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1StbPS200EBip/9071/139/2985/2440
Special Limited Time SALE Price! Now with a great FREE Bonus: Cell Phone Antenna Booster! All Brand New! 
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| This professional flash (strobe) lighting kit and equipment will work with all film cameras (APS, 35mm, 120, medium format, large format, etc.) and many digital cameras (still digital, program digital, automatic digital, digital slr, etc.). Will it work with your camera(s)? It most likelywill (please see here for important information about using strobes with digital cameras before bidding). I get tons of e-mails asking me if this equipment will work with a certain brand of camera; so here are just a few of the MANY different camera brands that can use this equipment successfully: nikon, minolta, canon, olympus, kodak, hassleblad, canon eos, canon powershot, cannon, Bronica, Contax/Yashica, Hasselblad, Mamiya, Rollei, leica, lieca, polaroid, yashica, pentax asahi, argus, bronica, mamiya sekor, konica, jc penny, contax, mitsuba, sony, panasonic, vivitar, vivatar, praktica, argus, fuji, contax, and many, many more. Have questions? Feel free to ask, or see HERE for lots of additional photographic information. Thank you for visiting this auction, and may the photographic Gods smile upon you! |
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You can find ALL these things right now in my other auctions (except for the luscious lovely to the left; I'm gonna keep that one for myself:) <-Looks almost like natural light, doesn't it? Not completely! Strobes made this lovely image better. The give-away? The main light looks like it's coming from the left (which it is - for the main light - a window), but look at the catch lights in her eyes! That's coming from 2 strobes; one just behind and (barely) to the right of the camera, and the other just to the left of the camera (a Minolta Maxxum 7, btw)! From now on, whenever you're looking at pictures in magazines, notice the eyes for clues to the lighting setup - and where the catch lights appear in the models' eyes. The secret to ALL magnificent images? That's an easy one; it's the LIGHTING! A photographer is a LIGHT writer! See below for more information and lotsa photographic tips and tricks... |
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Want a whole professional 4, 5, 7, 8,
9, or TEN strobe photographic
lighting studio in one dynamic kit? Maybe some NEW Continuous Digital
lights? Only a strobe or two? Something really, really special
for the photographer you love with all your heart (like,
perhaps, yourself:)? Look
no further!|
Portraiture! The art making
people look great (or at least better than they really are:).
This is the most popular and useful branch of photography today,
and nothing's going to change in the future, so even if you're
not into portraiture now, you might as well plan on doing some
(or a lot) of portraiture work soon. Also, remember that EVERYONE
you'll ever see, meet, or pass in the street is a portrait customer!
When do people need their portraits made? The answer to that
question would take at least a week just to scratch the surface
of all the possibilities! But for just a few examples, consider
these reasons: birthdays, graduations, school yearbook pictures,
sports teams, bands & musical groups, etc., anniversaries,
new babies, holidays, religious reasons, and a million more reasons.
Basically, everyone you'll ever know (even if you live to be
101) will have a hundred different reasons to want their portraits
taken. And one client with a few kids can pay your rent every
month! Reality Check: This package is specifically designed
to be the least expensive "Bare Bones" Professional-Level
starter portrait package available anywhere. And at the fabulously-low
sale price, you're getting an amazing bargain, too! True, it
would be nice to have a second strobe for a fill light, and a
third strobe to light our background (which not only eliminates
those pesky shadows, but also gives us the depth and separation
between our victim and the backdrop). And ideally, we'd want
a mini-light for a hair light (ever notice how the pros' pictures
always show the shining, glow on the hair? The hair light is
the secret of this healthy and shining hair). But in an ideal
world, we'd all be rich and famous photographers; in the real
world, though, many of us don't have sugar-daddies (or mommies:),
and we have to start someplace (see my other auctions
for the larger kits). That's what this kit is designed to do:
get you started in portraiture or product photography with the
minimum set of Professional Level equipment that you'll
need in order to make great Professional portraits and
pictures. After a few profitable portrait sittings or product
jobs, you can add other equipment, like a backlight, a hairlight,
a custom backdrop, and a background support set. But realize
that - with this package - you'll have what it takes to start
making great images. If you want a 3 or 4 strobe portrait kit,
or a package that includes a background, just check my other
eBay auctions and my eBay store! How do the pros make their older subjects look so much better than they really look? That's easy - when you know how! Just soften the light with umbrellas (or a softbox or softcase), which helps hide all those lines, wrinkles, and sags on so many of our older victims. No portrait setup would be complete without these secret weapons (umbrellas), so this kit includes the umbrella for you! Just open the boxes that will arrive at your front door, and you'll be in business! Add one photographer, a camera, some film (or digital cards), and a victim to photograph, and you're ready to fire away! This is the entry-level to buy, because the strobe is pro equipment with a modeling light, variable power, interchangeable reflectors and accessories, and capable of using all kinds of light-modifying equipment (check my other auctions for other portrait packages that include additional strobes, a background support set and a custom backdrop). And now you can own this complete starter portrait studio package without taking out a second mortgage on your house! Heck, you can own this great package for LESS than ONE-HALF of what you might pay for just ONE competing strobe, or a dinner at a nice restaurant! For more information on starting out in photography, just click the "tell me more about photography" link below. Thank you for viewing this auction, take care, and, as always, take (or better yet, "make") lots & lots of great pictures! |
| Hmmm. Tell me more about photography... and what equipment I'll need to succeed |
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| Important: I have many auctions that are not listed at the top of the eBay auctions page, and lots of additional equipment available for immediate purchase (no waiting for an auction to end, and no chance of being outbid) in my eBay store! The only way to be sure you haven't missed something that might be perfect for your needs is to check ALL my eBay auctions and store items by clicking HERE! <- Clicking here will open up a new page in your browser with a list of my auctions and eBay store items; this auction page will remain open behind the new page, so you won't lose your place. |
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Shop with
confidence! This GOLD PowerSeller proudly provides a plethora of perfect photographic products - PLUS - pure, powerful, and peerless customer service! |
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Check out all my other wonderful eBay auctions! |
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Here's why
I like my strobes to come with the capabilities I've described: 1) If a
strobe doesn't come with a modeling light, you'll have
no way to know what your picture will look like until after
you get the prints back! In fact, modeling lights are probably
the greatest capability any strobe can have (especially
for beginners in studio lighting). See below for details on modeling lights. 2) If a strobe doesn't have a removable reflector,
then you can't control the light spread (coverage angle)
- you're stuck with whatever output angle the strobe comes with,
so it's far less useful to us (sometimes we want a narrow light
spread to highlight our subject; other times we want to remove
the reflector completely for a broad 180º light spread to
light backgrounds, large areas, or groups, for example). In addition,
on strobes without reflectors, won't even be able to use a barndoors
on your strobes! 3) If a
strobe doesn't have variable power capabilities, you'll
need a larger studio area because you'll have to physically move
the strobes farther away from your subject in order to reduce
the light when needed (with variable power strobes - such as
these - we simply flip a switch). 4)
If you're only buying 2-3 master strobes, you're much
better off having them be of the same power; it makes it quicker
and (much) easier to set up your shots and allows you to get
perfect exposures more easily. 5)
One of the greatest disappointments
for new strobe owners is to discover that they cannot (easily
and inexpensively) expand the capabilities of their lights
(by using color filters/gels to allow us to change the color
of our backgrounds and subjects or to direct and modify the light
with barndoors because the strobes we bought didn't have the
ability to use these helpful accessories, etc.). 6) And finally, if you're buying umbrellas with your
kit, the size of an umbrella should be matched to the strobe's
output; too large of an umbrella will result in too much
light reduction (and consequently forces you to use either a
very slow shutter speed, or a much larger aperture, which cuts
down your depth of field, and may be out of reach for many zoom
lenses), and too small an umbrella will allow light spillover
and substantially decreased effect. That's why I always match
the correct umbrella size to the strobes' output power in all
my packages (if you want larger or smaller umbrellas, just ask;
you da boss:).
