tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44839611300213209722023-11-15T23:17:28.915-08:00Wez Photography Blog - South AfricaA blog to showcase my photography and a place to share what I know with otherswezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908922412749720372noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4483961130021320972.post-12069308495440090182013-07-27T01:36:00.004-07:002013-07-27T01:55:08.742-07:00It's that time again - New gear time!<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyone that follows this blog will remember earlier this
year I posted a sort of New Year’s resolution in terms of my photography. In
that post I had a plan for the camera gear I was aiming for…. Well that post
can be completely ignored and here’s why:<o:p></o:p><br />
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Not so long ago an online company called Studio22 was
holding a competition to win a full frame camera. All you had to do to enter
was make a purchase from their shop, and post your invoice number to their Facebook
page. Fast forward a bit to July the 10<sup>th</sup> , and I get a call from
Kurt (the owner) saying I’m a finalist in the draw, Shortly after I had won.<o:p></o:p><br />
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So here it is, my new 6D body:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wez-photography/9351833591/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Canon EOS 6D" height="267" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7424/9351833591_189c269966_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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New (free) Full Frame body means time to splurge out on some
nice glass so shortly after getting the 6D I went and get myself a Canon 85mm
f1.8:<o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wez-photography/9351825247/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Canon 85mm f1.8 by wezphotography, on Flickr"><img alt="Canon 85mm f1.8" height="400" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7291/9351825247_dbfcee406c_c.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
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Pair the 6d up with this piece of kit and you get this:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wez-photography/9327197750/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Bubbles! by wezphotography, on Flickr"><img alt="Bubbles!" height="400" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7372/9327197750_9f19eeb156_z.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
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I might do a full review this lens sometime as well as the
6D.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Lastly I got myself another Speedlight (one can never have
enough of those things). This time I got a Yongnuo 560II.<o:p></o:p></div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wez-photography/9354586762/" title="YN560II by wezphotography, on Flickr"><img alt="YN560II" height="400" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5498/9354586762_b1a9bf939c_z.jpg" width="267" /></a>
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The major difference between this flash and the original 560
is the LCD screen, which is a nice addition.<o:p></o:p><br />
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On the cards now are some new light stands ( namely the Phottix
p-200), an IR remote, another Phottix Soft box umbrella, another umbrella
bracket and best of all, the Canon 50mm f1.4!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lastly I’d like to thank Kurt and all the staff at Studio22.
They are a friendly and helpful bunch. So go check them out:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJWCBBHgeMQvD22Ooua4RwWevKSFav1GoIRJyjEnfuLdS0G8x87auOe7k5b5pVgPdTCQvJuE8rP4f9HNGRjQ-6gxzWNK7rsLp57KB3iPAQgo6f1k6sXaABWsvN5xU30dZYzIAWVSpMM8k/s1600/Studio22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJWCBBHgeMQvD22Ooua4RwWevKSFav1GoIRJyjEnfuLdS0G8x87auOe7k5b5pVgPdTCQvJuE8rP4f9HNGRjQ-6gxzWNK7rsLp57KB3iPAQgo6f1k6sXaABWsvN5xU30dZYzIAWVSpMM8k/s400/Studio22.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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7 Edison Way, Century Gate Business Park, Century City, Cape Town 7441<o:p></o:p></div>
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021 525 3740<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.studio22online.co.za/" target="_blank">studio22online.co.za</a></div>
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wezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908922412749720372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4483961130021320972.post-46705366238420978122013-04-21T08:56:00.003-07:002013-04-30T02:42:21.140-07:00Rosco Strobist flash gels - The review<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wez-photography/8667847993/" title="Strobist gel packs by wezphotography, on Flickr"><img alt="Strobist gel packs" height="640" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8384/8667847993_5a2575614f_z.jpg" width="427" /></a>
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As mentioned in my <a href="http://www.wezphotography.co.za/2013/04/whats-happening.html#more" target="_blank">previous post</a> I recently go myself a set of the awesome and
amazing Strobist gel packs. My reason
for getting a pack, well who doesn't want to capture images like <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidhobby/" target="_blank">David Hobby</a> ?<o:p></o:p></div>
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David Hobby really was my main reason for going into
Speedlight’s and the whole strobist scene. Before reading his blog I never EVER
used flash, but after seeing his blog I saw what a few lights where capable of
and I had caught the lighting bug! Enough about Hobby though and onto the
review!<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Strobist gels come in a small plastic casing which is
alright to use as a permanent case, but isn't really ideal (more on this later). <o:p></o:p></div>
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In this soft plastic casing is what we are really after, the
collection of 55 total plastic gels. Of the 55 we have 2 main sets –
Correctional filters and effects colours. The correctional gels allow one to
correct for dodgy lighting, for example those dodgy florescent lights, or create
beautiful sun kissed skin tones like in this photo: </div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wez-photography/8648142067/" title="Girls under passage of archways by wezphotography, on Flickr"><img alt="Girls under passage of archways" height="640" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8103/8648142067_2ea4939865_z.jpg" width="427" /></a>
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The effects gels are useful for creating stunning
backgrounds to otherwise boring pictures (you have to admit those isolated
