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What a bunch of cave dwellers

Unfortunately didnt quite get enough flash power out to Killa...
Needed a few slave sb-800s!

More to follow

Please slot in Names for these Trogs.

Mic.

Left to right (this is 1/2 of the full group)
Gleff, Louise and Isabelle, Sorry I cant remember (friend of Hlop), Sheepie (Leon) behind, Me (Scott) in front, Another of Hlop's friends, Hlop (Mikial (more than likely spelt wrong)), Russel our guide in front, Stubsy, Killa

Some weird looking things down there!

Excellent pics Scott - you (and others) have proven to me that a light travel tripod is an essential piece of equipment for shoots of this nature - well done

Thanks...
the other bit of equipment I found essential (even though some people will disagree) is the external flash...

Most of the shots that I am not liking at the moment (reviewing them now... should be working but meh...) are the ones with harsh shadows and to much contrast (ie only localised light)

That last image MHD looks like an inflamed Stomach of a Tyranasaurus Rex, not that I'm an expert on the subject.

Mic.

Yeah... you see these things but they look so much wierder on the images afterwards..

something more man made now:

Now this one looks like something out of Journey To The Centre Of The Earth

Where's Lars & Gertrude the Duck.

He He.

Mic.

This is a funky one...
A d70 user decending into hell...
Hand held with flash to expose the foreground...

Yep, I can see Satin just sitting behind you

You know I see these sorts of things.

Mic

A knob


Now this one took me a while to like until I realised the level of detail in the cavern


For full size: (~2MB)
http://potofgrass.ath.cx/gallery/caves/ ... 827?full=1

MHD wrote:Some weird looking things down there!

Yup. Those tonsils look inflamed and should come out!

Scott

Some great captures there. All I can add is that I'm glad I posted early since my shots pale in comparison to those you and the rest of the tripod & flash brigade took

**FLASH**

MHD wrote:**FLASH**

Stop it now Scott or you'll go blind

Stubbsy,
"FLASH" or " FAST LENS"

hehe...
And not to be outdone by sheepie

Actually I would disagree this time Birddog...

The lighting in the caves was very good at highlighting some things but just didnt work unless you filled in other parts with a flash..

As many saw (and were amused by) my technique of off camera filling seemed to work quite well...

Birddog114 wrote:Stubbsy,
"FLASH" or " FAST LENS"

Fast lens helps a bit but not that much. With my 50mm f/1.8 I still hat to make shutter speed 1-2 seconds sometimes in some chambers. I could push ISO up but didn't want to make a noise

And I'm with Scott but in some cases I've got some shots captured bright part pretty good but surrounding is too dark. Needed flash in those places

I'm happy with my 28/1.4 at f.2.2 if I was in there!
ISO 640 won't help, is it what you're saying? I'm sure the D70 can handle the noise well without flash.
How fast are you shooting with your 50/1.4 and at what ISO MHD?

Did not actually use the 50/1.4 in the caves much...
While I love that lens and love using it and natural light at functions etc...
the great thing about caves is that they move really slowly...

So I used my other love: The Gitzo 1227LVL... Most of my images were taken with the kit lens..

Birddog114 wrote:I'm happy with my 28/1.4 at f.2.2 if I was in there!
ISO 640 won't help, is it what you're saying? I'm sure the D70 can handle the noise well without flash.
How fast are you shooting with your 50/1.4 and at what ISO MHD?

I used appertures between 1.8 and 5.6 depending on light. In many cases with f/1.8 I had to use tripod and, as I said, 1-2 seconds speed. ISO 200.

birddog

I shot with mostly no flash at ISO 1000 using both 12-24 DX and 24-120 VR and had lots of noise. The shots where I used the on board flash (all I had) with rear setting are the ones that came out the best.

stubbsy wrote:birddog

I shot with mostly no flash at ISO 1000 using both 12-24 DX and 24-120 VR and had lots of noise. The shots where I used the on board flash (all I had) with rear setting are the ones that came out the best.

stubbsy
Of course, it's, cos the 12-24Dx is at maximum of 3.5, the flash is a must or with tripod shooting it at 400. No way you shoot it at low ISO without the support of the tripod and no flash.

Hilop,
If you bumped the ISO at 640, then your 50/1.8 can be used at fast shutter speed, but the 50mm is also long for the caves shoot if you want bit wider, the 35/f2 may help in this case.

Rear flash sync of course it will help, external rear flash sync will be more better, but stubbsy, you don't want an external flash as you said few times at the meet

Birddog114 wrote:Hilop,
If you bumped the ISO at 640, then your 50/1.8 can be used at fast shutter speed, but the 50mm is also long for the caves shoot if you want bit wider, the 35/f2 may help in this case.

Agree. But I didn't want to risk bumping ISO higher - I used to bump it to 800 one time and had to use Neat Image after that. So, I took tripod to caves and used ISO 200

35/f2, 35/f2.... Sounds interesting.... Yeah, 50mm lens with digital is bit long for caves. But no, don't start me on it !!!

Actually one bit of gear I would have loved to have in those caves would be the Nikor 10.5 fisheye!

could have had a lot of fun with that!

Hilop,
Try 640, test tonight at home with some source of lighting, you'll find the answer.

Birddog114 wrote:Hilop,
Try 640, test tonight at home with some source of lighting, you'll find the answer.

I will but most probably not tonight - I'm trying to finish Caves and Blackheath photos PP

Hlop wrote:

Birddog114 wrote:Hilop,
Try 640, test tonight at home with some source of lighting, you'll find the answer.

I will but most probably not tonight - I'm trying to finish Caves and Blackheath photos PP

Go to Darling Harbour at the week end!

Yes... lots of PP!

you're enjoyed

Like this one!

Birddog114 wrote:... Rear flash sync of course it will help, external rear flash sync will be more better, but stubbsy, you don't want an external flash as you said few times at the meet

Guess what I want now! Learnt the hard way, but in many ways that's the beauty of this forum. In order I want $$$$$, then 50 or 85mm prime, then SB800 then legs

Scott

That post of the broken column is the best shot so far

Thanks Peter..
Yes it was great finding out what works and does not..

Actually I am waiting for Craig's (JordanP's) pics from his 17-55/2.8 to see how he went hand holding...

What I would have loved is one of those vests

(But they are a bit exxy)

Ok!
The rest of my PPed images are now up
http://potofgrass.ath.cx/gallery/caves

Tell me what you like/dislike!

Scott

Apart from ones I've commented on already, I particularly like 13 and 15. Both make very effective use of the angularity of the caves.