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The
NEW Britek
PS-200 Professional Studio Flash
Here's why I like my strobes to come with the capabilities I've described: 1) If a strobe doesn't come with a modeling light, you'll have no way to know what your picture will look like until after you get the prints back! In fact, modeling lights are probably the greatest capability any strobe can have (especially for beginners in studio lighting). See below for details on modeling lights. 2) If a strobe doesn't have a removable reflector, then you can't control the light spread (coverage angle) - you're stuck with whatever output angle the strobe comes with, so it's far less useful to us (sometimes we want a narrow light spread to highlight our subject; other times we want to remove the reflector completely for a broad 180º light spread to light backgrounds, large areas, or groups, for example). In addition, on strobes without reflectors, won't even be able to use a barndoors on your strobes! 3) If a strobe doesn't have variable power capabilities, you'll need a larger studio area because you'll have to physically move the strobes farther away from your subject in order to reduce the light when needed (with variable power strobes - such as these - we simply flip a switch). 4) If you're only buying 2-3 master strobes, you're much better off having them be of the same power; it makes it quicker and (much) easier to set up your shots and allows you to get perfect exposures more easily. 5) One of the greatest disappointments for new strobe owners is to discover that they cannot (easily and inexpensively) expand the capabilities of their lights (by using color filters/gels to allow us to change the color of our backgrounds and subjects or to direct and modify the light with barndoors because the strobes we bought didn't have the ability to use these helpful accessories, etc.). 6) And finally, if you're buying umbrellas with your kit, the size of an umbrella should be matched to the strobe's output; too large of an umbrella will result in too much light reduction (and consequently forces you to use either a very slow shutter speed, or a much larger aperture, which cuts down your depth of field, and may be out of reach for many zoom lenses), and too small an umbrella will allow light spillover and substantially decreased effect. That's why I always match the correct umbrella size to the strobes' output power in all my packages (if you want larger or smaller umbrellas, just ask; you da boss:). |
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The NEW Britek PS-200 Professional Studio Flash
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Why do photographers want powerful flash equipment (strobes)? Because (both indoors and outdoors) with strobes, WE CAN CONTROL THE LIGHT! Sound familiar? Starting to get the picture, now? (sorry, I just couldn't resist ;-) BTW, did you realize that both the photo above, and the photo on the left, were both taken against the same background? Yup. The backdrop was a pure white canvas. Why does the picture on the left look like it has a brown background? BECAUSE I COULD CONTROL THE LIGHT. Even with a cheapie old (really old) digital Fuji (no speed control, no slr, no aperture choice, etc.). How? See the "technique section below). Hmmm... Light! |
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| Technique: How was I able to make the background that's in the top picture pure white, and the very same background, in the picture above, appear brown? It's easy - when you know how (it's sorta like this: What kind of question is a hard question? Answer: One you don't know the answer to. And what kind of question is an easy question? Answer: That's the one you do know the answer to). Here's how it's done: In the top picture, I lit the background with a backlight strobe (it's own strobe), so it received enough light to expose properly, and consequently it came out pure white. In the picture above, I did not light the background; I just used the tiny little built-in flash on the digital Fuji, which was enough to (barely) light the strobe I was photographing, but too weak to reach or brighten up the backdrop to white; therefore, the background underexposed and looked brownish, even though it was really a pure white canvas! Carried to an extreme, I could even make a white background look black, if I wanted to. How? By lighting the subject so brightly that the (unlit) background would underexpose (i.e., not receive enough light) so badly it would come out black. It's all in the LIGHT folks; it's all in the light! Remember, a photographer is a LIGHT writer. | |||
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Win this auction and you'll receive this $20.00 Antenna Booster - Absolutely FREE! |
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At
the great price you'll get for this fabulous package, you could
buy 2 or even 3 of these kits for LESS than HALF what you might
pay for just a single competing strobe! BTW, when I tested
this fabulous new strobe, I discovered that it clocked in at
an incredible F16 at 10 feet! Whatta powerful little sucker it
is! Plus, you can set it for full OR half power.
Technique: BTW, I purposely made the photograph above to
show you an example of a photographic situation (perspective
distortion) that often plagues our amateur images. I used this
technique to distort the relative size of the reflector, compared
to the strobe's body. Look at the picture at the top of this
auction description (or the small one to the left); then look
at the image above. The reflector in the image above appears
larger than it really is, in relation to the body of the strobe
(compare the relative sizes of the strobe and the silver reflector).
Why does this happen? It's called "perspective distortion"
and I'll spare you the physics of the explanation, but whenever
one part of an object is closer to the camera's lens than the
other part of an object, the perspective is distorted (it's due
to the rendering of a 3 dimensional object into a 2 dimensional
image). For fun, try this: come in really close to someone's
face with your camera, and with the person's nose closest to
your lens, take a picture. When the print comes back, you'll
see the nose looks huge (compared to the rest of the face). Of
course, you can do the same with almost any object you photograph.
The lesson? Beware of holding the camera too close to your subject
(unless you want perspective distortion for some reason, like
this example, or for fun). This most often happens when we're
using wide angle lenses (since we can fit more into the frame,
we sometimes bring the camera too close to our subjects), but
it happens with all lenses. For portraiture, use somewhere between
an 85 to 135mm lens (the short telephoto range makes most faces
look better). The opposite of the perspective distortion effect
is a compression of space caused with long telephoto lenses.
If a subject really does have a large nose, shoot your victim
with a longer telephoto lens; it will compress space, and make
the nose look smaller. Just a couple more tricks up the professional
photographer's sleeve. Read on, and learn more.... Back
to top of page
|
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| Technique: BTW, I purposely made the photograph above to
show you an example of a photographic situation (perspective
distortion) that often plagues our amateur images. I used this
technique to distort the relative size of the reflector, compared
to the strobe's body. Look at the picture at the top of this
auction description (or the small one to the left); then look
at the image above. The reflector in the image above appears
larger than it really is, in relation to the body of the strobe
(compare the relative sizes of the strobe and the silver reflector).
Why does this happen? It's called "perspective distortion"
and I'll spare you the physics of the explanation, but whenever
one part of an object is closer to the camera's lens than the
other part of an object, the perspective is distorted (it's due
to the rendering of a 3 dimensional object into a 2 dimensional
image). For fun, try this: come in really close to someone's
face with your camera, and with the person's nose closest to
your lens, take a picture. When the print comes back, you'll
see the nose looks huge (compared to the rest of the face). Of
course, you can do the same with almost any object you photograph.
The lesson? Beware of holding the camera too close to your subject
(unless you want perspective distortion for some reason, like
this example, or for fun). This most often happens when we're
using wide angle lenses (since we can fit more into the frame,
we sometimes bring the camera too close to our subjects), but
it happens with all lenses. For portraiture, use somewhere between
an 85 to 135mm lens (the short telephoto range makes most faces
look better). The opposite of the perspective distortion effect
is a compression of space caused with long telephoto lenses.
If a subject really does have a large nose, shoot your victim
with a longer telephoto lens; it will compress space, and make
the nose look smaller. Just a couple more tricks up the professional
photographer's sleeve. Read on, and learn more.... Back
to top of page |
More about the
new
PS-200.....
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of page
Now
lemme tell ya about another great feature on these dynamite little
units that's not found on many competing strobes costing 3-5
times the price of these: when you set these units for 1/2 power,
the modeling lights ALSO dim to 1/2 power! What a great feature
(what's a "modeling light?" see the explanation just
below this picture)! [Why, you may ask, would we want to reduce a strobe's
power output? see the "technique" section, below.
As we can see
from the back view, The New PS-200 is well-stocked with controls
and comes with all the extras already built-in.
The PS-200
is a "Monolight," which means that all the required
components are included in the one package (as opposed to other
strobes which may have the flash head in one segment, and then
need an additional and separate power supply in order to get
it to work; at an additional cost, too). With these units, everything
is included; just plug them in, and fire away!
The "ready"
light goes on to let us know when the strobe is charged and ready
to fire; the "test" button lets us fire the strobe
to test its proper functioning or to take a meter reading; the
"sync" terminal lets us attach a sync (or PC) cord
to the sync terminal on our cameras to control the firing of
the strobe with the shutter button on our cameras; and the "optical
slave sensor" lets us fire the strobe automatically with
the flash of any other strobe or flash unit (so we don't have
to use a sync cord at all, if we don't want to). The Full/Half
Power switch lets us choose the power output with the flip of
a switch. The other controls are pretty much self-explanatory.
BTW,
a "Modeling
Light" (see the picture
of the modeling light, below) is a separate,
additional, light (in addition to the strobe's "Flash Tube")
that's built into the strobe and throws continuous light over
the same area as the strobe's flash tube will (see the picture
below for a close-up). You turn on the modeling light (before
your shot), so the photographer can see what the modeling will
look like, as s/he adjusts the lights before he takes the shot
and fires the strobe ("Modeling"
is PhotoSpeak for the highlights (light areas) and shadows (dark
areas) that fall upon the subject, giving it the depth and texture
necessary for professional results). This great feature (modeling
light) is usually only found on much more expensive lights.
This unit can be activated by
the PC Cord (included, of course), the Test Button, or the Slave
Sensor (which means that any other flash, even your camera's
little built-in flash, can automatically fire this unit by it's
light alone, so you don't even need to use a sync (PC) cord unless
you want to). BTW, a "PC Cord"
(Push Contact), also called a "Sync Cord"
is a wire that connects the strobe to your camera, and fires
the strobe when you press the camera's shutter button.
