Digital Hasselblad Santa Photos

[Nokton48]

Hasselblads For Events by Nokton48, on Flickr

There is a breakfast next Saturday at a local event and Santa (looks real!) is coming for the Kids. I have offered to take photographs with my new to me Hasselblad CFV16 Digital Back. These are cameras ^^ I used to take to events, using color negative film. Now I want to give it a good try, and I'm donating my time and effort on a one-time basis. Going to a meeting tonight to discuss what will be going on. I think this will be fun 🙂

I'll pull the chip from the camera, and pass it off for emailing. When emails are sent out, I'll get my chip back.

 

[Retro-Grouch]

Hasselblads For Events by Nokton48, on Flickr

There is a breakfast next Saturday at a local event and Santa (looks real!) is coming for the Kids. I have offered to take photographs with my new to me Hasselblad CFV16 Digital Back. These are cameras ^^ I used to take to events, using color negative film. Now I want to give it a good try, and I'm donating my time and effort on a one-time basis. Going to a meeting tonight to discuss what will be going on. I think this will be fun 🙂

I'll pull the chip from the camera, and pass it off for emailing. When emails are sent out, I'll get my chip back.

Let's just hope the little darlin's cooperate. Many years ago, while in school, I had a job as an Easter Bunny, taking photos with kids in the mall, much like Santa, except it was a full bunny suit, bright yellow. Let's just say that I earned every penny.

 

[Nokton48]

Santa Test 1 by Nokton48, on Flickr

I'm shooting a Santa Event Saturday with my Hasselblad CFV16 on my 500C/M. Met the Group and took this test photo, focusing on the background. Taking extra batteries, cards, and a backup digital camera. So this is it. I'm doing this as a means for them to promote their event. Should be thirty to sixty kids. That's a lot!

This is the 50mm Distagon, lighting on Stroboframe Vivitar 283. I used Manual on the flash and shot at F6.3 and also F4.5, back ISO was EI200. High ceiling in here, extra Duracell Max batteries on hand, to speed recycling. A 32 gig card holds 335 images, one card should be plenty. At the end of the event, I hand off the card, and photos are emailed to each family. Planning to do two shots of each, no more than three.

 

[Vince Lupo]

Good luck at the event!

BTW How bright is the room? Will you have enough ambient light to focus? Will you be using a tripod or handheld? Will it be strictly one kid per shot or could there possibly be a whole family in a given shot?

One of the things that I do when I'm doing shots like this for an event is to either get someone to stand in various spots in the scene to see how the lighting will be on a person (and making sure that I'm in an established, fixed spot so that the lighting will be the same if I'm doing manual flash-on-camera). If nobody is available, I put the camera on a tripod, use the self-timer and stand there myself.

Oh one other thing I just realized -- that back takes CF cards, yes? Do you know if they have a CF card reader? SD seems to be the common thing these days, CF not so much.

 

[Nokton48]

Hi Vince,

Thanks for your suggestions. Yes it bright enough (barely), I'll take my big Manfrotto tripod. Two shots each has been suggested to me. In a pinch I guess I could stretch to three? I can look for blinkers. My Photoflex XTC Mini Me Softbox covers the 50mm Dist pretty evenly. I think I will stick with the 50. I do have all the other lenses but KISS. LOL .

CFV16 80 PLANAR 500CM 283 XTC SOFTBOX by Nokton48, on Flickr

The camera I'm taking with the 50 DIST.

CFV16 Card Adapter with 32 gig Micro Cards Reader by Nokton48, on Flickr

I bought the CF Card Adapter from the UK (bought two of them). The 32 gig Micro Cards were $8 each at the local Walmart. Each one came with a microSDXC Adapter, which neatly stores the micro cards in this repurposed metal storage case. Have regular CF cards too, I been warned to use the Adapter, it's easier on the pins inside the back.

It's been pointed out to me that the above shot is not really sharp. I will switch to a Magnifying Hood, and a Focusing Screen made for the CFV16, with focus aides. Will test all that later today. It is kinds dark in there, especially with an F4 lens.

 

[Nokton48]

After switching back to the CFV16 Focusing Screen, and retesting/examining image on laptop, the back is sharp. The 50mm F4 was always a bear to focus with the standard crosshair screen. So now I'm back to this new CFV16 one and all good.

 

[raydm6]

I’m impressed with this chair.

Looks like a scary Santa Claus on the back support with a crazy handlebar mustache 🎅 🙂

 

[35photo]

I've shot a couple of Santa events... I used an Alien Bees strobe with an octabox soft box and remote triggered it... Super easy results were great. I'm sure your set up will be fine, I personally hate using tripods🙂 Good Luck!

 

[Nokton48]

Thanks 35photo !

Yeah I've thought about bringing in some Broncolor Monolights, I have a medium sized Beauty Light for several different units.

The 283 is about as simple as you can get. The XTC Mini-Me Softbox helps as you move in closer. I'm gravitating towards KISS.

I'll find the parts to bolt the Manfrotto Hex Plate to the Stroboframe. If I have to jump in and out of the frame, the tripod is something I'm used to.

Flash on axis with the lens, the shadow is straight behind the subject and facing downward. Down and Dirty Lighting.