Hi and welcome to this edition of Workshop at the Ranch. When I get excited about a piece of equipment that allows me to make better pictures I want to tell everyone all about it and how to use it. This long and detailed Workshop at the Ranch article’s purpose is to present to you both a valuable tool for lighting and step by step instruction on how to use it. For several years now the Nikon SB-800 Speedlight system has been my trusty side kick for many assignments and photo shoots. No other flash unit could compare to the technology, performance, and reliability that the Nikon SB-800 offered, that is course until the release of the Nikon SB-900 Speedlight. I hope this months article not only conveys some of the new and improved features of the Nikon SB-900 Speedlight, but also teaches you how to use them when making action images.
Hi and welcome to this edition of Workshop at the Ranch. When I get excited about a piece of equipment that allows me to make better pictures I want to tell everyone all about it and how to use it. This long and detailed Workshop at the Ranch article’s purpose is to present to you both a valuable tool for lighting and step by step instruction on how to use it. For several years now the Nikon SB-800 Speedlight system has been my trusty side kick for many assignments and photo shoots. No other flash unit could compare to the technology, performance, and reliability that the Nikon SB-800 offered, that is course until the release of the Nikon SB-900 Speedlight. I hope this months article not only conveys some of the new and improved features of the Nikon SB-900 Speedlight, but also teaches you how to use them when making action images.

The Nikon SB-900 Speedlight has all the same modes and features of the SB-800 that photographers love. Most notable are i-TTL capability, Wireless Remote, Auto High Speed Sync, SU-4 mode, etc, etc. Here are some of the changes and improvements. The most obvious change is its physical size. The SB-900 is slightly larger than the SB-800, but is still a trim unit that fits into your camera bag, waist pouch, or photo vest pocket. I believe the unit offers more light output which is especially evident when using the improved ZOOM function that offers 200mm zoom capability. The efficiency of the SB-900 is also improved. A faster recycle time can now be achieved without the use of the external 5th battery. There is an optional Thermal Cut-Out mode that warns you of over heating and then shuts the unit down when rapid firing is too excessive. The flash head now rotates equally in both directions, and, the interface and set-up procedures have been greatly simplified …. so simple even the GEICO caveman can do it.

With these improvements in mind let’s learn how to use the Nikon SB-900 Speedlight to make stylized action images.

Image #1A       Leap in Green … In a controlled indoor environment like a studio, or in this case a theater, the SB-900 Speedlights can be used as a studio strobe setup. Many of you are already familiar with the advantages of using Nikon Speedlights in i-TTL as a Wireless Remote strobe. I can adjust the power output of each unit individually via my Nikon SU-800 Commander connected to my cameras hotshoe, or even with the in-camera commander that is available in some Nikon cameras. Another notable Speedlight advantage is the units portability. The Nikon Speedlight is a battery powered unit which means no AC power cords are needed. When I photograph athletes who are performing I want to eliminate all obstacles that might interfere with their movement across a floor, court, ice rink, or field of play. These battery powered units keep the performance area clean and obstacle free. I like to use a Manual Exposure mode so as to have complete control of the picture. My manual exposure setting of ISO500, 1/500 at f8 is about 3 stops darker than the ambient light from the stage lights. In other words, a picture taken without the use of the SB-900 Speedlights would be an underexposed image, completely black. There is plenty of stage lighting for our ballerina to be able to perform safely, but my manual exposure is set to give me a picture that is underexposed to the point of making a totally black image. I think of it as a “black canvas” waiting for me to add light and REVEAL my subject. I used three SB-900 Speedlights for this image. One is placed inside a soft box and is in front of my subject (main light source) which illuminates her face and body with a soft wrap-around light. One SB-900 is behind my subject with a LumiQuest Snoot that illuminates only the back of her hair, shoulders and upper portions of her costume (called a “back light” or “hair light” or “separation light” … all three terms mean the same). The third SB-900 is located about 10 feet to the right of the soft box and about 10 inches above the stage. It shoots a little light across the wood stage to illuminate the stage, the ballerina’s lower leg, and her toe shoe. Its low angle gives a traditional “stage light” feeling to the picture. Nikon D700, ISO500, 1/500 at f8 (NOTE: camera is set to Auto FP high speed sync so I can use a shutter speed faster than 1/250 with Speedlights), Nikon 70-200mm VR Zoom lens, WB 5880K, 3 SB-900 Speedlights all set in i-TTL mode; The main light source SB-900 inside a Chimera Medium Soft Box and a power output of +1.7 zoomed wide to 17mm, the “Separation Light” SB-900 with a LumiQuest Snoot and a power output of +1.3 zoomed to 200mm, and one SB-900 about 10 inches above the stage zoomed to 200mm with a power output of -1.3, Nikon SU-800 Commander to trigger the Speedlights, Bogen Lightstand with one Bogen 175F Clamp to hold the Speedlight, Lexar 8G Flash Card. The bracket holding the SB-900 Speedlight inside the soft box is somewhat of a homemade rig. Sometimes I find it necessary to make my own equipment adaptation until a company makes something I like. Simply made, I use a Chimera Speedring that is designed to hold a soft box and sandwich it (gaffer tape) in between two pieces of foam core dividers from an old camera backpack. I have cut a hole in the foam core for the SB-900 to “snugly” fit into. It works well and fits nicely into my carry-on luggage.