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The PS-200 is a "Monolight," which means that all the required components are included in the one package (as opposed to other strobes which may have the flash head in one segment, and then need an additional and separate power supply in order to get it to work; at an additional cost, too). With these units, everything is included; just plug them in, and fire away! The "ready" light goes on to let us know when the strobe is charged and ready to fire; the "test" button lets us fire the strobe to test its proper functioning or to take a meter reading; the "sync" terminal lets us attach a sync (or PC) cord to the sync terminal on our cameras to control the firing of the strobe with the shutter button on our cameras; and the "optical slave sensor" lets us fire the strobe automatically with the flash of any other strobe or flash unit (so we don't have to use a sync cord at all, if we don't want to). The Full/Half Power switch lets us choose the power output with the flip of a switch. The other controls are pretty much self-explanatory. |
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BTW, a "Modeling Light" (see the picture of the modeling light, below) is a separate, additional, light (in addition to the strobe's "Flash Tube") that's built into the strobe and throws continuous light over the same area as the strobe's flash tube will (see the picture below for a close-up). You turn on the modeling light (before your shot), so the photographer can see what the modeling will look like, as s/he adjusts the lights before he takes the shot and fires the strobe ("Modeling" is PhotoSpeak for the highlights (light areas) and shadows (dark areas) that fall upon the subject, giving it the depth and texture necessary for professional results). This great feature (modeling light) is usually only found on much more expensive lights. This unit can be activated by
the PC Cord (included, of course), the Test Button, or the Slave
Sensor (which means that any other flash, even your camera's
little built-in flash, can automatically fire this unit by it's
light alone, so you don't even need to use a sync (PC) cord unless
you want to). BTW, a "PC Cord"
(Push Contact), also called a "Sync Cord"
is a wire that connects the strobe to your camera, and fires
the strobe when you press the camera's shutter button. |
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The PS-200 comes ready to
go, with built-in umbrella holder, built-in light stand connector,
and the ability to set the direction or tilt of each light to
perfectly fit your needs for every shot!
See the image above
for a description of each of the controls on the unit.
This is a Fabulous deal, but let's
not lose sight of the reality. If you're rich, have a sugar-mommy
or daddy, are a high-income pro, or if you can get financing,
my advice would be to spring for something (several somethings,
in fact) more powerful, more feature-rich (and a LOT more expensive).
Lights are like hard disks and internet connections: no matter
how big a hard disk is, and no matter how fast your net connection
is, they're never big or fast enough. But if you're just starting
out, or are on a budget, or are an advanced (or advancing) amateur,
these little babies sure make a lot of sense. Let's face it,
your portrait clients (or your mother-in-law) won't have any
idea whether you paid three hundred or three thousand for each
of these strobes; they'll just be impressed (let them think they
cost you an arm and a leg; especially those snooty, skinny, little
models - "Ya want great head shots, sweetie? It's gonna
cost ya; hell, my lights are so valuable, whenever I trade one
in, I gotta pay it alimony!") Umm, just some photographer
humor, folks :) - it sorta grows on you as you progress in photography;
you'll see.
What is the sale
price? | What are the shipping charges?
Top 10 Questions about this Package!
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We can see the difference between
the Modeling Light Bulb and the Flash Tube (the circular tube
surrounding the modeling bulb) in this close-up shot of the PS-200's
business end (with the reflector removed, of course).
The modeling light is a fabulous photographic aid for every photographer
- but especially valuable to the amateur, because it let's
us "see" exactly where the light will fall when the
strobe flashes. This feature alone is worth at least a hundred
rolls of ruined film (which you'll save by having a modeling
light)! One of the major questions (and hesitations) I had when
I was beginning to learn photography, was "If you use strobes,
how do you know what the subject will look like, or how and where
the light will illuminate the subject, if you don't have continuous
lighting to judge by?"
The answer was really simple:
You don't. UNLESS your strobes also have MODELING LIGHTS! With
modeling lights, you can see exactly where the strobe's
flash will illuminate the subject, because the modeling light
falls on the subject the same as the strobe's light will fall
on the subject (less intensely, of course)! And this is why the
pros pay lotsa money for good strobes that come with modeling
lights. That's why the professional photographer's pictures look
so much better than ours do: they have the right equipment for
the job! They can CONTROL THE LIGHT! And now, so can you. back up to rear view of PS-200
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PhotoSpeak: What's a "Slave Sensor?"
Well, if you had to use
a PC Cord for every strobe, just think what a mess of tangled
wires you'd have if you were using 5 or 6 or more strobes to
light your subject (as many pros do)! So, science came to our
rescue with slave sensors. It's a tiny little sensor built into
most good strobes, that sits & waits for a short, intense burst
of light. When it detects this burst of light (the flash from
another strobe), it automatically sets off the flash tube in
the strobe its built into. Voila! Now, with strobes that have
slave sensors (often just called "slaves"), we can
connect only one strobe to our cameras (with the PC or Sync cord),
usually the strobe closest to our camera, and when we press the
shutter button, firing the one connected strobe, that flash will
automatically set off all the other strobes we may be using for
that shot! Ah, ain't technology wunnerful (sic)? Even most of
the little flashes built into most modern cameras can set off
most strobes with slaves. A strobe that has PC socket, or both
a PC Socket and a slave sensor is called a "Master"
strobe; a strobe that only has a slave sensor and no PC socket
(usually less expensive units) is called a "Slave."
Whichever strobe you're using with a PC cord is referred to as
your "master" strobe for purposes of that shot. Most
of the better strobes have both PC sockets and slave sensors,
so they're more versatile and useful to us (however, there are
many very good slaves out there today, and you won't need all
your strobes to be masters, so don't hesitate to buy some decent
slaves when the time comes - and, believe me, if you stick with
photography, the time will come).
Complete: Each
of these PS-200s comes complete with umbrella-capable reflector,
sync cord, AC cord, Flash Tube, Modeling Light, built-in umbrella
holder, and standard light stand connector; it's ready to plug
in and fire away! Since these strobes are A.C. units, they're
ready to rock! No
batteries or powerpacks or light heads or connector cords are
needed; just plug 'em in,
and (just like Elvis) you're ready to rock and roll. As with
all quality strobes, these are capable of using many additional
custom accessories, of course (e.g., snoots, barn doors, softboxes,
stands, unbrellas, honeycombs, gel holders, etc.). BTW, pros
use umbrellas to "bounce" the strobe's light off of
(or sometimes through) to make the light softer, reduce or eliminate
shadows, and "mellow-out" the picture. Softboxes (and
SoftCases) and umbrellas are specifically designed for this purpose
(and yes, these are able to use custom-fitted softboxes &
softcases).
These are brand new, 100% guaranteed,
with the manufacturer's full one year warrantee . These are NOT
seconds, blemishes, or anything other than brand new, absolutely
perfect, current models! Just 'cause the price is great,
doesn't mean these are in any way less than perfect! Questions?
Requests? just e-mail any questions or requests, to me at
PhotoSource3@pss3.com.
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BTW,
technically speaking, all professional photographic flash units,
even though nearly all pros call them "strobes," are
not technically strobe lights. A real stroboscope is capable
of dozens (or hundreds or even thousands) of flashes per second,
and many can maintain that flash rate for hours on end. Our photographic
strobes would die a dozen deaths if we tried to set them off
25 or 50 times a second! However, since photographers almost
always call these lights "strobes," we'll just stick
with the term; but, technically..... Well, you get the idea ;->
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Important: I have many auctions that are not listed at the top
of the eBay auctions page, and lots of additional equipment available
for immediate purchase (no waiting for an auction to end,
and no chance of being outbid) in my eBay store! The only
way to be sure you haven't missed something that might be perfect
for your needs is to check ALL my eBay auctions and store
items by clicking HERE! <-
Clicking here will open up a new page in your browser with a
list of my auctions and eBay store items; this auction
page will remain open behind the new page, so you won't lose
your place.
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Technique: Why would we want to dim a strobe to
1/2 power? Because in order to get great pictures, we have to
be able to control the light (sound familiar?) in a number of
ways. Sometimes a full power flash is too powerful for the effect
we're after; other times we may want to reduce the illumination
to create a different mood. In people pictures, for a head shot
(that's what photographers call a picture of a person's face,
often the face and shoulders), we often want part of the face
highlighted, and the other part of the face in a light to medium
shadow. This interplay of light and shadow is called "modeling,"
and is a hallmark of good photography. Anyway, as an example,
a common lighting ratio for people pictures is a 1:2 (also 1:3,
1:4, or even 1:5) ratio - full illumination on one side of the
face, and 1/2 that amount of light on the other side of the subject's
face (we rarely want full frontal lighting, because it gives
the face a flat and unappealing look, as well as other negative
aspects). The 1:2 (full/half) lighting combination can give us
an interesting and often flattering image, with a good ratio
of light and shadow - revealing the character, and giving us
depth and texture (but be sure to play around with other lighting
ratios, too, for even more creativity). Whenever we have two
strobes to work with, we can achieve this 1:2 ratio by moving
one strobe (the one providing the shadow side lighting) twice
as far away from the subject as our main light (the strobe providing
the full illumination). But often things get in the way, like
walls and such; not all of us have lots of room in our studios
(especially living room studios :) to move our lights as far
away as we like. Aha! The scientific wizards devised a most convenient
solution! A variable-power strobe (like this great PS-200)! Now,
instead of moving lights all over the place, all we have to do
is flip a switch, and Voila! 1/2 power without any hassle at
all! In some very powerful strobes, we might even find variations
from full power, all the way down to 1/32 power. Another way
to achieve a lighting ratio (when we only have one strobe) is
to use a reflector to "bounce" some light onto the
shadow side of the subject's face. You can buy a "professional"
reflector for as much as $100.00 or more, but I just use a white
poster board, which you can find at any art supply store for
under two bucks. You don't have to spend a fortune to make great
pictures, just use your equipment to its fullest extent - and
use your head!
