Now based in Orange County, California, Garth Milan has moved around the United States since childhood, living everywhere from upstate New York to Puerto Rico to Florida to Washington State. After attending high school in California, he went to Cal State Long Beach to study Photojournalism.
At the age of 19, Milan was a motocross rider and nearly achieved professional rider status. A string of broken bones and other injuries made him reevaluate the odds of earning a living in the sport. Well-into photography by that point, he easily slid into a transition from participant to photographer. “It wasn’t just motocross, either,” he says. “It was other sports like wakeboarding, which was another one I was really into.”
Among other features, he points out using PocketWizard units were much easier for being mobile, versus the line-of-sight solution he was previously employing. Read the blog post and watch his behind-the-scenes video to see how he overpowered the sun both in the shade and in direct sunlight.
Doorhof concludes his review by saying the PocketWizards were “flawless, of course.” See the blog post for full details.
To see more of Frank Doorhof’s work and writing, visit his site and blog.
In the fourth and last episode of Mark Wallace’s latest round of demos, check out this video on how to use a Nikon SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander as the master controller for all your flash needs.
Wallace pairs up the SU-800 units with PocketWizard FlexTT5, and goes into detail on the settings of both for optimal flash results.
Mark Wallace takes you on an in-depth overview of the PocketWizard AC3 ZoneController for Nikon where you’ll quickly discover the importance of adding it to your equipment list. Don’t miss this great video to get all your AC3 questions answered.
Mark Wallace shines light on using the PocketWizard MiniTT1 and FlexTT5 for Nikon in this video, the first of four in a new series.
This free video, almost ten minutes long, has Wallace demonstrating how to set a Nikon camera for optimal results with the new off-camera flash triggering system by PocketWizard. Settings on the PocketWizard gear are covered, as are speedlight settings.
Wallace photographs a model indoors and out. He also covers how to update PocketWizard firmware, an important step to using your new MiniTT1 and FlexTT5. Known in the photo industry for making things clear so photographers can get down to business, this video proves no exception.
The unstoppable Erik Valind demonstrates PocketWizard’s new MiniTT1 and FlexTT5 with AC3 ZoneController at Photoshop World. Valind is featured on D-Town, Episode 71, along with all the other image-creating characters you’d expect. Looks like everyone had a great time.
Last month we wrote about Neil van Niekerk’s review of the PocketWizard AC3 ZoneController. Neil shows no signs of stopping his informative posts. Most recently, he’s posted a great behind-the-scenes article about a recent shoot at the Steinway Piano offices. Robert Wyatt, a pianist affiliated with Steinway, was the subject of this portrait session.
“I used multiple off-camera speedlights and different light modifiers to get portraits with impact,” van Niekerk writes. Two lighting set-ups are documented in his post. The photographer used three Nikon SB-900 speedlights, triggered by PocketWizard FlexTT5 units, including an additional one on his camera.
Ending his article with the following paragraph, van Niekerk explains a psychological benefit of using PocketWizard gear, along with total control over his desired light shaping:
“I chose to work with speedlights… because of how much control the new PocketWizard FlexTT5 allows me. Being able to change the power of each flash from my camera, made the shoot easier … and it makes me look so much more in control and cool in front of a client, when I’m not moving around, hurriedly adjusting my flashes’ individual outputs throughout the session.”
Keith Pytlinski at M5 Photography never stops. His recent post of shots taken in Southern California on the first day of spring showcase his utilization of the PocketWizard MiniTT1 and the FlexTT5 to light a rider just before the rain hit. Check out how he brings the foreground and subject to life against the overcast sky in the below shot.
Pytlinski used only one strobe, and had it held by an assistant, which facilitated fast changes and quick shooting. “The new PocketWizards offer a freedom of shooting with nearly any settings I choose,” he writes. “Shooting all afternoon without worrying about syncing at 1/250th was the best.”
Charleston, South Carolina wedding photographer Patrick Hall teamed up with his friend Lee Morris in 2009 to create the photography resource Fstoppers.com. The site has become an online destination showcasing behind the scenes videos of professional photographers at work. Originally primarily a site known for high quality videos, it has branched out to include written articles by guest photographers, and is worth the time of anyone interested in the art and practice of photography.
At long last, we have the final installment of T. Michael Testi’s marathon review of the PocketWizard MiniTT1, FlexTT5, AC3 and AC9 units all for Canon cameras. The first part was a general overview of the products and their capabilities. The second part was a detailed look at the seldom-covered AC3 and AC9 units.
In Part 3, Testi tests his PocketWizard gear at a Gary Thomas Extreme Lighting Workshop to chronicle the Outwest Outlaw Roller Derby team. The venue has spotty lighting at best, and even appears to have unfinished walls. Testi mentions dialing strobe power up or down with his AC3 in several shooting scenarios without completely halting his workflow. He shoots both sports action and more posed portrait work during this workshop.
Testi ends his three part review with the following two paragraphs. They follow in their entirety.
Again and again, I am amazed at the reliability and quality of all of these pieces and how well they work together in any situation. I also love the HyperSync ability that comes with the ControlTL system. This is what allows you to shoot at faster speeds than your camera would normally allow — all the way to 1/8000 second with full power flash. It allows you to capture more creative shots than you can with regular flash.
I also like the fact that everything just works together. There are no cords and no Velcro — just the FlexTT5 and the Speedlite. The ability for the system to work seamlessly with the Alien Bees and the flash unit made this a joy to work with. If you want the ultimate in the ability to control your flash and strobes from right on your camera, then I very highly recommend you add the AC3 and the AC9 to your MiniTT1 and FlexTT5 units.
Thanks for the details, T. Keep up the great work!
