We all love to be told we’re doing things right, and this message from Peter Michael Dedes who joined the recent advanced speedlite workshop is particularly kind.
When we were asked by Canon UK to present for them at Focus we jumped at the opportunity.When they asked for four presentations each day for four days and to make each one wireless it was right up our street.
It did seem that each day there was a turning point in the first show when one of us was identified as the “butt of all jokes” for the day, but we had great fun.
Each day there were three different demos; simple EOS 6D WiFi, WiFi workflow and Speedlites and WiFi. The WiFi workflow show was delivered twice each day.
Book a place on the upcoming 23rd March Advanced Speedlite workshop near Reading and take £10 off the price using discount code
This simple show used the EOS 6D connected via WiFi to an iPad running the EOS Remote application. EOS Remote lets the iPad user view images as they are taken or those stored on the memory cards. It also gives the possibility to change major camera settings like shutter speed, aperture and ISO plus take pictures and see a live preview on the iPad.
With an assembled crowd an iPad was never going to be big enough so we used an Apple TV and AirPlay to mirror the iPad display on to a large plasma that the audience could see.
At the end of the shooting a selected RAW image – we shot RAW + small JPEG – was transferred to the computer and printed out to the PIXMA PRO-10 from Canon’s Digital Photo Professional (DPP) via the Canon Print Studio Pro print plug-in.
This show found us both shooting images, usually Dave with the EOS 6D set to transfer to EOS Utility on the MacBook. During the demo we could take control of the camera completely changing a full range of settings, though setting the camera to monochrome picture style was an easy one for the audience to see a significant change. Images started to come through as black and white instead of colour. After this we switched over to use the EOS 5D Mark III with the Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E7. The EOS 5D Mark III + WFT-E7 were configured for FTP mode transfers, ensuring the computer operator can only receive the files not take control of the camera. Both cameras were set to shoot RAW + JPEG images with JPEGs being transferred continuously. With a quick change from the EOS 5D Mark III menu the transfer with SET feature, where images can be selected for transfer from the playback screen, was used to send RAW files. It showed that RAW files can be transferred but expect around 1s per megabyte of picture – 25s for a 25MB RAW image.
The focus then was on the DPP software and how it works to select images, process them and finally output on the PIXMA PRO-10. Modifications to RAW images were simple white balance – using click white balance on the whites of the eyes – and in some cases a little brightness adjustment. Then output again via the Print Studio Pro plug-in. For the whole show we never needed to make a TIFF or JPEG image from the RAW files to make a print.
Since we were linked to a Canon large format printer the IPF6400 we did also use it’s plug-in for DPP to make A1-size prints direct from the RAW image.
We used the radio controlled Speedlite 600EX-RT flashes for each show, but only focussed on them in detail for this show. We started with a pair of flashes in a 60cm x 90cm Lastolite EzyBox, added in a reflector, hair light and background illumination all by changing settings on the ST-E3-RT. From time to time one of us took the role of a voice activated light stand – just positioning lights, not changing settings. Using the ST-E3-RT in this way we could build the lighting up step by step and show the control and features of the radio flash system.
For the photos we shot with the EOS 5D Mark III connected to the WFT-E7, making sure the images arrived on the MacBook so the audience can see the changes. It was also a chance to talk about the different modes of Wi-Fi operation that are possible with a WFT-E7, FTP mode (as we used), EOS Utility mode & WFT-Server mode.
Finally with a simple few changes in the DPP software a print was made using either the PIXMA PRO-10 or the iPF6400. The queues of folks collecting their free A2 prints was quite long so this determined if we could jump the queue – over the network – and get a print on the LFP while our show was running.
We were happy to work with two great models over the four days, Rachael Bock for Sunday and Monday then Kate Hicki for Tuesday and Wednesday.
Dave managed to get his face in the Focus on Imaging news site holding a print of a picture from an earlier shoot with Rachael.
After a period of emails, meetings and the odd run up the M40 we are very pleased to be starting to deliver our training in Birmingham. We’ve got together with TipTop Photography in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter to bring our product knowledge and training skills to photographers across the West Midlands.
Our first course, Mastering small off-camera flash is on 29 July 2012 so book your place now before they sell out
Book ‘Mastering small off-camera flash’ now
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