Back up to the PS-200 description
Back to top of page
|
See the image above for a description of each of the controls on the unit. |
| This is a Fabulous deal, but let's not lose sight of the reality. If you're rich, have a sugar-mommy or daddy, are a high-income pro, or if you can get financing, my advice would be to spring for something (several somethings, in fact) more powerful, more feature-rich (and a LOT more expensive). Lights are like hard disks and internet connections: no matter how big a hard disk is, and no matter how fast your net connection is, they're never big or fast enough. But if you're just starting out, or are on a budget, or are an advanced (or advancing) amateur, these little babies sure make a lot of sense. Let's face it, your portrait clients (or your mother-in-law) won't have any idea whether you paid three hundred or three thousand for each of these strobes; they'll just be impressed (let them think they cost you an arm and a leg; especially those snooty, skinny, little models - "Ya want great head shots, sweetie? It's gonna cost ya; hell, my lights are so valuable, whenever I trade one in, I gotta pay it alimony!") Umm, just some photographer humor, folks :) - it sorta grows on you as you progress in photography; you'll see. |
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|
We can see the difference between
the Modeling Light Bulb and the Flash Tube (the circular tube
surrounding the modeling bulb) in this close-up shot of the PS-200's
business end (with the reflector removed, of course). The answer was really simple:
You don't. UNLESS your strobes also have MODELING LIGHTS! With
modeling lights, you can see exactly where the strobe's
flash will illuminate the subject, because the modeling light
falls on the subject the same as the strobe's light will fall
on the subject (less intensely, of course)! And this is why the
pros pay lotsa money for good strobes that come with modeling
lights. That's why the professional photographer's pictures look
so much better than ours do: they have the right equipment for
the job! They can CONTROL THE LIGHT! And now, so can you. back up to rear view of PS-200 |
| PhotoSpeak: What's a "Slave Sensor?" Well, if you had to use a PC Cord for every strobe, just think what a mess of tangled wires you'd have if you were using 5 or 6 or more strobes to light your subject (as many pros do)! So, science came to our rescue with slave sensors. It's a tiny little sensor built into most good strobes, that sits & waits for a short, intense burst of light. When it detects this burst of light (the flash from another strobe), it automatically sets off the flash tube in the strobe its built into. Voila! Now, with strobes that have slave sensors (often just called "slaves"), we can connect only one strobe to our cameras (with the PC or Sync cord), usually the strobe closest to our camera, and when we press the shutter button, firing the one connected strobe, that flash will automatically set off all the other strobes we may be using for that shot! Ah, ain't technology wunnerful (sic)? Even most of the little flashes built into most modern cameras can set off most strobes with slaves. A strobe that has PC socket, or both a PC Socket and a slave sensor is called a "Master" strobe; a strobe that only has a slave sensor and no PC socket (usually less expensive units) is called a "Slave." Whichever strobe you're using with a PC cord is referred to as your "master" strobe for purposes of that shot. Most of the better strobes have both PC sockets and slave sensors, so they're more versatile and useful to us (however, there are many very good slaves out there today, and you won't need all your strobes to be masters, so don't hesitate to buy some decent slaves when the time comes - and, believe me, if you stick with photography, the time will come). | |
|
Complete: Each of these PS-200s comes complete with umbrella-capable reflector, sync cord, AC cord, Flash Tube, Modeling Light, built-in umbrella holder, and standard light stand connector; it's ready to plug in and fire away! Since these strobes are A.C. units, they're ready to rock! No batteries or powerpacks or light heads or connector cords are needed; just plug 'em in, and (just like Elvis) you're ready to rock and roll. As with all quality strobes, these are capable of using many additional custom accessories, of course (e.g., snoots, barn doors, softboxes, stands, unbrellas, honeycombs, gel holders, etc.). BTW, pros use umbrellas to "bounce" the strobe's light off of (or sometimes through) to make the light softer, reduce or eliminate shadows, and "mellow-out" the picture. Softboxes (and SoftCases) and umbrellas are specifically designed for this purpose (and yes, these are able to use custom-fitted softboxes & softcases). These are brand new, 100% guaranteed,
with the manufacturer's full one year warrantee . These are NOT
seconds, blemishes, or anything other than brand new, absolutely
perfect, current models! Just 'cause the price is great,
doesn't mean these are in any way less than perfect! Questions?
Requests? just e-mail any questions or requests, to me at
PhotoSource3@pss3.com. |
|
| BTW,
technically speaking, all professional photographic flash units,
even though nearly all pros call them "strobes," are
not technically strobe lights. A real stroboscope is capable
of dozens (or hundreds or even thousands) of flashes per second,
and many can maintain that flash rate for hours on end. Our photographic
strobes would die a dozen deaths if we tried to set them off
25 or 50 times a second! However, since photographers almost
always call these lights "strobes," we'll just stick
with the term; but, technically..... Well, you get the idea ;->
Back to top |
|
| Important: I have many auctions that are not listed at the top of the eBay auctions page, and lots of additional equipment available for immediate purchase (no waiting for an auction to end, and no chance of being outbid) in my eBay store! The only way to be sure you haven't missed something that might be perfect for your needs is to check ALL my eBay auctions and store items by clicking HERE! <- Clicking here will open up a new page in your browser with a list of my auctions and eBay store items; this auction page will remain open behind the new page, so you won't lose your place. |
Back to top of page
| Technique: Why would we want to dim a strobe to
1/2 power? Because in order to get great pictures, we have to
be able to control the light (sound familiar?) in a number of
ways. Sometimes a full power flash is too powerful for the effect
we're after; other times we may want to reduce the illumination
to create a different mood. In people pictures, for a head shot
(that's what photographers call a picture of a person's face,
often the face and shoulders), we often want part of the face
highlighted, and the other part of the face in a light to medium
shadow. This interplay of light and shadow is called "modeling,"
and is a hallmark of good photography. Anyway, as an example,
a common lighting ratio for people pictures is a 1:2 (also 1:3,
1:4, or even 1:5) ratio - full illumination on one side of the
face, and 1/2 that amount of light on the other side of the subject's
face (we rarely want full frontal lighting, because it gives
the face a flat and unappealing look, as well as other negative
aspects). The 1:2 (full/half) lighting combination can give us
an interesting and often flattering image, with a good ratio
of light and shadow - revealing the character, and giving us
depth and texture (but be sure to play around with other lighting
ratios, too, for even more creativity). Whenever we have two
strobes to work with, we can achieve this 1:2 ratio by moving
one strobe (the one providing the shadow side lighting) twice
as far away from the subject as our main light (the strobe providing
the full illumination). But often things get in the way, like
walls and such; not all of us have lots of room in our studios
(especially living room studios :) to move our lights as far
away as we like. Aha! The scientific wizards devised a most convenient
solution! A variable-power strobe (like this great PS-200)! Now,
instead of moving lights all over the place, all we have to do
is flip a switch, and Voila! 1/2 power without any hassle at
all! In some very powerful strobes, we might even find variations
from full power, all the way down to 1/32 power. Another way
to achieve a lighting ratio (when we only have one strobe) is
to use a reflector to "bounce" some light onto the
shadow side of the subject's face. You can buy a "professional"
reflector for as much as $100.00 or more, but I just use a white
poster board, which you can find at any art supply store for
under two bucks. You don't have to spend a fortune to make great
pictures, just use your equipment to its fullest extent - and
use your head! Back up to the PS-200 description |
Back to top of page
|
|
| AC Input | 110-120 Volt |
| AC Fuse | 5 Amp |
| Modeling Lamp | 100W Halogen (rated 1,000 hours) |
| Flash Tube | BC-100Y (rated 10,000 flashes) 120WS (huh?) |
| Guide No. (ISO 100) | GN: 45 Meters / 120 Feet (huh?) |
| Trigger | Test button / Slave / PC Cord |
| Slave Effective Distance | 15 Meters / 50 Feet |
| Sync Socket | 5 ø Standard Earphone Type, 6V DC |
| Diameter of Light Head | 70 ø mm |
| Recycling Time | 1-3 Seconds |
| Dimensions & Weight | 240 x 80 x 140mm 0.65Kg |
|
|
|
Back to top
| Important: I have many auctions that are not listed at the top of the eBay auctions page, and lots of additional equipment available for immediate purchase (no waiting for an auction to end, and no chance of being outbid) in my eBay store! The only way to be sure you haven't missed something that might be perfect for your needs is to check ALL my eBay auctions and store items by clicking HERE! <- Clicking here will open up a new page in your browser with a list of my auctions and eBay store items; this auction page will remain open behind the new page, so you won't lose your place. |
| Q. What the heck is a "WS" and what's a "GN," and what in the world do they mean? |
|
Here's a brief explanation (using,
for this example, your (well, it might be yours soon:) new PS-200
strobe, which have a power level of 120WS, and a GN of 120): For example, (presuming you're using ISO/ASA 100 film), our GN is 120, and the subject is 12 feet away, then: 120 (GN) divided by 12 (feet away from the subject) = 12.5, so we'd use an exposure setting of just over F11. If our subject is 8 feet away, then: 120 divided by 8 = 18.75 which would give us an approximate F stop of just over 16. See? Umm, if you don't understand it, don't worry about it (it took me years to fully comprehend). Suggestion: If you're serious about improving your photography, you should consider getting a handheld flash/ambient light meter see links here (sorry, I don't carry any at this time, but I do offer some suggestions on my web site). Back up to the PS-200 description ------------------- Back to top of page |
Here's some information about the items comprising
your new starter studio: Brand New 2.8 to 6.5 Foot
Light stands
|
Here's a fabulous deal on
an excellent quality light stand. This Brand New Britek light
stand extends to a height of 7 Feet, and
folds down (fully assembled) to only 2.8 feet for easy packing
and transport. All the sections of these stands
are quality tubular stock, NOT the cheapie solid ones (which
are heavier and less versatile, as well as cheaper). The only
"cheap" part of these stands is the price - not the
quality! Bid now, while they're still in stock. |
|---|
Free Photo Tips!
