My 'new' Best Friend...

So I am finding my 'new' best friend is a bounced second flash. New is in quotations because it isn't new and I have used it before but not as much as recently.
I am using my bounce flash (into ceiling, wall, etc.) as my main light and having my 'on-camera' flash as my secondary light. The camera flash is just there to add highlights into the eyes. You need that or you get the 'dead eye' look. Very unappealing!
The bounce flash gives indirect lighting to the subject by having the light bounce throughout the room from the ceiling or off a wall. This lighting, because it is indirect, is quite soft and gives a glow as opposed to a direct flash look with a shadow behind the subject.
Now this bounce flash has a peanut slave attached to it so it knows when to 'pop'. A peanut slave is a device that makes a flash go off by detecting another flash going off and, therefore, goes off at the exact same time. I have no idea how this works, you would have to ask a technician of peanut slaves, not me. All I know is that it does work and this is a wonderful thing.
Because you have this bounced main light you would also need to be able to meter how much light is being admitted out of the flash...here you would need a light meter. Unless you are a flash genius, and I have seen them, they do exist!
Have fun trying this out and tell me of your past experiments that have worked for you (or haven't). I can help with all your questions.
Happy shooting!!!
- Lara
I was trying to sync my digital point-and-shoot camera with the bounce flash but it didn't work. I will have to experiment further with that. Good luck!

The Province article

My company and I were recently featured in The Province Newspaper. This was very exciting because within the interview I was able to add some pointers for choosing a wedding photographer. As you can see with this blog I am really into helping people. In the past I have had married women, when they find out I am a wedding photographer, cry and cry on my shoulder and tell me their horror stories. Below is the interview that was featured. Thanks to Jeani Read for the excellent interview. Enjoy and I hope it helps.

Capturing life as it happens

Jeani Read, The Province

Published: Monday, April 17, 2006

Lara Hildebrandt

Owner, Greysquare Photograhics

Photography: first love?

"During high school I lived in the darkroom. During college it was the same. When I walked into the Alberta College of Art and Design I thought, 'I'm home. This is it.'"

Wedding photography: crucial?

"People can have a wonderful wedding but if the photographs aren't good I've seen so many brides just cry and cry and cry. It's horrible."

Wedding photography: ingredients?

"You need an eye for the detail of tabletop photography combined with the action of sports photography. It's capturing moments. Plus you need a feeling for people."

Wedding photography: great or gruesome?

"I won't lie -- it can be both. The great part is I get to meet people at their happiest and create an heirloom for them. The gruesome part is you never know when your camera will fall apart. Your batteries will die in the middle of the ceremony. Your film will start rewinding in the middle of the silent prayer. I once went through three cars for one wedding. My car broke down on Wednesday and I borrowed another, which broke down on Thursday. Finally I rented a car. All these things happen but you learn from it and move on."

Top tips for choosing a photographer?

"Check the photographer's portfolio, how recent it is and how diverse. Sign a detailed contract, even if the photographer is a friend. This will secure the date and make sure the photographer won't let you down for a higher-paying job. Make sure there's a clause to cover what happens if the photographer gets sick. Do you like the back-up photographer? Do they both have backup equipment? Try to have the photographer take engagement photos of you to double-check you like their work and them."

You: urban or suburban?

"Urban all the way. Give me the city with all her people and life. But I also enjoy the natural world and the snowboarding I can do on it.

Guilty pleasure?

"Shoes. There is nothing like getting a new pair of shoes. I know I should say something like romance novels but I take photos of the brides' footwear mainly for myself. I was in Dallas last year and was able to visit a Jimmy Choo store. Absolute heaven!"

Career advice?

"To a new photographer coming into wedding photography I would say, don't listen to other photographers complaining about the market being saturated. If you are good at something and you have a passion for it, it will happen. "

jread@png.canwest.com

The Room Divider continued

So here it is! The room divider from Heaven!
This exquisite masterpiece is custom made by Light Couture. The etched insert lights up, as you can tell, and can be a custom design of your choosing. The paint is car paint which is, therefore, very durable. Also, this divider is very safe to have around children and on any surface because it is quite heavy as a whole yet easy to move the individual links.
As I mentioned in the first post about this divider I lit this by bouncing light off the ceiling. It completely worked because the divider is very reflective (see car paint) and I wanted to get the highlights on the top edges of the divider. Of course, I had to cover myself (I am quite reflective) and did so with a black cloth hanging from the ceiling in front of me with a hole for my lens.
I had to do two exposures for each shot because the etched glass was about 1/2 as bright as my bounced lights (main light) but that was easy enough.
If you have any questions about the details of how I shot this feel free to comment and I can answer. I don't know how much people understand or know already and asking questions will help me in my further postings.