images do begin to look a bit boring sometimes!). Here is some background awesomeness:</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wez-photography/8638473840/" title="The Lone Rose by wezphotography, on Flickr"><img alt="The Lone Rose" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8531/8638473840_b5cfe490cd_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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I have read of people complaining about gels melting when
using a flash on full power for a few shots. Firstly a Speedlight shouldn't really be used above ¼ power unless its really necessary and secondly I have
tried this and mine seemed fine with 2 pops in 4 seconds. If you need more
flashes than that you definitely should lower your flashes power and increase
your ISO or aperture.<o:p></o:p></div>
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One of the things I really like about these gels is they are
pretty accurately coloured. What this means is that if you take a full blue and
a full CTO and put them on two different flashes.. the point where they meet
will be damn near close to a normal white flash. This can be used to create
some interesting images!<o:p></o:p></div>
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One of the worst things about these gels though is organizing
them . The plastic cases that come with the gels inside do an ok job of holding
them but if you want to get a specific gel out, it becomes a bit of a mission. <o:p></o:p></div>
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After doing a quick Google search it turns out quite a few
people feel the same. The solution; A business card holder. It allows you to
separate the gels by colours and you can also keep those little white info
slips! This is exactly what I ended up doing as can be seen in this final picture:</div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wez-photography/8668948920/" title="Gel organizing by wezphotography, on Flickr"><img alt="Gel organizing" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8380/8668948920_c2e57b4e9f_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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So, in the end, my verdict of the Rosco Strobist gel packs is that they are a must have for anyone who uses off camera flashes. Without them you can still get some amazing shots, BUT with them you can take your images to a whole new level!wezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908922412749720372noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4483961130021320972.post-89491064152295773382013-04-03T16:28:00.002-07:002013-04-03T16:33:12.323-07:00Whats HappeningYet again I have been overly busy with all sorts of things lately (read work). However that hasn't stopped me from taking a few shots. Those who do follow me on Flickr, or even those that just glance over my stream every once in a while, will know that I have been uploading a few photos every so often. Posting to a blog takes time (effort, blood, sweat, tears... you get the idea) and Flickr is sometimes just quicker. However I think I need to get into the habit of coming over here and posting a few shots a bit more often!<br />
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On one of my more recent shots (Falling (fake) Rose) I made sure to take a setup shot to post to my blog for others to see. Which can be viewed <a href="http://www.wezphotography.co.za/2013/04/falling-fake-rose-and-lighting-set-up.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>. I will be doing more of these in the near future as I find its a HUGE help to see how over photographers set up there shots. A lot of the time you'd be surprised at how some of the shots are set up - paper cones used for snoots, plastic bits for gobo's and all sorts of DIY methods that are far cheaper than a lot of the commercial grade stuff (I plan to make myself a DIY beauty dish someday!)<br />
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Something that I'm quite looking forward to this year is my camera upgrade. I started up a <a href="http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/508928-New-camera-on-the-Horizon-for-me-Thoughts">quick post</a> on a local forum about it and before you know it, I had been semi converted to Nikon. A lot of people I know have all said to me that it was about time I saw the light. To be honest I don't know why I really chose Canon in the first place.<br />
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Back to the point. I have been doing some quick calculations and by the end of this year I should be able to afford a new <a href="http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/dslr/d7100/">D7100</a> with a <a href="http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Nikon-Products/Product/Camera-Lenses/2199/AF-S-NIKKOR-50mm-f%252F1.8G.html">50mm 1.8G</a> and maybe even some <a href="http://www.blackrapid.com/products/sport">BlackRapid awesomeness</a>. More on that closer to the time.<br />
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One thing that will be arriving fairly soon is my new backpack to accommodate all the new toys as well as future toys. I originally wanted the <a href="http://store.lowepro.com/fastpack-350" target="_blank">Lowepro Fastpack 350</a> but I found something slightly better. It is the <a href="http://store.lowepro.com/dslr-video-fastpack-350-aw" target="_blank">Lowepro DSLR video Fastpack 350 AW</a>. The differences are slight but they are big ones, well at least for me. The DSLR video has the addition of a tripod holster as well as the All Weather jacket that some of the higher end Lowepro bags have. Definitely a big plus.<br />
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Lastly, I FINALLY got myself a pack of the infamous <a href="http://www.rosco.com/FTVP/strobist.cfm" target="_blank">Rosco Strobist flash gels</a>. My word are those little pieces of plastic fun to play with! If your in South Africa and are trying to get a pack or two cheap I found a guy on BidorBuy who sells them (<a href="http://www.bidorbuy.co.za/item/93680911/The_Strobist_Collection_Gel_Pack.html" target="_blank">link</a>). At the time of writing they were going for R90 which is a lot better than the R300+ I have seen around here.<br />
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More things to come soon. Tomorrow I should be off to play with a D600 :D<br />
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Should probably get to bed :/wezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908922412749720372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4483961130021320972.post-85103528813486763932013-04-03T16:27:00.000-07:002013-04-03T16:34:22.923-07:00Falling (fake) Rose and lighting set-upI recently had an idea of dropping a rose with water droplets on it after hearing about one of the photo competitions for this month.<br />