Technique: Which background should
we use? That's a question
with a million answers; the answer is: It depends. It depends
upon what effect we're after, which mood we wish to create, how
we choose to present our victim (um, er, our "subject,"
that is:) to the world. But there are a few basic guidelines
we can follow. If our victim has striking blue eyes, for example
(blue, brown, or whatever color, if their eyes are beautiful,
use a similar color backdrop), but for this discussion, if our
subject has beautiful blue eyes, consider a background with blue
as a predominant color (see my eBay store for some great backgrounds).
If our victim has wonderful blond hair, consider using a backdrop
with golds, tans, or light browns in it. If our subject is wearing
a red blouse or dress, use a background with reds in it. If our
subject is wearing a green suit, consider a backdrop with greens
or blacks. It's our job - as photographers - to make our subjects
(whether they're people in portrait pictures, or products, or
buildings) look as good as we possibly can. And one of our most
powerful and potent allies in this quest is the use of backgrounds!
It's up to us to make our pictures make our subjects look
as beautiful (or handsome, or striking, etc.) as we possibly
can!
The
Portrait Session: If,
for example, we're doing a portrait session, and we only have
a blue background and a brown background to work with (hey, not
all of us can afford to have dozens of different backgrounds
when we're just starting out, y'know), what do we do? That's
easy: tell our portrait client to bring two (or more) changes
of clothes; in one set of clothes, wear something blue, and in
the other set of clothes, bring something brown! This way, we
get to make our clients look great using the backgrounds we already
have! Also, tell them to bring one dressy outfit, and one casual
outfit, so we can get images that show them urbane and sophisticated,
and another set of images with them casual and comfortable. Oh
yes, and this way we get to sell them twice the number
of prints, too! One set for business and impressing folks, and
one set showing that they're pretty darn attractive in jeans
& cowboy boots, too (or whatever their particular casual
attire may be).
Back to top of page
Tip
1: Ask the client what they enjoy doing;
ask them about their hobbies, their passions, their interests.
If they play the guitar, have them bring one along; if they love
basketball, have them bring one to the session; if they just
adore their dog or cat, bring them, too (more pictures, more
poses, equal more SALES!).
Tip
2: If they have a child,
then tell them to bring the child along (unless it's strictly
a business sitting, where children would be inappropriate), and
bring a couple of sets of clothing for the child. too. Make some
exposures (in addition to the standard single-subject portrait
poses, of course) with the victim and the child, and some exposures
of the child alone. Have the child in dressy clothes for some
shots, and in play clothes for another set of shots (film is
the cheapest part of your costs, so don't be afraid to use a
lot). Then, be SURE to ask the subject to bring the child's grandparents
(or uncles & aunts) along to view the prints - I guarantee
you, 90% of the time, the grandparents will - at the very least
- triple your sale! They just can't resist ordering pictures
of their little darlings! A couple of 11 x 14s for the walls
in the house (and for the office walls, too); a few 5 x 7s for
their relatives, and some wallet-size prints, to carry with them!
Remember, you're not only a photographer - you're also
in business to make a living (quite a nice living, too,
if you use your head)! See my other auctions for some more tips
see here.
Quickie
Technique #3: Portraits
- Set the camera at subject's eye level; focus on the eyes; light
one side of the face brighter than the other (half in light to
medium shadow); to hide wrinkles use umbrellas or softbox; to
de-emphasize a large nose, raise camera level slightly and shoot
full or 3/4 face; to de-emphasize a receding hairline, lower
camera slightly or have subject raise head slightly. More "quickie
technique" information will be included in other auction
descriptions. Thank you for viewing this auction, and good luck!
Tell me more about getting perfect exposure...see
here
Back to top of page
Free Photo Tips!
| Technique: Which background should
we use? That's a question
with a million answers; the answer is: It depends. It depends
upon what effect we're after, which mood we wish to create, how
we choose to present our victim (um, er, our "subject,"
that is:) to the world. But there are a few basic guidelines
we can follow. If our victim has striking blue eyes, for example
(blue, brown, or whatever color, if their eyes are beautiful,
use a similar color backdrop), but for this discussion, if our
subject has beautiful blue eyes, consider a background with blue
as a predominant color (see my eBay store for some great backgrounds).
If our victim has wonderful blond hair, consider using a backdrop
with golds, tans, or light browns in it. If our subject is wearing
a red blouse or dress, use a background with reds in it. If our
subject is wearing a green suit, consider a backdrop with greens
or blacks. It's our job - as photographers - to make our subjects
(whether they're people in portrait pictures, or products, or
buildings) look as good as we possibly can. And one of our most
powerful and potent allies in this quest is the use of backgrounds!
It's up to us to make our pictures make our subjects look
as beautiful (or handsome, or striking, etc.) as we possibly
can! The Portrait Session: If, for example, we're doing a portrait session, and we only have a blue background and a brown background to work with (hey, not all of us can afford to have dozens of different backgrounds when we're just starting out, y'know), what do we do? That's easy: tell our portrait client to bring two (or more) changes of clothes; in one set of clothes, wear something blue, and in the other set of clothes, bring something brown! This way, we get to make our clients look great using the backgrounds we already have! Also, tell them to bring one dressy outfit, and one casual outfit, so we can get images that show them urbane and sophisticated, and another set of images with them casual and comfortable. Oh yes, and this way we get to sell them twice the number of prints, too! One set for business and impressing folks, and one set showing that they're pretty darn attractive in jeans & cowboy boots, too (or whatever their particular casual attire may be). Back to top of page Tip 1: Ask the client what they enjoy doing; ask them about their hobbies, their passions, their interests. If they play the guitar, have them bring one along; if they love basketball, have them bring one to the session; if they just adore their dog or cat, bring them, too (more pictures, more poses, equal more SALES!). Tip 2: If they have a child, then tell them to bring the child along (unless it's strictly a business sitting, where children would be inappropriate), and bring a couple of sets of clothing for the child. too. Make some exposures (in addition to the standard single-subject portrait poses, of course) with the victim and the child, and some exposures of the child alone. Have the child in dressy clothes for some shots, and in play clothes for another set of shots (film is the cheapest part of your costs, so don't be afraid to use a lot). Then, be SURE to ask the subject to bring the child's grandparents (or uncles & aunts) along to view the prints - I guarantee you, 90% of the time, the grandparents will - at the very least - triple your sale! They just can't resist ordering pictures of their little darlings! A couple of 11 x 14s for the walls in the house (and for the office walls, too); a few 5 x 7s for their relatives, and some wallet-size prints, to carry with them! Remember, you're not only a photographer - you're also in business to make a living (quite a nice living, too, if you use your head)! See my other auctions for some more tips see here. Quickie Technique #3: Portraits - Set the camera at subject's eye level; focus on the eyes; light one side of the face brighter than the other (half in light to medium shadow); to hide wrinkles use umbrellas or softbox; to de-emphasize a large nose, raise camera level slightly and shoot full or 3/4 face; to de-emphasize a receding hairline, lower camera slightly or have subject raise head slightly. More "quickie technique" information will be included in other auction descriptions. Thank you for viewing this auction, and good luck! Tell me more about getting perfect exposure...see here Back to top of page |
Photographic Tips & Techniques
Technique: The most important "secret" of good photography is the thought the photographer
puts into a picture before s/he even considers what type of film
to use! The point here is that we have to train ourselves to
think before we shoot! What color is our subject? How
can we make that color (or shade) stand out? In the lovely picture
to your left, notice how the blue-violet shadows to the right
of the model's head accentuate her blue eyes. Notice, too how
half the face is in a light shadow, adding depth and texture.
