I would absolutely love a K1, but I can't have one, so I'm delighted the results from the K7 are up to scratch, thanks! Luckily I am able to keep playing to it's strengths .... Using 3 flashes at ISO100 is always a good bet!

I tend to take what I get with catchlights, in this case the square shape of the softbox.

Thanks also Peter!

We had two start new schools last week, and this one began Reception class. As can be seen from this shot after he got home, it had been a good day!

Lighting setup and settings the same as in this thread … link

Pentax K7 / D FA28-105mm

Hi Stuart, the wide angle panel on the flash spreads the light over the angle of view of around 13mm (generally), so on aps-c around 20mm FF equivalent. So this is still sending most of the light directly forwards..... Imagine a 20mm lens inside the softbox, it still wouldn't "see" the whole inside or reach the edges, nowhere near it. Likewise the light from the flash doesn't either. So we need the dome diffusser to spray the light everywhere and reduce the amount of direct front on light, which is what creates the hotspots.

I think this approach, plus having the softbox very close right up at the edge of the frame, makes the softest and most even light.

Hi Peter, thanks, I hadn't always found it easy to place the hairlight well in the tight confines available.

Actually you could mix TTL and M modes on the different groups. I could use TTL with the RF60s and include the Pentax flash with the V6 receiver also .... But there Pentax flash is limited to manual.

Mentally I prefer to work with all TTl or all manual, as I'm sure most of us would. However, as Stuart said, it's great value as the firmware was free, and I now don't have to swap firmwares if I need 3 flashes .... Thanks Cactus!

Thanks also Stuart, I'm pleased you saw them.

I'm more drawn to the tones and textures, the slightly faded, retro feel, and the matter of factness, than I am to the layouts and framings. We clearly have a different set of priorities when in comes to composition.

I can't get away from the sense of things being cut off (or should that be "half seen"?!)

It's a thoughtful and personal portrayal of the places, a strong set.

Very good! I think the white background suits these flowers better than black, and it’s lovely how the light comes through the petals in the second one.

It was great to see Cactus release the firmware update for the older V6 trigger, that makes it compatible with the newer V6II when the V6II is running the "XTTL" firmware version. As I have shown here before, I am a big fan of the ease and accuracy of multi-flash off Radio TTL with Cactus ( see these photo threads …. link
link ), great for certain situations.

Now its possible to run the XTTL frimware on the V6II for use with any compatible P-TTL flashes, but also to add a V6 (or more) into the mix if you want to switch to manual mode. This is with a single press on the group buttons, so very convenient. So my V6 has come back into use attached to the AF-540FGZII, with remote manual power control.

I had a chance to put 3 lights into practice as our eldest daughter started High School, a big event for us, so of course the softbox, umbrella and hair light were all set up ready to go when she got back!












The main light is a softbox just outside the left frame edge, angled down, and the fill is an umbrella slightly behind my right shoulder. The hair light is a bare flash (with max zoom) behind the subjects left shoulder, a few feet back.

I've been quite pleased with the softness of light I've been able to get from a fairly small softbox (25x25 inches) and a simgle flash gun. This type of collapsible box is really designed for bare bulb type lights, as the light should bounce around inside and reflect off all the walls. A hotshoe flash points directly at the subject and a lot of its light will not directly hit the walls, therefore it tends to create a hotspot on the face.

I am trying to avoid this with a Gary Fong LightSphere dome on the flash head which throws the light all around and I find creates a nicer effect ….

I'll certainly not miss the entertainments and contortions of the numerous "Godox / Cactus HSS trigger stacking" forum threads we see, mainly at PentaxForums ….. statistically I'm sure there's been vastly more web space taken up with that sort of thing than talk about any real actual flash photographs!

What is a shame is that the Cactus RQ250 strobe seems to have been impacted negatively by the Godox announcement, as its kickstarter campaign failed, and it is not yet clear whether it will now be brought to market. It would have added real completeness to Cactus's offer as a system ….. now Godox steals that show. But the choices for Pentax flash users have hugely increased recently overall, so that's a very positive thing.

Some great results from some great scenes! My favourite of the colour ones is the last one with the sunset.... It's got it all, layered depth, muted pastel tones and heavy atmosphere.

I know, at least a while back, if I had shot the "candy box" ones, I'd have been told they were oversaturated...... So I kind of learned to tone it down, if I wanted to please people, especially the red and yellow channels. Here even colour mad me finds the reds too strong on the leaves and stones.

Yes, better than my little models at home! It was fun trying to grab interesting angles through the trees. Next time I think I'll try with the 70-300 zoom and see about some closer framings.