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Without further ado here is one of my better test shots:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wez-photography/8613780671/" title="Falling (fake) rose by Wesley Duggan, on Flickr"><img alt="Falling (fake) rose" height="265" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8250/8613780671_3d53e11d3e_c.jpg" width="400" /></a>
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Fairly interesting image you might say. Obviously you will realize that isn't a real rose and sadly at the time I couldn't find the rose i would have liked to have used, So I used a cheap valentines day replica<br />
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For those interested in how this shot was taken, well, I've got you covered!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wez-photography/8616660131/" title="Setup for Falling Rose by Wesley Duggan, on Flickr"><img alt="Setup for Falling Rose" height="266" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8099/8616660131_005ae79487_c.jpg" width="400" /></a>
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Simple set up with good results. The flash aiming towards the (fake) rose has a 1/4 CTO gel on it. This is there to bring just a little warmth to the cool photo (pun wasn't intended there). This strobe also had a DIY gobo, made of paper, on it to prevent the spill I was getting on the background. The strobe in the back had 2 full blue gels on it to give it a very dark blue look.I cant recall the exact flash setting but i do know the rear flash was zoomed in to 105mm. The rose is actually on nothing other than some black card stock which to my surprise handles a bit of water quite well.<br />
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In the end I think I spent a few hours tinkering with this idea, but it sure id go by faster than I thought!<br />
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Soon to come will be a write up on the Rosco Strobist gels used in this image!<br />
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<br />wezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908922412749720372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4483961130021320972.post-18021601567983536382013-02-02T11:01:00.001-08:002013-06-30T01:34:56.337-07:00Commlite Comtrig T320 review<br />
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Introducing the Commlite Comtrig T320!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wez-photography/8438705892/" title="20130202photo13 by wez1007, on Flickr"><img alt="20130202photo13" height="322" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8356/8438705892_92b99d0f1f_c.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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These cheap and effective little triggers should be starting
to take over from the RF-602, but more on that later.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Specs:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<ul>
<li>Radio frequency: 2.4GHZ</li>
<li>Signal type: Frequency Shift Keying (FSK)</li>
<li>Antenna: Built-in PCB Antenna</li>
<li>Control Distance: 120m (subject to environmental
limitations)</li>
<li>Channels: 7</li>
<li>Normal triggering sync-speed: 1/320 second</li>
<li>Battery Type: 2 x AAA (2.4V~3.2V)</li>
<li>Standby time:</li>
<li>Transmitter T320-TX:
1000 days</li>
<li>Receiver T320-RX:
200 hours</li>
<li>Camera shutter port, Studio flash (RX)/ECP (TX) ports:
Ø2.5mm</li>
<li>Safe Port Voltage: 3.3V to camera (T320-TX), 300V from flash
(T320-RX)</li>
<li>Minimum latency: 400µs</li>
<li>Body Dimensions: 84*42*38mm (L*W*H)</li>
<li>Net Weight (without batteries or cables):</li>
<li>Transmitter T320-TX: 51g</li>
<li>Receiver T320-RX: 49g</li>
<li>Working Temperature: -15°C~65°C</li>
<li>Storage Temperature: -30°C~85°C</li>
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The T320 comes with a Transmitter (TX) and a receiver (RX).
Some may think this is a disadvantage over most triggers which are now
transducers (one unit can transmit or receive) However to me it makes little difference.
If a transmitter breaks just buy a new set and you’ll get a backup receiver. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Extra receivers can be bought separately which is what I did<o:p></o:p></div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wez-photography/8437619991/" title="20130202photo16 by wez1007, on Flickr"><img alt="20130202photo16" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8071/8437619991_5e0889a964_c.jpg" width="322" /></a>
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The T320 receiver has 2 ports on the left hand side which
are both 2.5mm audio sockets. <o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wez-photography/8437620415/" title="20130202photo10 by wez1007, on Flickr"><img alt="20130202photo10" height="322" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8237/8437620415_a3c08637a4_c.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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The one labeled camera can be connected to your cameras
remote port and allows one to use a set of triggers as a wireless shutter
release (and with the spec of up to 120m sync this can be quiet useful!).Unfortunately
cables are not supplied for this but can easily be hacked up. <o:p></o:p><br />
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The next port is used as a pc sync port to connect to your
flash. A cable is supplied with the triggers and goes from a 2.5mm jack to a
3.5mm jack. A 3.5 to 6.35mm jack is included for studio strobes.<o:p></o:p><br />
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For those of us that just don’t really bother with pc sync
ports there is also a hotshoe which has the ability to wake up flashes that
have gone into sleep mode. Sadly it didn’t seem to work with my YN468II. The
max voltage on the pc sync and hotshoe is 300v which should allow the use of older
High voltage flash units. This is a BIG plus as the older strobes can be picked
up often quiet cheaply.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wez-photography/8438706168/" title="20130202photo7 by wez1007, on Flickr"><img alt="20130202photo7" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8373/8438706168_7bb1122cdd_c.jpg" width="322" /></a><br />
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The transmitter also has 2 ports on the side<o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wez-photography/8438706382/" title="20130202photo12 by wez1007, on Flickr"><img alt="20130202photo12" height="301" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8473/8438706382_ddbe9af3a6.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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However this time the camera port is used as a second option
to triggering the flashes by connecting to the pc sync port on your camera (if
it has one which mine doesn’t). The other port, labeled ECP is used for sensor
style shooting. One can connect to a standard sensor to trigger a camera or
flash from movement or a change in ambient sound. There is however little
