Starving Student Strobist Kit

Well, today was the big day! My Starving Student Strobist Kit (SN2) arrived today via UPS! It's looking like good times ahead! And many thanks to Midwest Photo Exchange for providing quality equipment to the starving masses. Getting it all set up was a snap and the only thing I have remaining to do is get some adhesive Velcro to jury-rig attachments on my flash for the Color Correction Gels.

Next up in the mail are my triggers! I realized that I just got the flash kit and whatnot, but the cable is already starting to get on my nerves having nearly tripped over it a couple of times. Life can be a drag when you wear a 14 4E shoe. Never the less, I picked up a pair of receivers and a transmitter from Gadget Infinity. Also may be referred to as the "eBay Triggers." These are Version 2 (Cactus) and are supposedly more reliable over all as well as with Canon Brand Flashes, which I just so happen to have. In addition, I also snagged a wireless shutter release for my Rebel XT (350D). I figured it would come in handy when I don't have a stand-in for setting up a portrait shot. Evidently, it works on the same frequencies as the 16 channel and 4 channel wireless flash triggers and, as such, can trigger them as well. It's a bit more convenient than the standard Canon Infrared Wireless Remote in that it doesn't require line of sight, has a 30 foot range, can "half press" to activate auto focus and can operate in bulb mode.

In any case! More reviews and whatnot when the equipment arrives! Coming up next (at a more earthly hour) will be my first test shots with the new equipment

Equipment

So, a good starter would be the equipment I will be using throughout the course of these assignments.

The mainstay of my arsenal consists of a Black Body Canon Rebel XT (350D) with just about 1 year's worth of wear and tear. Pretty much in pristine condition.

My primary lens is a Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II LD Aspherical [IF] (boy was that a mouthful...).

My sole, non-natural light source is a Canon Speedlite 430EX.

Accessory wise I have the Battery Grip for the Rebel XT, allowing me to throw in a pair of batteries that will let me shoot pretty much all day. The down side is that it tacks on an extra inch or two between the body and the ground so it makes it a tad harder to shoot low. The advantage is that it adds a second set of controls that can be used when consistently shooting with a vertical frame.

In addition, I have a Sto-Fen Omni Bounce that spends just about as much time off my flash as it does on the flash.

Other equipment I have available, that may or may not find use throughout these assignments, is a Tamron AF 2x Teleconverter, as well as a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM.

That covers the equipment I have on hand. Other equipment I have en route is a Starving Student No PC Kit (SN2) as well as Light: Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting.

And that's about it! Further updates as they become available/acquired.

Action!

Alright, so here's the deal. I'm a Software Engineer by day and moonlight as a semi-decent photographer. I recently developed a bit of an interest in more advanced light and have taken it upon myself to further my knowledge of photography and lighting in general. As such, I will be following along with the Lighting 102, the successor to Lighting Boot Camp, a set of Group Assignments put forth by the wonderful folk over at the Strobist Blog.

Herein you will find the details of my feeble attempts to conquer these assignments, the highlights (haha... pun intended), the pitfalls, and everything in between. To all those participating, "Good luck!" and to those that are but spectators, I hope you enjoy the show.