Image 1B       Leap in Green (the Set-Up) … Because our ballerina was going to perform leaps and jumps for several of the pictures we needed to make, and because we only had access to her and the theater for a limited period of time, I had my assistant Brad hand hold the SB-900 with soft box rig so he could move with the ballerina if need be. A sort of mobile soft box. For this leap image he stood on a long bench for a little extra height and was able to move a few feet left or right with the subject and keep the angle of light perfect. The SB-900 Speedlight that is the “separation light”, as I call it, is attached to a Bogen Lightstand with a Bogen 175 F Clamp (NOTE: the 175F clamp fits the standard hotshoe. The new, slightly thicker SB-900 hotshoe is a tighter fit into the Bogen 175F clamp.) The third Speedlight is placed on top of my camera bag using the Speedlight Stand that comes with each unit. It sits about 10 inches above the stage. The SB-900 Speedlight is a very simple to use, portable, compact lighting system that works very well on location shoots especially when time is of the essence and mobility a key eliminate to success.

Image #2A       The Drive (the SILHOUETTE) … Let’s get outside the studio and see what’s possible with the Nikon SB-900 Speedlights in bright daylight conditions. Three notable Speedlight advantages are; 1. Once again, its portability, in this case outdoors where there is no AC available. 2. The Nikon Auto FP High Speed Sync mode that allows me to use a shutter sync speed faster than a standard 1/250 of a second. 3. The additional power output and effective concentration of light with the 200mm zoom really helps when illuminating your subject during mid day sunshine. This is especially valuable when lighting a moving subject that requires much more space than a portrait. Auto FP High Speed Sync is one of the revolutionary technology breakthroughs that Nikon Speedlights and many Nikon cameras offer. It gives the photographer the ability to use shutter sync speeds faster than 1/250 of a second. The Auto FP setting is found in the custom settings menu under Bracketing/Flash, and by setting my Nikon camera on Auto FP High Speed Sync I can use Nikon Speedlights at shutter speeds faster than 1/250, in the case of this image 1/8000 of a second. So when the challenge came along to photograph a golfer driving a golf ball the SB-900 Speedlights would be the the perfect choice. I like to make a stylized picture that draws attention to my subject using controlled light. Using Manual Exposure I determine the exposure of the background (general scene) to be ISO1000, 1/8000 at f4.5 by using the in-camera meter and illuminating the 0 (zero) in the middle of the exposure scale. I made a test shot without the Speedlights and could see that the scene is exposed perfectly, but I want more style to the picture so I choose to underexpose the background by 1 stop using a manual exposure of ISO1000, 1/8000 at f6.3. This underexposed scene will leave my golfer in a dark SILHOUETTE. By adding my own light with SB-900 Speedlights I can REVEAL my subject from the dark SILHOUETTE. Although 4 SB-900 Speedlights were used for the final published image, for teaching purposes I have made this example picture that used only two SB-900 Speedlights to REVEAL just the lower half of his body from SILHOUETTE while his chest and face remain in SILHOUETTE.

