The Broncolor Siros 400 L. Get photography studio power when there is no power...
Episode 5 of 1 minute 101's v2
Broncolor Siros L, getting studio power when there is no power...
The 'L' stands for, "Loh my god, these work like magic".. or something. In fact, I was just about to write that the wall powered versions are called the Broncolor Siros S, and that I have no idea why, and then my only two functioning braincells decided to rub together and suggest that it's probably referencing that 'S' stands for Studio as it can be plugged in, and 'L', 'location', as you don't need any power source - we'll pretend that's a fact, even if it isn't, and that I knew it all along.
Now these, unlike our previous strobe lights mentioned, can do a little more than your average light, and perform way past the basics, so much so, I still haven't fully explored them myself. I bought them while considering their practicality of being used in the Splash Point Photo pool location, but also partly for the freedom of being outside without a power source, and then furthering that, should I ever want to fight the sun with high speed sync.
Click here to see the Broncolor Siros L specs.
Again, if you wish to have a quick read about the limitations of sync speed between your camera's shutter and strobe lights, then you can have a nosey here on our website where I've already covered it, but what high speed sync (or HSS for short) references, is the ability of some lights to push past those limitations. And why should you need that in the Sun? Well, because it'll give you access to expanding your camera's shutter speed, which is the only part of your exposure triangle that is limited by your average strobe, yet has zero effect on the exposure output of a flash in photography. It will, however, directly impact all ambient light, so this means you can stop down (lower) the sun's exposure, while partly keeping the strobes output on the subject. - I'll probably cover shutter speed again in more detail in the blog accompanying triggers and receivers (how you fire your lights using a camera), and may be one day these 101's will get far enough in series that we explore HSS too!
The Exposure Triangle There may be a few people here very new to photography, or self-taught just enough that that reference went over your heads... and we don't want that. Your exposure triangle is your creative control while exposing an image correctly. When shooting in manual mode, you're making all the decisions instead of the camera, and for this you need to use your exposure triangle. Even if you've never referred to it as such before, the exposure triangle is your ISO, Shutter, and Aperture, the three setting you need to manipulate to take a photo as you envision it.. or maybe just practically. Let's say you have a perfectly framed and exposed photo at ISO100, f10, 1/160, but you want a more shallow depth, so you decide on f4 - your image will now be grossly over exposed if you don't adjust a corresponding setting in your triangle. You're not using flash, you don't have a filter, it's a pretty sunny day, your camera doesn't go down to ISO50 (not that would help much anyway), and so you're just left with adjusting the shutter speed alone. To take that same shot, with the same exposure, but also with your new fancy shallow depth of field, you'll have to compensate by pushing your shutter speed up to 1/1000. Your settings will now read ISO100, f4 and 1/1000. If you want to get serious about photography, I implore you to stop allowing your camera to make decisions for you and to shoot manual, not least because in your average studio, you'll have to! If you're shooting events and in fast-paced environments where capturing something close enough is better than forgetting you've not changed your exposure, or not being able to get the right exposure in time and missing the action, then by all means use a priority mode, they can be invaluable too. Every tool has its place!