Rodeo/Barrel Racing Lighting Help

[FLKanchaser]

I sell photos at barrel races to help pay for my expensive habit It is always better when you are guaranteed to bring home some money! We print on site so altering the photos is not an option, what I take is what they get.

My daytime shots are good but my night shots need a flash. Does anyone have a suggestion as to what I should buy? I shoot with a Rebel XT with a Cannon EF 70-200 2.8 zoom lens. Being restrained to shoot only during nice, clear days is not where I want to be.

Attached are some "bad" photos from this past weekend.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

FLKanchaser

[Songman45]

Two things:
Get the sun behind you during the daytime and shoot the lit (rather than shadow) side of the horse

Your gonna need a lot more power for flash at night and get it above the camera:

Either pick a barrell and light it up with a strobe or Light the whole arena with an array of them
or
Get a high output system like Lumedyne, Norman or Quantum and mout the flash to a stroboframe

[Rodeoshooter]

Originally Posted by FLKanchaser

I sell photos at barrel races to help pay for my expensive habit It is always better when you are guaranteed to bring home some money! We print on site so altering the photos is not an option, what I take is what they get.

My daytime shots are good but my night shots need a flash. Does anyone have a suggestion as to what I should buy? I shoot with a Rebel XT with a Cannon EF 70-200 2.8 zoom lens. Being restrained to shoot only during nice, clear days is not where I want to be.

Attached are some "bad" photos from this past weekend.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

FLKanchaser

Originally Posted by Songman45

Two things:
Get the sun behind you during the daytime and shoot the lit (rather than shadow) side of the horse

Your gonna need a lot more power for flash at night and get it above the camera:

Either pick a barrell and light it up with a strobe or Light the whole arena with an array of them
or
Get a high output system like Lumedyne, Norman or Quantum and mout the flash to a stroboframe

FLKanchaser,

Not bad, but your files don't have any EXIF data attached to them. As a result we can't see what your shooting specs are in each photo. What I do see by looking at your photos is you need to move so the tractor is not behind your subject when you shoot. Doesn't help the images. It does look like you are opening up but I would like to see the EXIF data to provide more help with the daylight photos.

Songman45 has good advise about picking a barrel but most people don't understand the 2nd barrel is the most preferred barrel and one of the first two barrels is always going to be in the shade side of the event. You have a good position already picked out on the daylight shots, you just need to move the tractor out of the way.

On the night time photos you need to do as Songman45 advised and pickup a "potato masher" flash or look for a White Lighting flash to set up on a pole along side the arena. The potato masher flash is a portable flash that operates on batteries. Most PRCA photographers use the Norman with a large bell reflector. The problem with it is you get either white eyes like your night shot or you get red eye. The flash is too close to the lens.

I prefer the White Lighting flash. When I do an event I use up to 20 of the white lightings to light the arena. BTW, I am a PRCA photographer so I do have a little experience on this matter. Pro Rodeo Pix

I would like to see some of your images if you have a web site.

[RodeoHammer]

I use the Norman 400B. It's one tough strobe. Only problem is you get the evil eyes some times.

[Songman45]

For RodeoHammer & RodeoShooter,

Where bracket mounted flash heads are concenred, does the elevation that a Stroboframe Pro-RL bracket offers (18" Max above camera) help eliminate "evil eye"? Heavy stock events are much different than equestrain flat classes with the pitching and bucking so, I'm curious.

[RodeoHammer]

I think some do. The one I have does not I need to get an extention. I really want to get a wireless strobe system.

[Songman45]

Originally Posted by RodeoHammer

I think some do. The one I have does not I need to get an extention. I really want to get a wireless strobe system.

We use a Lumedyne @ 50WS mounted on that stroboframe and have decent enough results at ISO 400 and f4. Its totally manual and takes a while getting the feel for exposure based on distance.

Some events we're able to light with a White Lightning 3200 or two, again totally manual and difficult to even out across a ring.

I've been eyeing a Quantum Instruments system that offers quite a punch of power for a battery powered system and can go TTL wireless off camera with a couple of accessory add-ons. Coming in at just less than $2K complete I think its a winner.

[CircleCJ]

For barrels, I usually use 1 White Lightning X1600 and try to mount it about 15' in the air. For roughstock events I usually mount 1 X1600 and 1 X800 on each side of the arena and point the X1600s crossing near the chutes and use the X800s to try to light up the corners. I am still in the learning curve on getting them set in positions that really satisfy me.

On rare occasions I am forced to use my Canon 550 on a frame and extend it as high as I can above the camera. Still get red eye and demon eyes with that setup (not with the strobes tho due to the mounting height).

[Rodeoshooter]

Originally Posted by Songman45

For RodeoHammer & RodeoShooter,

Where bracket mounted flash heads are concenred, does the elevation that a Stroboframe Pro-RL bracket offers (18" Max above camera) help eliminate "evil eye"? Heavy stock events are much different than equestrain flat classes with the pitching and bucking so, I'm curious.

Songman,

Not so much. The problem comes in the relationship of the distance between the lens and the flash and the distance from the subject. Most of the PRCA photographers digitally add detail to the eyes. When you are shooting from the distance of 75-300 feet the problem jumps back at you again and again.