James, this forum particularly interests me - so glad you developed it.

Here's a photo of Esther, shot with a Nikon D70 and Sigma 24-70mm @ f8. I used Nikon SB-800 and SB-600 Speedlights, some on softboxes, one clamped to the chair's back and shooting with an orange gel against a black velvet backdrop.

Hi Chris,

I am excited by your use of the Nikon flash system. I am a Canon user and have been using their wireless flash system for some time. I have been using it with mixed success at weddings for the last couple of years. Specifically, as long as I am within perfect line of site (i.e. between the master flash and the slave flash), everything works great. However, when things are not perfectly within line of site, I start having difficulties (I hope that this has been addressed with the 580 EX).

I do have a couple of questions though, if you do not mind:
"I used Nikon SB-800 and SB-600 Speedlights, some on softboxes, one clamped to the chair's back and shooting with an orange gel against a black velvet backdrop. "

(1) What system are you using for softbox?
(2) Are you doing anything special in order to get the speedlight clamed to the back of the chair to give you the backlight?

Thanks
James

I love this photo. The lighting is excellent and not a "typical" pet shot. The chair and backdrop were great choices

Very nice!!

Fantastic Work Chris!!!
I have the SB 800 also & wow it is wonderful... I hope to have a couple more this next year & really want to get into lighting more weddings & portraits with them...
again FANTASTIC!!!

JAJ

Thanks everyone! Wegner I'm not, but Esther here did require some elegant treatment, I felt!

James, this is approx. my 5th experiment with the Speedlights - each time is like the first time, still - though I'm learning more with each experiment. Line of Sight isn't necessary so long as the sensor can pick up part of the preflash sequence from the SB-800 master, though it does help if it's a darkend room with light walls.

My "system" of softboxes is simply the least expensive hodge-podge I could put together at B&H Photo. One softbox is 12"x16", the other a little larger. One sits on a straight stand for fill, the other on a $65 boom made by Impact, also from B&H.

To clamp the light to the back of the chair, I used a Nikon-mfg. accessory - it's simply a clamp with a hot shoe mount. Also in the accessory kit is a small tripod with a hotshoe mount, too great for out-of-camera positioning of a slave. Hope this helps!