Photocamp Utah 2010: Wrap-up

At Photocamp Utah 2010 I presented a workshop demonstrating high-speed photography. As promised, here are my notes (pdf). The video from my presentation can be seen here; the first little bit was taken during setup so it takes a bit before it really gets into the presentation itself. All the videos can be seen here.

Some points of clarification

I was asked a couple questions afterward and thought I'd share them to help clarify what I talked about. If there are other questions, please leave a comment and I'll update this post.

What kind of camera can I use?

For the first setup, any camera that has continuous fire mode and a means of firing a flash will work. Typically this means something with a hotshoe connector on it.

For the second setup, any camera that can be set to a long enough shutter speed to allow you to trip the shutter and then cause the event will work. Since the trigger fires the light which causes the exposure, you just need to be able to have the shutter open when the light goes off.

For the third setup, the camera needs to have a remote shutter release connection.

Can I use the built-in flash?

This will only work for setups one and three and depends on the model of your camera and how much control you have over the flash. My camera does not have a power adjustment for the built-in flash so it won't keep up with drive mode. I think some cameras do have the ability to adjust the power and so they may work.

Will any battery powered flash work?

The key is to have one that has multiple power settings; the lower the power setting the better. I have an older flash that I've used for relatively slow things that works acceptably with it's lowest setting of 1/16th power. It probably would be too slow for things faster, like BBs or bullets.

Regarding setup three, how do I connect the triggers to the camera?

I had a cable that connected the trigger to the shutter release. This will probably involve a custom cable. This was easily done with my camera model since the shutter release plug is a standard size commonly used in audio applications. Some models of cameras have a plug unique to that camera manufacturer. In these cases, you may have to buy a shutter release button and cut the end off to connect the wires to the trigger.

There are also setups where you could use a radio to connect the trigger to the camera. This will require cables to connect the trigger to the radio transmitter. (This is the same as for setup two.) And you'll also need a cable to connect the receiver to the camera's remote shutter release. What this looks like is highly dependent on the radio and camera models.

Setup diagrams

Diagram templates courtesy Kevin Kertz.

Setup 1

Setup 2

Setup 3

Other wrap-up blog articles

In no particular order, here are some other Photocamp Utah wrap-up blog articles. If there are others, let me know about them and I'll add them to the list.

• Pat Wright wrote about volunteering and community.
• Mike Tittel wrote about the Business of Photography panel.
• Ann Torrence recapped the event in general.
• Nathan Marx recalls his thoughts on Zack Arias' closing keynote.
• Nicole related her Photocamp experience with raising her children.
• Alicia D reminds us of Zack's Transform video that brought him to our attention.
• Ryan makes some observations about the volunteers.
• Dav.d shares an HDR tutorial based on his presentation.
• Torsten Bangerter learned you have to have a goatee to be successful as a full-time photographer.
• Parker Grimes gives us his perspective as someone who had to drive four hours to get here.
• Nicole Young thanks the key players that made this a success.
• Quinn gives us a refresher on the high points of the opening and closing keynotes.

Photocamp Utah 2010: Inexpensive High-speed Photography

Two months from today, over 300 photographers will descend on the Miller Conference Center for a day-long conference filled with workshops, networking, learning and fun. It's the second annual Photocamp Utah event. In spite of a larger venue with room for 50% more people and a technical problem just before registration started, tickets sold out in six hours.

I will present a workshop again this year. To keep with last year's McGyver-ish theme of doing things cheap, I will talk about the basics of high-speed photography and how to do it with equipment most photographers already have or can get inexpensively, such as the HiViz kits I recently built. A live demonstration will illustrate the points and show how to set things up for a shot like the one above.

I hope to see you there. If you see me, be sure to say "Hi".

What Would MacGyver Do?

At Photocamp Utah, I presented several do-it-yourself projects. This posting contains the details of those projects. Details can be seen in the pictures in the power point notes (pptx).

Clamps

The first project were clamps that can have flashes or cameras or any other device that is designed to be mounted on a tripod. All the materials come from a home improvement store.

• Spring clamp. Some brands come with holes pre-drilled in them. Look for them since it's easier to construct without having to drill a hole. If the clamps used don't have holes, drill a hole in the side by the hinge large enough for the 1/4" bolt.
• 1/4-20 bolt. Make sure the bolt does not have a shoulder on it. Typically 1" long bolts work well.
• 1/4-20 Jam nut.
• Locktite or lock washer for 1/4" bolt.
• 1/4-20 Flange nut.
• Fender washer. Make sure the hole in the washer is large enough for the nut part of the flange nut but not for the flange to go through.
• Two-part epoxy.

Put the bolt through the clamp from the inside, place the lock washer on the bolt and then tighten the jam nut on the bolt. Use the epoxy to glue the fender washer to the flange nut. When set, screw the nut onto the bolt, flange side up. Any accessory with a standard tripod mount can be attached to the clamp. Use the flange bolt to lock the accessory in place.

Light tent

The second project was a light tent. These provide a very even light for small objects. They're frequently used for product shots.

From home improvement store:

• 18 ft of 1/2" PVC pipe. Length needed is dependent on the size of the box desired. For the demonstration, I had 8 lengths 24 inches long and 4 lengths 30 inches long.
• 8 tees
• 8 elbows
• Or 8 corner connectors (if they have them)
• 8 thread x slip adapters
• Clips. Clips can be made either from the same sized pipe if using thin walled pipe or the next size up if using thick walled pipe. Cut in short pieces several inches long and then slice out about a third length-wise.

