do you recommend?  Stand and umbrella?  What kind of remote system do you have for using your flash off-camera?

I’m guessing that I need to purchase a hot shoe adaptor as I dont have the socket on my 400D …or do I?   lol.. are these specific for Canon only or can i get one on eBay? I think that’s my main question for now ” - Kerrie.

Canon OC-E3

Okey-dokey. The 430EX will work straight on the hotshoe of your 400D – you don’t need anything else. The camera will control the power of the flash (using E-TTL II metering) and everything (altho’ you can tell it to use more or less flash – by increasing the Flash Exposure Compensation setting on the camera (between -2 and +2 stops – I sometimes force mine to be stronger for more obvious lighting)).

It’s so easy to use this flash on-camera, even a monkey could do it.  One that wasn’t even in the top half of the class.

To use your flash off-camera, there are a few options:

1) (this is how I started) An Off-Camera Cord (either the Canon one (OC-E3) or one by somebody else). So one end of the cord connects to the hotshoe, and the other to the flash. Benefit of this is you retain full automatic E-TTL control. Biggest problem with this (other than the extravagent cost – £50 for a cable!) is that the standard lead is only 60cm long! There are various official options for extensions, but none of them are cheap.  Although if you’re a dab-hand with a soldering iron there are plenty of tutorials on-line which explain how to extend a cable unofficially.

Canon ST-E2 Infrared Trigger

2) (this is what I use at the moment) Infrared Trigger. Most of the Nikons have this built in (yeah, yeah – you can sit there with your smug expressions for now Nikon-users!  lol), but for Canon SLRs you need the ST-E2 – which is basically a controlling flash without the flash. It can control quite a large number of Speedlite flashes, again using E-TTL (with a range of 12-15m indoors, and 8-10m outdoors).  Biggest problem with using IR is that it requires line-of-sight between camera and flash (unless there’s a surface somewhere that the signal can bounce off), and it can be a little temperamental in bright sunshine (although this is usually easy to overcome by turning the body of the flash slightly so it’s in shadow – it certainly hasn’t stopped me getting some great strobist shots in bright daylight!).

Perhaps the biggest drawback though is the price – as it’s not cheap (about £150).  Although, I would have to say – if you’re using Canon flashes – it’s totally worth it.  (Apparently it works with some 3rd party ETTL compatible flashes as well, like the Sigma EF-530 DG Super – but I have yet to test this out).

You can also use a 580EX on the camera, in the same way, to control other remote flashes using IR.  But, obviously that’s even more expensive – but does give you a second flash!

3) (the typical strobist way) Wireless triggers. These range from the cheap eBay ones (usually from Hong Kong) which cost around £15 for a transmitter (which attaches to the camera) and a receiver (which attaches to the flash) – for example: tinyurl.com/m9kcvg (or just do an eBay search for ‘Wireless Flash Trigger’).   Up to a few hundred pounds for a set of proper reliable Pocket Wizards.  (What I ultimately hope to be using).

The cheap wireless triggers also have the advantage that they connect directly to the hotshoe connector on the flashgun, whereas PocketWizards connect using a PC-Sync cable – and as Canon flashes don’t have a PC-Sync socket you need to buy an extra PC-Sync to Hotshoe adaptor to connect those.

The main problem with the cheap ones is poor build quality (but what do you expect for £15?), and they also behave very temperamentally with the latest Canon Speedlite flashes (lots of misfires). But, if you can put up with the misfires (and don’t suffer from epilepsy – seriously, it can get like a disco at times, they misfire so badly) they are a good way to go as an introduction to strobism with a minimal outlay. Also they will work with any hotshoe flash – so you don’t necessarily need to pay out for an official Canon Speedlite, you could just pick up a cheap second hand flash to play around with first of all (in fact, they usually work better with cheaper, less complicated flashes!).

Most wireless triggers (apart from the expensive ones) can’t utilise E-TTL either, so flash power has to be manually set on the flash itself.

As for other accessories, a light stand with a tiltable hot-shoe head and shoot-thru brolley is always useful (and shouldn’t cost more than £30 for something basic).

Strobist blog is a great place to go when you’re starting out into the whole world of off-camera flash though.

Hope that’s of some use to you!  And if anyone else has any questions or queries for us, then get in touch.   - Paul

Diana Instant Back

Who said instant photography was a dying art form?  Pish and nonsense – I say!  More good news from the lovely (and ever so slightly wacky) people over at lomography.com:  they have just released a new Instant Back for the perfectly-formed plastic medium format (and not at all dirty) Diana camera!  And what’s more, it uses Fuji Instax Mini film – which (as we have mentioned in previous posts, when we’ve been pushing the delights of Fuji Instax photography) is still being produced (and Fuji show no signs of losing faith in the format).

You can pick up a Diana starter kit + instant back (and two films) for £117.25 (or 125 euros) now from lomography.com.  And if you already have a Diana camera, you can pick up the back separately for around £75.

Visit their Diana microsite for more information:  www.lomography.com/diana/

Chosen subject:  Music

Just shoot  a photo inspired or associated with the chosen subject (be as vague or literal as you like!), post it to the pool and add it to the March discussion thread (so that we know you want to enter it).  The contest will be closing on Wednesday 1st of April (no joke!) (1pm GMT).

Remember, the winning choice will be featured on the website and be entered into the Photo of the Year competition – with a chance to win the mystery prize!!

There will also be occasional random challenges issued as part of the flickr group aswell – just to fill in the gaps.  So watch out for those aswell

Head over to the pool now for more information, and to add your entry!  How can you be a winner if you don’t take part?

photo by Abdurrehman Zia

Congratulations to AB .. for winning our sixth weekly photo contest!  Here’s a bit more information about our latest flickrite of the week:

Name: AB ..

Location: Pakistan

The photo: “Have pretty deep thoughts associated with this one…”

How long have you been photographing?

Not until November of 08, just something I like doing when I feel starved artistically

What inspires you?

Some photostreams, human psychology and life … Photography is a way for me to express .. I need inspiration not for subject, but for the idea behind that so movies usually help me do that.

Film or Digital?

All digital .. I’m in mid 20′s .. and a professional engineer .. It would be hard for me to do all required by film, processing, printing etc.

If you only could take one more final photograph – What would the subject be?

It would probably be about “serenity and why it would be my final photograph” … may involve gradient after the sunset

Congratulations again to our winner, and thanks to nette1274 for chosing this week’s winner.  Watch out for news of the next photographywired contest in a day or two (along with a few changes).