We have to ask ourselves: What do we want to emphasize in our
picture? How will we direct our viewers' eye to our subject?
If it's an outdoors photograph, how will we separate our main
subject from any other distracting elements in our photograph?
At which angle should we shoot? Is it important to establish
place in this photograph (i.e., is it important for the viewer
to know where our subject is? Or do we want to hide the location)?
If we're shooting people, what is our victim's least appealing
feature (i.e., a large nose, a bald head, pot belly, lotsa wrinkles,
etc.:)? How can we hide or de-emphasize it? What's our subject's
most appealing feature (i.e., eyes, profile, smile, boobs - oops!
sorry, I couldn't resist:) ? How can we emphasize the attractive
aspects of our subjects? These are the questions photographers
have to ask, before we shoot. THINK before you shoot!
MAKE a photograph - don't "take" a snapshot! Review
the "Tips" in my auction descriptions; take the time
and thought to prepare your photo sessions long before
your subject arrives! Learn to know what you want before
you put film in your camera. Learn to "design" your
pictures before you pick up your camera! Take a piece of paper
and a pencil, and sketch out what you want in the picture you're
considering; this will be a great help in the beginning, and
after a few weeks or months of doing this, you'll start to do
it all in your head, and won't need the pencil and paper any
more. Is your subject a child? If so, have some colorful toys
around. Is your victim a man? Have him bring a suit and some
jeans to the session. Is your subject an attractive and shapely
young woman? Ask her to bring a dressy outfit and a sexy outfit
or a bikini. Is your subject older? Be sure to have an umbrella
or softbox ready to hide the lines and wrinkles. Shooting outdoors?
Avoid placing a subject in the bright sunlight (which causes
squinting eyes and harsh shadows), and find some open shade to
shoot in (overcast days are great for outdoor shoots). I promise
you that a good photograph doesn't require the genius of an Einstein
- it just takes a little thought and preparation (creativity
and practice doesn't hurt either)! You don't have to study photography
for 20 years, just train yourself to think before you
shoot! Don't try to plan out 100 subjects all at once; think
about one or two, and then use 10 rolls of film on just a few
ideas. Shoot from different angles; shoot from different heights;
shoot with different lighting angles; shoot with color film;
shoot with black and white film; think, then shoot! Pretty soon,
you'll wake up one day and realize that you've changed; you'll
look at the world differently; you'll "see" things
most people never even notice; one day, you'll realize that you've
become something special; something different, but different
in a most amazing and wonderful way; you will have become - a
photographer!
© 2002 Back to top of page
Quickie
Technique #5: Exposure
- All meters built into all cameras are "reflection"
meters; they read the light reflected by our subjects AND everything
else in our viewfinder! This often causes incorrect readings,
and pictures that turn out looking like doo-doo. Instead of letting
our camera's meter read the exposure from our whole frame,
set your built-in meter to its "spot" setting. Then,
center the most Important part of your subject (i.e., the face
of a person, the flower petals of a flower, the coat of a dog,
etc.) in your meter's spot circle and take your reading; then,
when our viewfinder's spot circle is filled with our subject
and NOT with the surroundings, lock in exposure (e.g., press
the shutter button half-way down), re-compose the shot, and then
press the shutter button all the way down and make the exposure!
I think you'll be pleased with the results! More "quickie
techniques" information will be included in my other auction
descriptions. Thank you for viewing this auction, and may you
have the very best of luck!
Photo
Tip #29: Go buy (or subscribe
to) at least a half-dozen top magazines (Vogue, Cosmo, GQ, Elle,
etc., etc. and don't forget my favorite, Playboy:). Then get
a 3-ring binder and a 3-hole punch; this will become your idea
and guide book. Go through the magazines and tear out every page
with an image that you admire, find interesting or striking,
or has dramatic lighting. Then take the pile of pages, punch
the holes in them, and put them into your binder. Separate the
images into categories. Study each picture to determine where
the strobes were located, how the shadowing was arranged, what
the background was (and how it was lit). When you're about to
do a portrait session, look at your victim's face; find similar
features and similar clothing on models in your binder, and see
how the pros lit them. Pay attention to where and how the hands
are placed in the pictures. Pay attention to where and how the
legs are placed in the pictures. Pay attention to what angle
the body is placed in relation to the camera; see how the clothing
is arranged, and how it relates to the background. Pay attention,
read the magazines, tear out pages, put them into your binder.
Study them. Emulate the best you find. This is the best way learn:
from those who are great - and successful - photographers!
Back to top of page
| Technique: The most important "secret" of good photography is the thought the photographer
puts into a picture before s/he even considers what type of film
to use! The point here is that we have to train ourselves to
think before we shoot! What color is our subject? How
can we make that color (or shade) stand out? In the lovely picture
to your left, notice how the blue-violet shadows to the right
of the model's head accentuate her blue eyes. Notice, too how
half the face is in a light shadow, adding depth and texture.
We have to ask ourselves: What do we want to emphasize in our
picture? How will we direct our viewers' eye to our subject?
If it's an outdoors photograph, how will we separate our main
subject from any other distracting elements in our photograph?
At which angle should we shoot? Is it important to establish
place in this photograph (i.e., is it important for the viewer
to know where our subject is? Or do we want to hide the location)?
If we're shooting people, what is our victim's least appealing
feature (i.e., a large nose, a bald head, pot belly, lotsa wrinkles,
etc.:)? How can we hide or de-emphasize it? What's our subject's
most appealing feature (i.e., eyes, profile, smile, boobs - oops!
sorry, I couldn't resist:) ? How can we emphasize the attractive
aspects of our subjects? These are the questions photographers
have to ask, before we shoot. THINK before you shoot!
MAKE a photograph - don't "take" a snapshot! Review
the "Tips" in my auction descriptions; take the time
and thought to prepare your photo sessions long before
your subject arrives! Learn to know what you want before
you put film in your camera. Learn to "design" your
pictures before you pick up your camera! Take a piece of paper
and a pencil, and sketch out what you want in the picture you're
considering; this will be a great help in the beginning, and
after a few weeks or months of doing this, you'll start to do
it all in your head, and won't need the pencil and paper any
more. Is your subject a child? If so, have some colorful toys
around. Is your victim a man? Have him bring a suit and some
jeans to the session. Is your subject an attractive and shapely
young woman? Ask her to bring a dressy outfit and a sexy outfit
or a bikini. Is your subject older? Be sure to have an umbrella
or softbox ready to hide the lines and wrinkles. Shooting outdoors?
Avoid placing a subject in the bright sunlight (which causes
squinting eyes and harsh shadows), and find some open shade to
shoot in (overcast days are great for outdoor shoots). I promise
you that a good photograph doesn't require the genius of an Einstein
- it just takes a little thought and preparation (creativity
and practice doesn't hurt either)! You don't have to study photography
for 20 years, just train yourself to think before you
shoot! Don't try to plan out 100 subjects all at once; think
about one or two, and then use 10 rolls of film on just a few
ideas. Shoot from different angles; shoot from different heights;
shoot with different lighting angles; shoot with color film;
shoot with black and white film; think, then shoot! Pretty soon,
you'll wake up one day and realize that you've changed; you'll
look at the world differently; you'll "see" things
most people never even notice; one day, you'll realize that you've
become something special; something different, but different
in a most amazing and wonderful way; you will have become - a
photographer! © 2002 Back to top of page Quickie Technique #5: Exposure - All meters built into all cameras are "reflection" meters; they read the light reflected by our subjects AND everything else in our viewfinder! This often causes incorrect readings, and pictures that turn out looking like doo-doo. Instead of letting our camera's meter read the exposure from our whole frame, set your built-in meter to its "spot" setting. Then, center the most Important part of your subject (i.e., the face of a person, the flower petals of a flower, the coat of a dog, etc.) in your meter's spot circle and take your reading; then, when our viewfinder's spot circle is filled with our subject and NOT with the surroundings, lock in exposure (e.g., press the shutter button half-way down), re-compose the shot, and then press the shutter button all the way down and make the exposure! I think you'll be pleased with the results! More "quickie techniques" information will be included in my other auction descriptions. Thank you for viewing this auction, and may you have the very best of luck! Photo Tip #29: Go buy (or subscribe to) at least a half-dozen top magazines (Vogue, Cosmo, GQ, Elle, etc., etc. and don't forget my favorite, Playboy:). Then get a 3-ring binder and a 3-hole punch; this will become your idea and guide book. Go through the magazines and tear out every page with an image that you admire, find interesting or striking, or has dramatic lighting. Then take the pile of pages, punch the holes in them, and put them into your binder. Separate the images into categories. Study each picture to determine where the strobes were located, how the shadowing was arranged, what the background was (and how it was lit). When you're about to do a portrait session, look at your victim's face; find similar features and similar clothing on models in your binder, and see how the pros lit them. Pay attention to where and how the hands are placed in the pictures. Pay attention to where and how the legs are placed in the pictures. Pay attention to what angle the body is placed in relation to the camera; see how the clothing is arranged, and how it relates to the background. Pay attention, read the magazines, tear out pages, put them into your binder. Study them. Emulate the best you find. This is the best way learn: from those who are great - and successful - photographers! Back to top of page |
A $20.00 Value - Absolutely FREE!