information on this port so I can’t comment on voltage limitations.<o:p></o:p><br />
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The right hand side of both transmitter and receiver is the
same.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wez-photography/8438705892/" title="20130202photo13 by wez1007, on Flickr"><img alt="20130202photo13" height="322" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8356/8438705892_92b99d0f1f_c.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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They both sport a nice on off switch which isn’t easily slid
into the on position in a bag. There is also a button which allows the user to
change the channel. <o:p></o:p><br />
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The T320 has up to 7 different channels but sadly doesn’t support
groupings (although you could have multiple triggers set to different channels and
trigger them individually but you won’t be able to trigger them all at once
unless they are set to the same channel.) The current channel can be displayed
by pressing the CH button when the trigger is on. Pressing it again will change
the triggers channel. <o:p></o:p><br />
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By far the best thing about the T320’s is that they use
NORMAL batteries - not the CR20 that most triggers use. AAA – OH YES!<o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wez-photography/8437620313/" title="20130202photo15 by wez1007, on Flickr"><img alt="20130202photo15" height="322" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8093/8437620313_d63a3b9062_c.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Overall I have really enjoyed these wireless triggers. The
fact that they sync up to 1/320<sup>th</sup> of a sec , work up to 120m, take
AAA batteries and have a proper screw mount make them worth the few bucks that
they retail for.<o:p></o:p><br />
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I might look at getting another set of RX and TX just to
make self-portraits and group shots (where I am in them) slightly easier<o:p></o:p></div>
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Where to buy:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Broadcast lighting: <a href="http://www.broadcastlighting.co.za/en/search?orderby=position&orderway=desc&search_query=t320&submit_search=Search">http://www.broadcastlighting.co.za/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Commlite website: <a href="http://www.commlite.com/en/disproduct.asp?id=38">http://www.commlite.com/en/disproduct.asp?id=38</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Update 30/06/13<br />
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The range on these little things is truly amazing. The little star of light is a flash that has one of the T320 receivers on it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wez-photography/8649247470/" title="T320 test by wezphotography, on Flickr"><img alt="T320 test" height="640" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8534/8649247470_c29ac1742e_z.jpg" width="427" /></a>wezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908922412749720372noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4483961130021320972.post-3192284246548306362012-12-31T15:05:00.002-08:002013-02-08T23:16:04.219-08:00The new year ahead - 2013First off: Happy new year to all! we all happen to still be here (well most of us in fact and we probably will be for the next couple of years to come. Lets wait and see what the next world Apocalypse idea will be.<br />
<br />
Enough about the world! Time for what you are really here about - Photography!<br />
I have been slacking slightly over the past few months and havn't really posted anything up here. I have thought about it, I just never got around to it. I am going to change that over the next few days.<br />
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I recently got some new kit (YAY!) which consists of a Canon 50mm f/1.8 and a tripod (cant remember the name or model now). I plan to do a review of both of these as well as my strobes and what ever else I have.<br />
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My resolution for this year is obviously to focus on my photography and also work hard on my Microsoft studies. Hopefully I can get my blog out there and make a name for myself, although I don't see the latter happening awfully soon.<br />
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<br />wezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908922412749720372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4483961130021320972.post-91346789952720890402012-11-19T11:07:00.001-08:002013-02-08T23:16:36.680-08:00FroKnowsPhoto CompetitionOne of the YouTube channels I've been subscribed to for a while has recently just started up a competition. This competition has over $7000 worth of stuff up for grabs like tripods and <a href="http://www.blackrapid.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Black Rapid straps</a>. If you are interested in entering <a href="http://woobox.com/xsbrj8/27tqdy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a>. More information can be found on the link to enter or on the following video. Good luck if you are entering!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/FZP7mJCkflY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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I am not a part of this competition I am just relaying the information through to anyone that reads my blog.wezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908922412749720372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4483961130021320972.post-76742940470430675522012-11-14T01:54:00.001-08:002013-02-08T23:17:32.385-08:00Isolated ImagesHere are a couple of images I took a while back. I've been a bit lazy and I am only uploading them now (sorry guys!)<br />
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Most of these images were meant to appear on my stock photography profiles but after I did some closer inspections of the images I noticed a lot of dust on some of the electrical components... BUMMER! Sometime ill have to redo these photos.<br />
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<a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7118/8160624391_4856d7bd4d_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7118/8160624391_4856d7bd4d_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7134/8160659476_d03fcdded1_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7134/8160659476_d03fcdded1_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The main thing i need to work on is getting rid of those shadows. Too much shadow and the images wont be accepted on stock websites. The reviewers are however lenient at times.<br />
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The next set of images are just some images I was playing around with<br />