Image #2B       The Drive (the REVEAL)… I’ve heard that a golf ball leaves the club face at about of 250 mph when hit by a good golfer with better than average power as is certainly the ability of this golfer. The Auto FP High Speed Sync allows me to use a super fast shutter speed of 1/8000 to stop the golf ball in flight while the SB-900 Speedlights illuminated the subject. The golf ball is nearly frozen and the manufactures name almost legible. Keep in mind that I underexposed the background (the general scene) by 1 stop so my “lit” subject becomes more prominent, but it also allows the bright sunshine to still be visible on the left side of the subjects face and shoulder. (NOTE: The natural sunshine is acting similar to the “back light”, “hair light”, “separation light” that we had on our ballerina.) Nikon D3, ISO1000, 1/8000 at f6.3, Nikon 24-70mm lens, WB 5880K, 4 SB-900 Speedlights set in i-TTL mode, zoomed to 200 at a power output of +2.0, Nikon SU-800 Commander with SC-29 cord, 3 Bogen Lightstands and a Bogen 175F Clamp for each Speedlight, Gitzo Carbon Fiber Tripod and Gitzo Ball Head with Kirk “L” Bracket, Lexar 8G Flash Card. As far as timing the shot to capture the golf ball just leaving the club face, that is just me, no special timing device or sound trigger. Each picture I took stopped the ball in various distances from the club face. This was the 10th drive of the shoot and was my favorite image.

Image #2C       The Drive (the Set-Up) … This image shows the arrangement of lights, camera and subject. For teaching purposes I turned off the speedlights so you can see the golfer in SILHOUETTE. Shooting a portrait in bright sunlight conditions usually requires using supplemental lighting to remove harsh unwanted shadows from the subject and create some style to the overall picture. For this shoot the sun is slightly back lighting the golfers back and left shoulder which leaves his face and body in dark SILHOUETTE. To over power the sunshine I used 4 Nikon SB-900 Speedlights to REVEAL (fill flash) my subject from SILHOUETTE. I hate to use the words “fill flash” because the term brings to mind a flash unit attached to the hotshoe of the camera and blasting the subject with unflattering, direct flash. A direct blast of light will work, but it is an unimaginative use of light and the potential stylized beauty of the image is lost. I’ve located 3 SB-900 Speedlights off camera to my right. By using the zoom feature of the SB-900 to 200mm I can increase the amount of light hitting my subject. As illustrated in this picture the SB-900 on the top of the lightstand will illuminate the head, shoulders and chest while the middle Speedlight will illuminate the central body and upper legs. The lowest Speedlight on the lightstand will illuminate the lower legs, grass and golf ball. These 3 Speedlights will easily illuminate my subject, but there is also a 4th SB-900 Speedlight located to my left (I’m blocking the view of it in this picture.) It adds some balance to the lighting scheme and will illuminate the right side of the golfers head, shoulders and chest. My Speedlights are symmetrically positioned to my subject in an equilateral triangle formation measuring about 12 feet on each side. The Nikon SU-800 Commander is attached to a lightstand located next to me, and is connected to my camera via a Nikon SC-29 cord. It is in direct line of sight to all 4 SB-900 Speedlights. A power output of +2.0 was needed to over power the sunlight which allowed me to underexpose the background which is the sky and adjacent fairway. By underexposing the background by 1 stop and then REVEALING my subject from SILHOUETTE using 4 SB-900 Speedlights, along with the Nikon cameras Auto FP setting which allows me to use a shutter sync speed of 1/8000 of a second I was able to stop the golf ball just after the impact of the club face.

Image #3A       Air Dueling (the SILHOUETTE) … A leaping subject on a stage can be challenging enough to creatively light and photograph, so can a golfer hitting a golf ball, but what about when the location is outdoors, and the leap involves not one subject but two subjects, and the leap is 15-20 feet high and covers a distance of 50 feet. Our golfer was a good example of a simple formula I like to use when lighting subjects outdoors, SILHOUETTE and REVEAL. As with the golfer I first determine the exposure for the background, in this case the late day overcast sky. Using Manual Exposure and the in-camera meter I determined an exposure of ISO640 1/500 at f5. I take a test shot and take a look on the LCD monitor and see that the sky is exposed well, so now, as with the golfer, I choose to UNDEREXPOSE the sky by 1 stop. My new exposure is ISO640 1/1000 at f5. Now my sky is darker and more dynamic looking, but it is just various tones of gray clouds. By setting my White Balance to the Kelvin Scale and choosing a very cool/blue WB of 3030K my sky becomes stylish tones of blue rather than drab tones of gray. Also, by setting my shutter speed at 1/1000 I not only darkened the sky for added drama, but the fast action will be stopped as well with this faster shutter speed. The cameras Auto FP setting will again be a key advantage when using a fast shutter speed to freeze the action and Speedlights to light up my motocross riders. Remember that Auto FP allows me to use my Nikon Speedlights at shutter speeds faster than the standard 1/250. This image illustrates the underexposed sky at a 3030K White Balance with my two motocross riders flying through the air, SILHOUETTED and frozen at a shutter speed of 1/1000th of a second. The next time they fly by me they will be REVEALED with light from 4 SB-900 Speedlights.