Each order comes with one FREE Cellular Phone Antenna Booster.
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Ever have your cellular phone fail to find a signal when you really needed it? Those of us who have cell phones, have them because we never know when we'll find ourselves in a situation where it will save our butts (or those of our spouses, kids, or friends) from some emergency. Other times, when we're on our cell phone with an important call, we discover that we've just "dropped" the call during the most important part of our conversations. It's happened to all of us, and I really hated it when it happened to me! We've all seen the ads on TV and in the magazines and newspapers for these Cell Phone Antenna Boosters, and hundreds of thousands have been sold for $19.95 each! And, yes, they DO help (I've tried them on my own cell phones). They're easy to install (just peel and stick them on the phone behind the battery). To be perfectly honest, though (and I always am:), they're nowhere as "Wonderful" as the TV ads make them out to be (what is?:), but they really do help pull in the cell signals when you're in a "fringe" area or inside buildings. I certainly don't think they're worth $20, but in an emergency, these little antenna boosters could make the difference for you. And one thing's for sure: you can't beat the price! It's FREE! I just happened to come upon a fabulous deal for these cellular phone antenna boosters, and I feel that it's something we should all have - after all, when an emergency happens to us, we'll NEED to have a connection that will work (but no guarantees:)! |
| Each and every order (placed from this eBay auction listing) will include one FREE Cellular Phone Antenna Booster. Please understand that you will receive one free antenna booster with your order (regardless of how many kits or packages you may order from a dutch auction). Unlike with other sellers, this is not a gimmick - there's no "catch," there are no additional costs to you, there are no additional "shipping" or "handling" charges tacked on (as so many other sellers do) - this is really and truly a FREE bonus! Wondering if my products are really as good as they sound? Just check my feedback for assurance, and see for yourself! | |
| Important: I have many auctions that are not listed at the top of the eBay auctions page, and lots of additional equipment available for immediate purchase (no waiting for an auction to end, and no chance of being outbid) in my eBay store! The only way to be sure you haven't missed something that might be perfect for your needs is to check ALL my eBay auctions and store items by clicking HERE! <- Clicking here will open up a new page in your browser with a list of my auctions and eBay store items; this auction page will remain open behind the new page, so you won't lose your place. |
Accessories & Information
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Point of Information: BTW (btw means "by the way" for any "newbies" paying us a visit), a "Reflection" umbrella is one that reflects the strobe's light back onto the subject, and thereby softens and diffuses the light. This technique is often used in portraits, delicate items, and for photographing reflective surfaces, and performs many beneficial services for all us hard-working, and under-appreciated photographic artists. Keep it a secret from others, though, and let them think we get our beautiful images through some sort of secret and esoteric magic, passed down through the centuries, from master to disciple. It helps increase our value ;-) - and please don't send me any e-mail explaining that photography hasn't been around for centuries, I know that. Duh. Actually, photography (in one form or another) has been around for about 150 years. |
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White/Black Reflection Umbrellas: 32" The White/Black umbrella is made
of the new P-Satin clothes-PU bonding with high denier Satin.
Their Black cover can achieve almost 100% light reflection rate
and provide soft almost shadowless light, which is suitable for
indirect and diffusive lighting. A wonderful method of softening
the light. You get One Umbrella with this fantastic kit! |
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H70- 150mm 7" Umbrella Reflectors Used alone for about 60º coverage, or with optional barn doors to control lighting spread, or with an umbrella to create soft and diffuse lighting. This custom reflector is designed with a special "slot" in it to allow for the use of an umbrella, without the need for a special umbrella holder accessory! A unique innovation! This is usually the reflector that comes with the Britek PS-200 Strobes, since they have an integral umbrella holder built in to the strobe's light stand connector. You get One of these reflectors with this package! Back to top |
| You'll also be receiving a Sync Cord (also called
a "PC" Cord), and a power cord for each and every one
of your new PS-200 Pro Strobes, and don't forget that both have
integral (built-in) umbrella holders, and light stand connections
too! Everything you'll need is included, so when your new photographic
equipment arrives, all you'll have to do is unpack them, put
them on the light stands, plug 'em in, point the strobes at your
victim,(s) and rock & roll (fire away)! Unlike some other
lighting equipment which requires additional power supplies and
connector cables, this great A.C. kit comes 100% complete - no
additional attachments or accessories are needed to start using
this equipment within a few minutes after it arrives! Back to top of page |
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(Similar kits from competing manufacturers sell for double, triple, and sometimes even more!) And don't forget your FREE $20 Cell Phone Antenna Booster! But these go quickly, and this fabulously-low sale price won't last long! Bid Now! |
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| You can own this entire professional photographic
lighting package for only $139.00! LESS than HALF what you'd pay for just
one strobe from a competing manufacturer or photo
supplier! [How can you sell brand new equipment for such low
prices? [see here for answers] Back to top of page |
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Ladies and Gentlemen, "Elv*s" has left the building....
(Sorry, eBay won't allow me to use the great rock & roller's name anymore; but we know who Elv*s is, don't we?:)
That's it for the goodies, folks; now for the details (below):
| Shipping & handling as listed is for UPS ground (in the contiguous 48 states). HI, AK, PR, addresses higher. Canadian shipping charges are also for UPS Ground shipping. eBay now requires all payments to be electronic (credit or debit card, or electronic check, either through PayPal or processed through this seller's merchant accounts). Please e-mail with any questions. California residents only add sales tax (sorry). Just e-mail me if you want a shipping quote. Thank you for taking the time to view this listing, May your photography and/or videography blossom with beauty (even if you don't buy anything from me). ;-) |
| Guaranteed! This brand new, top quality, equipment equals or surpasses those with retail list prices far, far higher! Go ahead, check with your local photo store(s) or online. Bid responsibly, but bid with confidence; these items are 100% guaranteed to be brand new, with manufacturer's full one YEAR warantee! You may return this package (in new and undamaged condition, of course) within 10 days of receipt for a full refund (excluding shipping and a 20% manufacturer-imposed restocking fee (why?), if it is not exactly as described above in every way. Trust me, you'll love it! If you'd like to review way, way over a THOUSAND more impartial and objective opinions, check my feedback and see what every other customer has had to say about this package (as well as every other item I've ever sold), and about my customer service, and my commitment to 100% customer satisfaction! Hey, us struggling photogs have to stick together, y'know (and all of us are always struggling - to make that elusive "perfect" photograph, huh?). Thanks again for viewing this auction, I sincerely appreciate your time and interest; please feel free to e-mail any questions to me see here for links. |
 Check out my other eBay auctions! |
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| NOTE: It has become virtually impossible to keep all the pictures of every item in every one of the many different kits up to the moment; manufacturers are changing the products almost weekly, and with the hundreds of kits and packages i have listed, keeping every image in every kit updated just isn't something that's possible any more. So items are subject to change or substitution. Also, there just isn't enough room to show every single item that's in a kit in the Gallery Images, and sometimes an item in the Gallery Picture is no longer included in the kit (usually because it's been replaced with a superior product). So please be sure to see the "Contents" lists in the kit descriptions for the actual contents of each package or kit (I've made these lists very large, and placed them in bright yellow boxes (like this one), so it's almost impossible to miss them, and placed contents lists at the Top and then again at the Bottom of every kit description). If you should have any questions, I'll be glad to address them, so don't hesitate to e-mail me if need be (PhotoSource3@pss3.Com). Being human (yes, most photographers are human:), sometimes a typographical error might creep into the descriptions somewhere, and, of course, we are not responsible for, nor bound by such errors; please forgive any mistakes which, while extremely uncommon, sometimes happen.Thanks for understanding. ALSO: Please be sure to unblock my e-mail address (PhotoSource3@pss3.com) if you place a bid or ask me a question (that's if you want to receive a reply from me, anyway:-). |
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| Photo tip #56: This
is perhaps the most important piece of photographic advice I
can give to any photographer, amateur or professional (but especially
amateurs), so pay attention, gentle reader, pay attention! There
are few things more frustrating than getting back your prints
(regardless of whether it's film or digital) and finding an image
that's absolutely wonderful; everything is perfect, the lighting,
the shadows, the exposure, the background - absolutely everything
is fantastic; everything is phenomenal; everything is exquisite
beyond description - and then saying to yourself: "How did
I do that?" The moral of this story? KEEP NOTES! Write down
your settings (camera, lens, shutter speed, aperture, film used,
distance from subject, lighting setup, meter readings, etc.)!