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<a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8344/8160623407_30d7840fff_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8344/8160623407_30d7840fff_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7129/8160624111_a1e4b7255b_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7129/8160624111_a1e4b7255b_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And finally the setup shot for the shoe:<br />
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<a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8069/8160658532_dc96b0310d_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8069/8160658532_dc96b0310d_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is the way I had the background light set up. It was on a monopod and elastic banded to a tripod. I had to balance it with my reflector so it didn't fall into my shot.<br />
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<a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7258/8160658758_fc289cac1b_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7258/8160658758_fc289cac1b_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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In this shot you can see the complete setup. I had the key-light flash (main flash) setup with a shoot-through umbrella on another tripod<br />
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<br />wezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908922412749720372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4483961130021320972.post-84125255232083605602012-11-04T08:57:00.000-08:002013-02-08T23:18:00.441-08:00Update: General things<br />
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I really shouldn’t be writing a post now as I should be
studying hard for my matric exams but anyways.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Couple of things to update on: <o:p></o:p></div>
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Firstly- since the last time I made a post I have taken
exactly 0 photographs. Yes you read that correctly! Zero! I know you’re just as
disappointed as I am. However I have been busy with a few other things such as
email signatures, email accounts and other forms of social media. Hopefully at
the end of my exams (the 26<sup>th</sup> of November - It’s soon!) I can put my
head down and really crack on through all the things I’d like to do. <o:p></o:p></div>
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One of the things I’ve been doing a lot of is checking back
here every day or so and I have to admit I didn’t think the amount of people viewing
my page would be this great. In about a month my total page views went from a
measly 100 to over 550! This just shows you how important a well created online
status/profile can be. If you are reading this and you are wanting to establish
yourself as a photographer (hay even if you have a company and want to see a
boost in sales and whatnot) you should stay tuned for the next month or so and
see what I post here. I’m not saying I know it all but anyone can learn!<o:p></o:p></div>
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While doing my email signature I wasn’t too sure on what to
write (obviously you write your details and stuff) but sometimes when it comes
down to it you just can’t put the idea on digital paper. So I did a quick Google
search and saw a few ideas. One of the websites that came up had a handful of
examples which looked quite good. You can view the website <a href="http://www.wisestamp.com/signature-examples" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HERE</a>. <o:p></o:p></div>
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If you happen to be one of those guys (or girls) that just has
no idea what an email signature is or how to set it you can go <a href="http://office.microsoft.com/en-za/outlook-help/demo-create-and-use-an-e-mail-signature-HA010210657.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HERE</a>, it’s a Microsoft
demo/resource on creating an email signature<o:p></o:p></div>
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for those who are interested my email signature looks something like this:<br />
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<span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-no-proof: yes; mso-themecolor: dark2;">--------------------<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-no-proof: yes; mso-themecolor: dark2;">Wesley Duggan<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-no-proof: yes; mso-themecolor: dark2;">Wez Photography<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-no-proof: yes; mso-themecolor: dark2;">Email: </span><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-no-proof: yes; mso-themecolor: dark2;"><a href="mailto:infoatwezphotography.co.za"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 9.0pt;">infoatwezphotography.co.za</span></a></span><span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-no-proof: yes; mso-themecolor: dark2;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: 9pt;">Web: </span><span style="color: #1f497d;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.wezphotography.co.za"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 9.0pt;">www.wezphotography.co.za</span></a></span> <o:p></o:p></div>
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At a later stage I'll add in some eye-candy when I get my logo done. obviously the email address has the at in it to prevent spam-bots and such on the blog.<br />
<br />wezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908922412749720372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4483961130021320972.post-79971170635141439182012-10-23T06:13:00.001-07:002013-02-08T23:19:28.348-08:00Stock Photography in South Africa - It's Not All That EasyHi all,<br />
<br />
So I've done a few uploads of my images and well out of 4 uploads 1 was selected. Fotolia accepted <a href="http://www.fotolia.com/id/45863874">my stapler image</a> but Dreamstime complained about exposure and contrast. At least they give more details as to what is wrong with your image when compared to Fotolia.<br />
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Many stock photographers have said never give up. Most of them only got accepted on the 4th try and even after that still received many rejections (its heart breaking i know) but after a few months of work and dedication the amount of images that they have had accepted has grown.<br />
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stock photography is not that easy! you have to think in terms of the reviewers and the buyers. If you don't you'll just be wasting your time. So be patient and work hard!wezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908922412749720372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4483961130021320972.post-51370231615749398252012-10-20T11:17:00.004-07:002013-04-03T15:36:57.133-07:00Photography Hints and Tips - Google and Its Usefulness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Some of you may have notice my blog has had some changes recently (moving up in the world as some would say). It has been tweaked and formed into something more pleasing to the eye over time and has been slightly monetized. This is not all though. Today i managed to link up my long dormant domain to my blog and you (yes you) can view my blog by typing <a href="http://www.wezphotography.co.za/">www.wezphotography.co.za</a> into your preferred browser. Don't worry you could still use the old link if you really wanted to but i don't see why you would.</div>