From party supply store:

• White, disposable table cloth
• Large sheets of paper to use as a backdrop.

Cut the pipe to the desired lengths. Eight equal lengths are needed for two sides and four equal lengths are needed to connect them together. All twelve can be the same length if you want a cube. Slide the pipes into the corner pieces to make a frame. Drape the table cloth over the frame and use the clips to hold the backdrop and table cloth in place.

An alternate design using just a cardboard box and tissue paper can be found in this Strobist article. Thanks Elizabeth for the reminder!

Speedlight modifiers

Finally, I talked a bit about light modifiers for flashes. Velcro can be wrapped around the flash head to use as a mounting point for various light-weight gobos, snoots, grids, small light boxes and gel holders. Thin craft foam available at craft stores can be purchased in sheets and cut with scissors to any desired size and shape. Ready made accessories can be purchased at Honl Photo or the pictures used as inspiration for your own designs.

References

• Tinker tubes
• Flickr DIY group
• DIYPhotography
• PhotoJoJo
• My notes (MS PowerPoint 2007)

Photocamp Utah 2009 wrap-up

Photocamp Utah 2009 is over and by all accounts was a great success! We had a couple rough edges and learned a few things to do better next year, but many, many more things went right than had problems. Jeremy Hall coordinated a great group of people each taking responsibility for different areas and every one doing a bang-up job. It couldn't have been done without a lot of work by many people.

The speakers I heard were all excellent with different perspectives to share. I am still amazed that the seemingly small niche of photography has such a wide variety within it. From technical techniques to visual style, there seems to be infinite diversity in peoples' photographic vision. This was especially evident in the final series of rapid-fire presentations where we saw everything from urban decay to landscapes to sacred places.

And of course it would have all been for naught without all the wonderful attendees. Everyone was enthusiastic and encouraging. There was a superb, energetic buzz throughout the day as people talked, laughed, shared and learned from each other.

If you haven't already, be sure to sign up for notification of future events at the Photocamp UT website.

Finally, Mike Calanan, the official Photocamp Utah photographer, has his photos online in this Flickr set and there's the Photocamp Utah group pool where everyone can post their pictures from the event.

Congratulations to everyone for such a dynamic, fun-filled day.

Photocamp Utah 2009

I'm really looking forward to Saturday's first ever Photocamp Utah event. The event officially runs from 8am to 6pm. I expect it to be a great day of sharing with a lot of other photography enthusiasts, learning some things in the workshops and generally being inspired. My own workshop on making photography equipment is coming along fairly well and hope someone finds it informative. Looking at the list of other presenters, I'm humbled to be included.

Space is limited and the registrations filled up fast. I know there were a number of people interested in going who weren't able to sign up in time. On the main website there is a form to sign up for mailings about future events. Go sign up now so you won't miss the next one.

If you are on Twitter, you can also follow PhotoCampUtah for the latest news and details.

If you see me there and we haven't met, be sure to come up and introduce yourself. And of course, if we have met, make sure to say "Hi".

Hope to see you there.

Photocamp Utah 2009: WWMD

I am humbled, honored and excited to lead a workshop at the first Photocamp Utah event. This is an all day conference on Saturday, March 14th, starting at 8am and going until evening. The scheduled events end at 5pm, but there will be groups going out for dinner and photowalking the Provo area afterward for those interested. We have a great organizing team who are doing a fabulous job getting the facilities, speakers and all the other details that go into making something like this come together.

As of this morning, registrations hit the original limit. After speaking with the facility owners, it was decided to allow another 75 registrations. If you are planning on going, make sure to register soon because seats are going fast.

My presentation is entitled WWMD: Using everyday objects in photography. I am planning to talk about and demonstrate a handful of easy to make gadgets, useful in your photographic endeavors. I have yet to finalize on exactly what I am going to present, but at least some of the projects built in the workshop will be given to attendees.

Hope to see you there!

Photowalking Utah: Studio lighting and Photocamp Utah 2009

There are several photography events approaching.

First, this week: on Thursday, Rich Legg presents a mini-clinic on How to Get Great Studio Lighting Results for Under $250. He will use low-cost lights and inexpensive light modifiers with a number of different setups to get great portraits. He will have his camera tethered to a computer with a projector, so attendees can immediately see the results from each configuration.

Date: Thursday, February 19th
Time: 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Location: Salt Lake City Main Library - 210 E 400 South, Conf. room #4, 4th floor
Cost: Free

Second thing this week: on Saturday, following many requests, there will be a repeat of last year's successful Studio Lighting Photowalk. Six areas will be setup in a large room with studio lights, backdrops and models. Participants will be able try out the different lighting equipment with their own cameras.

Date: Saturday February 21st
Time: 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Location: Gateway Community Church, 584 E 12300 South - Draper
Cost: Free (though a suggested model tip of $3-5 is appreciated)

Go here to ask questions or RSVP for these events.

Finally, next month is the much anticipated Photocamp Utah 2009. This is a one day event filled with keynote speakers, workshops and several vendors supporting the photographic community. The full schedule is here. At the end of the day, we'll have an evening photowalk. Cost is $10 to cover facilities expenses. There will be lunch and dinner breaks but food is not included. Seating is limited so be sure to pre-register to ensure your seat. If you're interested in spreading the word, there are flyers available for download.