I know, I know, it's a hassle; it's like backing up your important
computer files every day. Nobody likes to do it. But we all should.
Here's what I did: after going through this situation at least
a dozen times, I started keeping great notes, and whenever a
"perfect" picture came in, I'd make an extra print
of it, and place the image into a scrapbook, where I wrote down
all the settings, right under the picture. After a while, I had
a couple hundred of these images and data in my scrapbook. Now,
whenever I want a certain effect for a picture, all I do is flip
through my scrapbook, find an image with the effect I want, and
all the information I need to set up my equipment is right there!
Hey, when you're working (or paying models by the hour), being
able to get perfect exposures - quickly - is money in the bank
(and it's also impressive to your subjects, too)! You have to
remember that in addition to being a photographer, you're also
a business person, and time is money! If you're doing
product photography, the more shots you get in a day, the more
money you make. If you're doing portraits, the more portraits
you finish in a day, the more money you make. The more images
you make per portrait session, the more prints you'll sell to
your subjects. So take a bit of advice: KEEP GOOD NOTES! Or do
like I did: get one of Minolta's new Maxxum 7 cameras that will
automatically save all this information (and more!) for you for
every exposure (awright, so I'm lazy:).
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The Business of Photography - Selling Portraits: We have our portrait session where we make dozens and dozens of exposures (sometimes, we might even take a hundred pictures or more in a portrait session; especially if we're working with a family or group). Then, we send our clients home, telling them that we'll call them as soon as their prints come back. We then send the film or disk to our lab and have them make contact sheets for us; when we receive the contact sheets from the lab, we carefully examine each image, and pick out the very best 5 or 10 or 20 images (we never let our clients see ALL the images - there are always a bunch of exposures that turn out terrible)! There are those pictures where the client's eyes are closed (everybody blinks, and sometimes they blink just when we press that shutter button:); in other shots, the client moves their head or glances away and messes up our carefully-designed lighting. So we pick out the very best ten or twenty images out of all the pictures we made during the portrait sitting. The client never sees the imperfect images, only the very best of all our shots. Then, we have our lab make an 11 x 14 print of the best image, and then we have the next 5-10 best images made into 8 x 10 prints for us. The, we make 4 x 6 prints of perhaps about next 3-5 best images from the session. We then put the 11 x 14 print and maybe 3-4 of the 8 x 10 prints into beautiful frames. We set up all the pictures in our studio and call the client in to see all these lovely images (or we bring the pictures to our client's home or office for viewing). Of course, there are some portrait sessions wherein we make only a few pictures; perhaps a business executive wants one picture of himself for the company annual report, and isn't interested in any additional shots. But even then, always make at least a dozen exposures; that way we're sure of getting at least a couple of good images (just try to imagine how embarrassing it would be to call our client and tell him/her that we have to do the session all over again because none of the two or three pictures we took turned out good enough). Why the frames? Because we also make quite a nice profit on selling picture frames, as well as pictures (albums, too)! The client ends up seeing only the most beautiful images (and thinks we're phenomenally-talented photographic artists:). They see how wonderful the pictures look in the lovely frames, and end up ordering lots of prints, and lots of frames. Always ask the client if grandma and grandpa would like some prints; after the client orders the 11 x 14s, 8 x 10s, 5 x 7s and 4 x 6 prints, always ask how many wallet-sized prints they would like. Write up a great order! Make a lot of money by making a lot of people very happy. Can you think of any better way to make a living? And, unless you're a gynecologist, in what other profession can you ask a magnificently beautiful girl (or guy, depending upon your outlook:) who you've only just met, to take off her clothes, and have her do so quickly and happily? Huh? AND get paid for doing it! Damn, I love photography! :-) BTW, no matter what your models may look like, always tell them they're beautiful/handsome; it makes them feel good about themselves, helps them loosen up for the camera, and is absolutely true - everyone has beauty, if only we have the eyes to see it. And therein lies the secret of every great photographer: he/she has developed the "photographic vision," the eyes to see the beauty in everything. Buy a copy of Popular Photography, and every other photographic magazine you can find. Look for the ads that all the custom labs always have running in these magazines; also find the ads for wholesale suppliers of picture frames, albums, calendars, custom mugs, and poster-size prints. Call, e-mail, visit the web sites, or write to every supplier and ask for their wholesale price lists. Choose the labs and photographic suppliers you like, and compare prices and delivery times. Try out a few different sources, and after a while you'll have your favorite suppliers. You'll find that the prints and other supplies are surprisingly inexpensive, and you'll have a truly great markup for your profit. Wham, bam, you're on your way to a fun, creative, and wonderfully rewarding way to make a living doing something you love. What more can we ask out of life? OK, someone to love, perhaps? If you haven't met him/her yet, there are few better ways to find new friends (and lovers:) than through photography (after all, making people look great tends to impress them favorably, right?). So give it a shot; there's no
downside; if it works for you as a profession, great! If not,
at the very least, you'll have a wonderful and creative hobby
(along with the admiration of your friends and family). And at
best, becoming a successful photographer means fame, fortune,
and world travel; and the joys of the artistic creativity that
accompanies such success aren't too difficult to learn to live
with, huh? And don't forget about all the exquisitely beautiful
/ handsome models you'll be "forced" to work with,
either! :) Hey, it's a tough job, but somebody has to do it,
right? Life has few guarantees, but one thing you can be absolutely
certain about is this: you can't possibly succeed unless you
try. |
| Important: I have many auctions that are not listed at the top of the eBay auctions page, and lots of additional equipment available for immediate purchase (no waiting for an auction to end, and no chance of being outbid) in my eBay store! The only way to be sure you haven't missed something that might be perfect for your needs is to check ALL my eBay auctions and store items by clicking HERE! <- Clicking here will open up a new page in your browser with a list of my auctions and eBay store items; this auction page will remain open behind the new page, so you won't lose your place. |
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Shop with
confidence! This GOLD PowerSeller proudly provides a plethora of perfect photographic products - PLUS - pure, powerful, and peerless customer service! |
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| Here's what you get: 1) One Britek PS-200 120WS Professional Strobe (Show me) 2) One 32" Black/White Umbrella (Show Me) 3) One 6 1/2 Foot Light Stand (Show me) 4) One Unique Umbrella-Capable Reflector (Show Me) 5) One Sync Cord 6) One Power Cord 7) All Necessary Bulbs (flash tubes, modeling light bulbs, etc.) With this package you'll have everything you need to start making great pictures! See just below. Plus, as a Free Bonus! 10) One FREE Cellular Phone Antenna Booster! $20 Value! (Show Me) Only $139.00 for this entire package! |
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| Wondering what the price is? See it here. |
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| Important: I just HATE IT when I buy a "kit" or "package," and then when I receive it, I discover that I can't use it because there's something else I need (usually at a substantial additional cost, too) to make it work (i.e., the "batteries not included" syndrome)! So I'd never do that to my (cherished) customers! With this fabulous package, absolutely everything is included (well, except a camera, film, and photographer, that is)! When this package arrives, all you'll have to do to start making great photographs, is open it up, unwrap your new goodies, put the strobes on the light stands, plug 'em in, point them at your favorite victims, and, baby, just like Elvis, go ahead and rock and roll (fire away)! NO additional equipment or parts are needed to start using your new studio lighting package! |
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Shop with
confidence!
Bid with
confidence!
Buy with
confidence!
From a Profoundly Proud
GOLD eBay PowerSeller!
This GOLD
PowerSeller proudly provides a plethora of perfect photographic
products - PLUS - pure, powerful, and peerless customer service!
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Shop with
confidence! This GOLD PowerSeller proudly provides a plethora of perfect photographic products - PLUS - pure, powerful, and peerless customer service! |
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© 2004 RMorgan/Adam Publishing
Co./Wryter All Wrights Wreserved Worldwide! So there! ;-)
On Apr-08-04 at 17:03:53 PDT, seller added the following information:
Shipping and handling Save up to $5.00 on shipping when you buy additional eligible items from photosource3. Item location: Simi Valley, California, United States Shipping to: United States, Canada
*The estimated delivery time is based on the seller's handling time, the shipping service selected, and when the seller receives cleared payment. Sellers are not responsible for shipping service transit times. Transit times may vary, particularly during peak periods.
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Immediate payment required for this item Immediate payment of US $139.00 is required. Seller's payment instructions | ||||||
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