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That is not all i managed to get done today. I learnt about <a href="http://www.google.com/enterprise/apps/business/">Google Apps</a> - A really awesome solution for any enterprise, company or individual. Google Apps allows you to set up a mail server for your domain and it will be exactly the same as a Gmail account only difference is instead of @gmail.com you have @yourdomain.com . This Google service also includes Google Drive - an online storage facility. </div>
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Now the best bit about Google Apps is that individuals and small businesses can sign up for free. At the time of writing you will get up to 10 users (for email addresses i presume) and up to 5GB of online storage. I'm not sure about the other perks yet but i saw those as the most useful. If you have a domain name i would recommend you give this a looksee. It wont cost you a cent</div>
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lastly the other thing i have been working on today is a logo for my photography. So far this is what i have come up with. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4L9VdSUVhFZCQzihhKRjL4B-sb7DZDD2qD4y9RIYChDgGbNyIbP96_nxgtMHogGN_qB8oF3aDEETgafMcdm_462mpSvo8ybQhMXEFLW8rRwZRIlbQDClGqkwRtuhD4UNPRCP90w1ArhY/s1600/12074316381897390831camera+black.svg.hi.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4L9VdSUVhFZCQzihhKRjL4B-sb7DZDD2qD4y9RIYChDgGbNyIbP96_nxgtMHogGN_qB8oF3aDEETgafMcdm_462mpSvo8ybQhMXEFLW8rRwZRIlbQDClGqkwRtuhD4UNPRCP90w1ArhY/s200/12074316381897390831camera+black.svg.hi.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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The idea behind it is the play on the word shoot. As photographers we "shoot" pictures. The gun is a Glock 23 if anyone is interested. There is more to it then that but ill speak about it more when i finish the other things relating to the logo.</div>
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Update 04/04/13: it seems Google no longer offers Google apps for free :( however those who managed to sign up for it when it was offered will still be able to use it! (for how long I'm not too sure..)wezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908922412749720372noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4483961130021320972.post-84018420370128251052012-10-20T11:15:00.001-07:002013-02-08T23:21:21.222-08:00Stock Photography in South Africa - First image accepted!Hi all,<br />
<br />
This morning i woke up to see an email i have been waiting for all week<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;">Hello wezphotography,</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;">
Congratulations!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;">
Fotolia has approved photo 45863874. The image is now available for sale. It
may take up to 24 hours before our search engine in</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">corporates your image into
the keyword database. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;">
Regards,</span></blockquote>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
Was very stoked to see this! I'm sure many felt the same way i did and I am sure many others will feel the same when they start to venture into stock photography.<br />
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One thing i have learnt about stock photography is never give up its a learning curve. I was rejected by istockphoto long ago but my technique and skill has improved vastly since then. <br />
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if you would like to check out the picture that was accepted <a href="http://us.fotolia.com/id/45863874">click here</a> or if you would like to view my portfolio you may <a href="http://us.fotolia.com/p/203559640">click here</a>wezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908922412749720372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4483961130021320972.post-48343939907469819142012-10-15T13:27:00.002-07:002013-02-08T23:21:45.650-08:00Stock Photography in South Africa - Good newsThis is a follow up from my previous post: <a href="http://wezphotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/stock-photography-in-south-africa-eish.html" target="_blank">Stock Photography in South Africa.. EISH</a>!<br />
<br />
I have done some more reading into Microstock photography and many Stock photographers in South Africa say by far the easiest way to go is through <a href="https://www.moneybookers.com/app/">Moneybookers</a>. Paypal is definitely a good way to go but the high withdraw fees (Paypal + reserve bank + your bank + FNB) turn people away not to mention the monopoly of FNB being the bank that controls withdraws in our country.<br />
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One of the other things I have read about is that<a href="http://www.fotolia.com/partner/203559640" target="_blank"> Fotalia</a> and <a href="http://www.dreamstime.com/register-resi5155800" target="_blank">Dreamstime</a> (signing up through these links gives me a small commission) are good starting points for new stock photographers as they are more lenient on accepting images compared to <a href="http://www.istockphoto.com/" target="_blank">Istockphoto</a>. Once you have had a handful of images accepted on Dreamstime or Fotalia then upload your best selling images to istockphoto. This way you are less likely to be rejected, wait 30 days to resubmit sample images and you will make some money if your istockphoto samples get rejected. Its a win-win situation really.<br />
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here is my Dreamtimes profile if anyone is interested: <a href="http://www.dreamstime.com/Wezphotography_info" target="_blank">wezphotography - Dreamstime</a><br />
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More info to come<br />
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<br />wezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908922412749720372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4483961130021320972.post-71022809063316279152012-10-15T10:10:00.002-07:002013-02-08T23:22:03.863-08:00Exams around the cornerHi all,
My posts here may be less frequent over the next 7 weeks as I will be writing my final exams (yay school will be over!) but after that I should be back in full swing. When I return I will hopefully full this blog up with loads of guides, pictures and general information.
wezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908922412749720372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4483961130021320972.post-7715190938846553042012-10-13T01:50:00.001-07:002013-02-08T23:23:21.491-08:00Lighting DiagramsHi all,<br />
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I've been putting a lot of research into this blog (spent most of last night and this morning on it: small tweaks etc.) I decided to help out those interested in starting photography or need help with lighting since this is what has been my biggest interest ever since I saw David Hobbies blog. Definitely worth checking it out by clicking the picture below<br />
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<a href="http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/02/welcome-to-strobist.html"><img border="0" height="100" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3792/2480/1600/200x100white.jpg" width="200" /></a>
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My plan for this blog is to post pictures that i take and
also post the lighting diagrams and shot set-up for said image. I will also
post some guides and general tips on the things I have learnt in my research. Hopefully
ill inspire a few people and maybe get famous (don’t we all want that?)<br />
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Anyways here is the lighting diagram for the photo I posted
earlier, I didn't take an actual shot of the layout but this should be good
enough. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wez-photography/8082115704/" title="lighting-diagram-High key by wez1007, on Flickr"><img alt="lighting-diagram-High key" height="640" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8465/8082115704_2bd0d3cd38_z.jpg" width="583" /></a>
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As can be seen in the diagram I have used 2 strobes to take this photo. I had the one strobe facing a white cupboard door more or less straight on. This created the extreme white background. My key light was on the left with a shoot through umbrella (got to love soft light). I then used a gold reflector as my fill light and to add some golden tone to the face and hair.</div>
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After some playing around I figured the best way to get these high key shots is to set the lights up in layers (lighting in layers as David would say.) Start with the white background. set the strobe up and do some test shots of the strobe against the white background. Check your histogram (the chart thing when reviewing your images) and make sure you are getting it exposed all the way to the right. most people like to get the white to clip which is what would give the best white (as there will be no detail in the whites) but this can lead to lens flare or a cast over your image if the background is too bright. </div>
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Next up set up your key light with your model in place and adjust that to expose your model. </div>
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Once that is all done get the model to hold a reflector or have someone else hold it. The reflector fills in those harsh shadows and give a more even look to the image.</div>
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The diagram is created via <a href="http://www.lightingdiagrams.com/Creator" target="_blank">an online lighting diagram creator.</a> This is a rather useful diagram creator as it has many different lighting
modifier symbols and is very easy to use. Go check it out!<o:p></o:p></div>
wezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908922412749720372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4483961130021320972.post-41210384809739477502012-10-12T13:31:00.001-07:002012-10-12T23:34:04.824-07:001st High key shot<div style="font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0 0 10px 0; padding: 0;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wez-photography/8080782564/" title="1st High key shot"><img alt="1st High key shot by wez1007" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8186/8080782564_16469d60be.jpg" /></a><br />
<span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wez-photography/8080782564/">1st High key shot</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wez-photography/">wez1007</a> on Flickr.</span></div>
my first High Key photo. still some fixing to be done to it but its not too bad. slight gradient on the top of the background. nothing a little Photoshop cant fix! next up is learning how to do clipping paths!wezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908922412749720372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4483961130021320972.post-48691498087719282932012-10-12T09:53:00.001-07:002013-02-08T23:23:56.390-08:00Stock Photography in South Africa.. EISH!Hi all.<br />
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I have started the great venture into the world of stock photography! I've gone through a couple of books and I am currently improving my knowledge on Lightroom and Photoshop processing.<br />
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I have seen the need to start making a couple bucks off of my photography as a lot of time and money has been invested in equipment and knowledge. I do not really charge people around my small town for photographs since there is a lot of competition and I am still new to it all. However I have a few tricks up my sleeve. If I offer people photo shoots for close to nothing but then tell them in return all they need to do a couple photos for myself (ok not those exact words but I'm sure you get the idea). This would mean the model / client is happy since they pay a very decent amount for their shoot and I am happy because I earn a little money off the shoot and possibly more off the long lasting stock. Win-win situation!<br />
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The one thing I am battling with is having an istockphoto contributors account in South Africa. The main problem is: How does one cash in on their earnings? Sadly I have done a few searches and they have all been fruitless.<br />
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When and if I find some info on this matter I shall post it. Hopefully others wanting to follow my path (and the path of many others) will stumble across this info and I am hoping it will be of use to them.<br />
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Lastly.. I think I need to update my blog a bit more.<br />
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EDIT: just had a chat with a rep from istockphoto.com and she said that i should check with my bank if they will accept cheques of foreign currency. paypal is still quite a big option but for a student the need for a credit card isn't always justified. will see how this goes..<br />
<br />wezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908922412749720372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4483961130021320972.post-91362032908688793452012-08-19T06:02:00.001-07:002013-02-08T23:24:47.550-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
