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Staff photos FA77 ltd

Darkmunk
Posted 21/03/2014 - 10:56 Link
Thought you might be interested to see how the 77 performs in the field.
I went with the 100 macro, the DA*50-135, but started with the 77 ltd.
I have taken almost all the staff shots for Fine Tubes and a load of macro and product shots, but this series may interest you.
Brief was for a clinical, bright, modern look. I chose to use the large office as my backdrop. It's lit by strip lamps and windows and comes out very yellow and grimy looking if left to the camera.
Here, I used one off-camera strobe, gelled to match the strip lights and reflected off an umbrella. Shooting through the umbrella would have been less precise and risked flare in the lens.
When I only had the K10d I had to fire flashes down the office to light up it up, but the K5 is more than capable of picking up the ambient light and leaving the strobe to light the model gently.
I think the FA77mm Ltd has made a beautiful job of rendering this image. Over the years, I have used the 100 macro and Sigma 85mm 1:4 (least successful), but I'm happiest with the 77.
The job needs to be very quick and not disturb the other staff, so it's a nice little challenge
F4, 1/40th, 400iso
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Papa_Lazarou
Posted 21/03/2014 - 11:18 Link
Lovely image. The '77 is a gem.
Foolishly I sold my copy last Summer, to raise funds for a holiday.
I've just bought another, which arrived just minutes ago.
I'm shooting more portraits these days. Looking forward to revisiting the little black jewel.
AlJones2402
Posted 21/03/2014 - 11:21 Link
Great job and attractive lady too.
RalphHardwick
Posted 21/03/2014 - 11:28 Link
Mark excellent photo with a very good balance of ambient and OCF lighting.

I know it's slightly off topic but would you mind explaining your process for choosing the correct gel for the flash and what make you use?
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CaptureLight Ltd
flickr
"I carry a camera to capture memories and the occasional photograph worthy of sharing"
Darkmunk
Posted 21/03/2014 - 11:52 Link
Totally on-topic Ralph.
I simply read the gel titles and make a stab at the one I think will balance the light.
I bought one of those gel test blocks and I just rip them out and tape them to the flash.
It was an odd sort of tungsten light, so I warmed up the flash and set the white balance in RAW to tungsten ( I think) may have been fluorescent, but in any case, just experiment.
RalphHardwick
Posted 21/03/2014 - 13:42 Link
Ahhhh, the educated guess method . I like your style
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CaptureLight Ltd
flickr
"I carry a camera to capture memories and the occasional photograph worthy of sharing"
Darkmunk
Posted 21/03/2014 - 13:52 Link
Lol, always
There were about 5 different temperatures of light bouncing around and mixing behind the model to produce a yellowish light so essentially I was looking for a yellowish gel to balance it.
Then tell ACR that everything was yellowish
Smeggypants
Posted 22/03/2014 - 07:41 Link
I like this.

Mainly because it's not actually clinical ( even though that was the brief ) but it is bright and fairly modern and the nice lady looks fairly relaxed and comfortable with the shooting.

The choice of a shallow DOF is the key to this shot IMO. It manages to portray an office environment while fuzzing out the depressive ethos of it, which would have only been distractive and put a negative vibe on the subject.

I don't think it's easy to shoot an office scene and make it look attractive or clinically staid so well done on this.




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[i]Bodies: 1x K-5IIs, 2x K-5, Sony TX-5, Nokia 808
Lenses: Pentax DA 10-17mm ED(IF) Fish Eye, Pentax DA 14mm f/2.8, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8, Pentax-A 28mm f/2.8, Sigma 30mm F1.4 EX DC, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.2, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-FA 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.7, Pentax DA* 50-135mm f/2.8, Sigma 135-400mm APO DG, and more ..
Flash: AF-540FGZ, Vivitar 283
Darkmunk
Posted 22/03/2014 - 09:07 Link
Thanks Smeggypants, Yes, clinical was the wrong word. They wanted to look modern, clean, high-tech, even tho' making tubes is a mucky business.
Here are some of their products:
Large Hadron Collider cooling tubes.
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Reaction Engine Cooling Tubes - 'make them look small!'. These tiny tubes enabled this revolutionary engine to be developed. I had to re-cut them and polish the ends on a little jig as the magnification makes them look really scruffy! I gave them several ideas.
This is the one they chose:
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These are the ones I like
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DrOrloff
Posted 22/03/2014 - 10:08 Link
Very impressive work. Looks great.
davidstorm
Posted 22/03/2014 - 11:51 Link
Superb stuff Mark, it's great to see some successful commercial work with Pentax gear. I love the imagination you have applied to these shots in the first instance and then the skill to turn your ideas into effective shots that really convey the message you were asked to convey.

Regards
David
Flickr

Nicola's Apartments, Kassiopi, Corfu

Some cameras, some lenses, some bits 'n' bobs
Darkmunk
Posted 22/03/2014 - 13:08 Link
Thanks guys
Fletcher8
Posted 27/03/2014 - 10:55 Link
Mark, that last image is superb. but i like them all. The 77 has worked really well. you state that the Sigma 85mm 1:4 (least successful), can you expand on any reasons. I ask because I went with the Sigma 85 rather than the Pentax 77. I am really liking the Sigma 85 and the look it can produce.

The image of the pipes and ant, was that taken with a Pentax 100 macro? It works really well.
Fletcher8.
Darkmunk
Posted 27/03/2014 - 11:28 Link
Thanks, I can't remember what I took that with. Probably the 100. Sometimes I put a Raynox on the end, other times on extension tubes.

I found the Sigma looked good at shoots, giving an air of authority, but was too heavy and large to carry for hobby shooting. It seemed to miss focus quite often. I didn't give it a very fair shot as I sold it after 6 months, but the 77 just hit the mark right away and is such a little gem it's always with me. I bought an LX film body just to work with the 77, I'm so taken with it.
Fletcher8
Posted 27/03/2014 - 11:52 Link
I think I am going to take a look at the Raynox.
Fletcher8.

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