Image #3B       Air Dueling (the REVEAL) … Here come the motocross riders again, this time they are REVEALED with light from 4 SB-900 Speedlights. Auto FP, improved power output, 200mm zoom feature along with portability, and i-TTL power control in a Wireless Remote unit all add up to the SB-900 Speedlight advantage that makes this picture possible. With i-TTL mode set on all 4 Speedlights the light remains consistent no mater when I take the shot. Remember that I am using a cool/blue Kelvin White Balance of 3030K. So why are my subjects not also cool/blue? The answer is, I’m using the Warming Gel (orange) that comes with each Speedlight. By placing the warming gel over the front of each speedlight using the easy clip-on gel holder that comes with each SB-900 I can counter balance the cool/blue WB and REVEAL my subjects with a warmer sunset light. Nikon ISO640, 1/1000 at f5, Nikon 14-24mm lens, WB 3030K, 4 Nikon SB-900 Speedlights each with a warming gel, set in i-TTL mode, and each with a power output of +3.0, Nikon SU-800 Commander to trigger the Speedlights, Lexar 8G Flash Card. The additional power of the SB-900 and the new 200mm ZOOM capability, add perhaps as much as 1 additional stop of power. Now I can use the warming gels, still have enough light reach my subject, and have Brad and Steve safely out of the way of the air born motocross riders. (NOTE: I have spoken of this formula several times in past Workshop at the Ranch articles, most notable is the February 2006 Workshop at the Ranch article; My Moody Blue Formula.)

Image #3C       Air Dueling (the Set-Up) … Our scene is much larger than the ballerina or the golfer. These high speed athletes are jumping 15-20 feet high and spanning a distance of 50 feet or more while traveling at 35-40 mph. Just as Brad became a mobile light source with the SB-900 and soft box for the ballerina shoot, he and Steve will each hand hold two SB-900 Speedlights for the motocross riders. They’re purpose is not to move with the subject, but to track them with the Speedlights as the fly by. While Steve and Brad follow their respective subjects with the Speedlights I now have the freedom to concentrate on taking the picture when the timing looks right during the fly by. Steve is closest to me being about 5 feet behind and 15 feet up the hill to my right. He will follow the closest rider with his two SB-900 Speedlights. Brad is about 15-20 feet farther up the hill from Steve and will follow the other rider. My shooting position slightly in front of both Steve and Brad means the Nikon SU-800 Commander will not be in direct line of sight to the Speedlights they are holding. I mounted the SU-800 Commander to a Nikon SC-29 cord which allows me to freely face the SU-800 directly at the Speedlights behind and up the hill from me. I make sure that my Speedlights are located well off camera for a defining use of light rather than illuminating my subjects with a flattening direct fill flash from the camera location. This is key when lighting whether you are in a studio or outdoors. It is the use of off camera lighting that creates defining shadows, depth and drama to the subject, and it is the Nikon Speedlight system that makes creative lighting action pictures like this possible.

Each of these three images have common ground. In each case I start with a underexposed subject to the point of the subject being black. For the ballerina I manually underexposed the scene to the point of being a “black canvas.” For the golfer and motocross riders I underexposed the scene to make them a SILHOUETTE against the background. All three were then REVEALED with light from an off camera location. All three made use of Auto FP High Speed Sync as well. These procedures are fundamentals that I like to use for my portraits, and these fundamentals are the same for lit action images. I’m just making a lit portrait that is moving. The only real difference is the size of the area your subject occupies.

Photographing action used to be complex and reserved only for the elite sports photographer, but that is changing. The Nikon Speedlight system is unparalleled. I truly believe that. The SB-900 makes pictures that were once thought to be impossible become reality. Lighting has never been easier to use and once you experience the Nikon Speedlight system you will realize that there are unique and stylized images just waiting to be captured, and a growing market place ready to publish them.

See you next time here on Workshop at the Ranch.

Adios, Dave