my flashes have all arrived! I now own a YN 560 (pretty big and powerful if you ask me) and a YN468 II both of which are amazing speedlights. I have now got an umbrella as well. after watching David Hobbys' lighting seminars I decided that I NEEDED at least 1 umbrella and so ordered one.</div>
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below is some of the shots i have done over the past few days, Enjoy!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGC54i9zN255-EL6cYd_amxUNyc0U20Fk6a2eMxald7PKZ09rwvJwMmtVVXlUlBZG1oyoWOypWjrKfS2tipua8XtWclEV5t0xe_DiOxujJfrr4ODzCn_sj5RHrb04fn7k6fC1kwIpkbs/s1600/_MG_0633-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGC54i9zN255-EL6cYd_amxUNyc0U20Fk6a2eMxald7PKZ09rwvJwMmtVVXlUlBZG1oyoWOypWjrKfS2tipua8XtWclEV5t0xe_DiOxujJfrr4ODzCn_sj5RHrb04fn7k6fC1kwIpkbs/s320/_MG_0633-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This shot was done with a Cannon 18mm - 55mm III lens. I used the YN 468II on camera in manual mode and the 560 on the right of the bees as a slave with the umbrella on it.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4s73qa9RdlC4l5u06B6ZdirXavwjyKXk0S61a-fV6L-y49aiIsOzS8PLL2DSvwaYDP-8O2P8gMfrqcxptw_0ZLxYg-Ok-K7brp4qFW7dGOKsw0iXa2FTrLk_24NwSX2hLMpzDbatTwGo/s1600/_MG_0663.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4s73qa9RdlC4l5u06B6ZdirXavwjyKXk0S61a-fV6L-y49aiIsOzS8PLL2DSvwaYDP-8O2P8gMfrqcxptw_0ZLxYg-Ok-K7brp4qFW7dGOKsw0iXa2FTrLk_24NwSX2hLMpzDbatTwGo/s320/_MG_0663.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This shot is done of my mate at the shooting range with the same lens. i had the 560 to the left and above me and the 468 was to the right low on the ground (you can see the patch of grass that was highlighted from it)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTdjS81q3o_BFetv62apfFB-9wJkbds0YX3Z5vRbme6Abss56eyjcvQTLnOUHQsFWV8NwzKtHpUxB6GrtgdijY9WnZJOVVUCua38RoEsUqbjzP1_IdmTiG5JfmFemgmyvJEYvJEH4W_Mo/s1600/_MG_0722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTdjS81q3o_BFetv62apfFB-9wJkbds0YX3Z5vRbme6Abss56eyjcvQTLnOUHQsFWV8NwzKtHpUxB6GrtgdijY9WnZJOVVUCua38RoEsUqbjzP1_IdmTiG5JfmFemgmyvJEYvJEH4W_Mo/s320/_MG_0722.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This shot was done off of a deck with the 560 and an umbrella on the left. the 468 was mounted on camera and set a few stops down</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJbgtiFbWuelUkWl3In74vYHwh4-Vvs7ASzIEwBN5OUC6sH_4GFxO0oFGEAJdgR6DR3K5qiZGuJN5MZQYO7rqSVnco8PurI3Q-CPtqDuQna6C9HRa_Fdr2wSQzqxdeklibowubMEM8KII/s1600/_MG_0758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJbgtiFbWuelUkWl3In74vYHwh4-Vvs7ASzIEwBN5OUC6sH_4GFxO0oFGEAJdgR6DR3K5qiZGuJN5MZQYO7rqSVnco8PurI3Q-CPtqDuQna6C9HRa_Fdr2wSQzqxdeklibowubMEM8KII/s320/_MG_0758.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a little (note very little!) light tent i made after reading up on David Hobbys' <a href="http://strobist.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">blog</a> about DIY camera gear. it is a simple cardboard box with a few cut-outs and paper. normal printing paper was used to soften the light and stiffer paper used as the backdrop (150gsm)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1bKByi8TtoL6SHMpuhz3V9KPh2jAN28hHHOXAK77eNvWVGH4CVjGALBj3gSRiaPwqZz52Dm7kLukIkMQbInDej7EldoXUF-eTnDRl8p62R9dXPjhkDvGvN8vTtgK0_fCZ__1LBSHRc0/s1600/_MG_0756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1bKByi8TtoL6SHMpuhz3V9KPh2jAN28hHHOXAK77eNvWVGH4CVjGALBj3gSRiaPwqZz52Dm7kLukIkMQbInDej7EldoXUF-eTnDRl8p62R9dXPjhkDvGvN8vTtgK0_fCZ__1LBSHRc0/s320/_MG_0756.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this is what it produced!</td></tr>
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<br />wezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908922412749720372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4483961130021320972.post-52013943468031040692012-08-07T13:32:00.001-07:002012-08-07T13:44:42.913-07:00Yn468II returned...<div><p>So my yungunuo yn468II had to be returned.... pretty sad about that. There could be a number of things that caused it... bad connection and maybe even slight overheating (running in slave mode with other people taking photos will lead to an overheated flash...) but hopefully it will be back in a week or so... next in the pipeline is a new YN560 (1st gen) if I can get it on auction for under R600. Otherwise ill be investing in a set of yungunuo 301p triggers ( I think that was the model number but I'm not really sure) anyway its a set of 2 receivers and one transmitter. It has the hotshoe mount on the top with a pc sync port on the side (I'm hoping both can be used symitaniously. ) an up side to these little tirggers is they will mount ontop of a tripod (they have the thread underneath) which is awesome if you can't afford a lightstand and umbrella mount ... shall post an update soon. In the mean time here is a link to my flickker.. couple shots on there and more to come </p>
<p> <a href="http:// http://www.flickr.com/photos/wez-photography/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/wez-photography/</a> <br>
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</div>wezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908922412749720372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4483961130021320972.post-64726701184476468742012-07-23T10:17:00.001-07:002012-08-07T13:46:14.201-07:00Stock photography<div><p>Just resigned up for a istockphoto account... hopefully i can start making some passive income off of it.</p>
<p>EDIT: may be a while before that starts to happen.... havnt managed to get some models ect... maybe a still life table is a good idea<br>
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</div>wezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908922412749720372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4483961130021320972.post-71691884993065818422012-07-21T01:43:00.000-07:002012-07-21T01:47:02.122-07:00<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8002/7614094446_7b58ac464a_k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8002/7614094446_7b58ac464a_k.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">new flash + cardboard snoot = awesome selective light</td></tr>
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so as you can see the new flash is awesome.fairly powerful and very well built absolutely no wobble on the hot-shoe and the tilt and rotating is solid. next up are some gels, YN560s and some wireless triggers<br />
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<br />wezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908922412749720372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4483961130021320972.post-85075271724865748352012-07-19T07:46:00.000-07:002012-07-19T07:46:39.130-07:00first post! and some awesomness to come!been a busy week so far. with school projects and all... however this weekend should be interesting as my new Yungnuo YN468II has just arrived... possibly some pictures and a slight review are on the way!!wezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08908922412749720372noreply@blogger.com0