DIY: Chimera Frame

After taking Andrew Clark's workshops I realized it'd be good to buy a reflector to help bounce the light back in for fill or as a quick backdrop for a head shot. I couldn't find black on one side and white on the other that I liked until I came across the 42 inch Chimera black and white panel reflector. So I bought a panel with NO FRAME....

Then I remembered David Tejada used one of these Chimera panels for a soft box/window in his Small Strobes Big Results workshop. It turned his SB-800 into a giant soft light modifier. After FaceBooking with him about it and if the frame was really necessary. I picked up the 42 inch Chimera 1/2 grid cloth too with NO FRAME.

There I was set..... but since neither one comes with a frame . You have to buy it separate and its over $100. So for just under $15 I made my own collapsible frame out of lite weight PVC pipe wrapped in black gaffers tape. I even made a video of me making it.
(watch me make a fool out of myself)













These were shot with one SB-800 through the 42" Chimera cloth about and hour after sunset. (we rode dirtbikes for to long)






















I thought it needed something extra, so I shot this with the same SB-800 through the 42" Chimera cloth and added one SB-26 on camera right. One stop hotter.












(this is the set up of the Chimera Frame, just imagine the SB-26 just out of frame)

Andrew Clark on wedding photography

Well it's already February of 2009 & I've already got one workshop under my belt. I took the Wedding Photography with Andrew Clark workshop through Illuminate Workshops.



Andrew is one of the leading wedding photojournalist shooting in Colorado. He's shot several high society clients in the Denver area and around the world. He's even shot a wedding for TV! Channel 9news documented the wedding experience and Andrew was picked as the photographer. WOW!



What can I say... Let's see... You know how you have that one book in your life that is "the one book" you wish would of read earlier in your life? That's how I felt about this workshop. I kept thinking that it's a lot of money, do I really want to do wedding photography? whaah whaah whaah. I am so glad I took this workshop. There is so much very good information.



Several times from the student body of six people, I heard "what Andrew just taught us was so worth the tuition alone". Then we would move onto the next part of the lesson plan and someone else would say it AGAIN.



Andrew Clark's wedding photography workshop will take you over many aspects of the photography business; from photojournalism & basic posing, to digital workflow, to seeing the light & lighting, finally to branding & marketing your business.



Now whether I "do just weddings" or not... taking this workshop has given me the tools to be a better photographer and move my business in a positive direction. So if your sitting on the fence thinking about this workshop, hopefully I've helped lean you in a way by giving you a glimpse into what it's like.

These are the photos from the class of just walking around using available light and getting good shots.