Arif Posted April 11, 2011 Share #21 Posted April 11, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) William, Great work! Makes me want to visit Ethiopia. I had thought that only JoeyL was brave enough to carry all that gear to remote places but you are now setting new standards. Your Flickr set is very impressive so a job very well done. Hope to see you sometime again somewhere. Thanks for posting, Arif Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted April 11, 2011 Posted April 11, 2011 Hi Arif, Take a look here M9 in Ethiopia (3 Images). I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Morfeus Posted April 11, 2011 Share #22 Posted April 11, 2011 Morfeus, I might have caught you too late. If you are heading to the Omo and Hammer tribes be very careful. The Hammer Historical Society (I think that's what they called themselves) in Turmi has just recently been pulling photographers arbitrarily (I was the second one my tour operator knew of) and calling us special Professional Photographers. They tried to extort $3000 from me to photograph after the fact. I gave them a big fat "f*ck you" while my driver argued for about an hour in Ahmeric. We finally got it reduce to just under $100 which my operator paid for. According to a sheet of paper, they could charge up to $20,000 if they felt like it which was typically meant for Film Crews. My tour operator owner then called an emergency of the Ethiopian Tour Operators and they are currently working with the Ethiopian Diplomatic core in Addis Ababa as we speak. No, I am still here. Flying to AA on Saturday 16th. Thank you so much for your warning. We'll be on the typical tourist tour in the north, Axum, Lalibela, Blue Nile falls etc. Besides digital I'll take my medium format with me, which might give the impression of shooting professionally. I'll be careful and check things on site. Who was your tour operator? Heinz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobSkeoch Posted April 11, 2011 Share #23 Posted April 11, 2011 This is a fantastic set of images. You've done a great job. Now that you're back are you glad you took that specific set of strobes with you. I realize strobes are important to the images you made.... that's not my question. Are you glad you took that much lighting kit with you or in hindsight would a different solution been more useful on the ground, fore whatever reason.... too much power, not enough power, battery life etc? Again what a great set of images. -rob skeoch Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonycamco Posted April 11, 2011 Share #24 Posted April 11, 2011 fine job thanks for sharing Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WPalank Posted April 11, 2011 Share #25 Posted April 11, 2011 Thanks James and Tony. Arif, thank you. I hope our paths cross again soon. Heinz, bon voyage. I used EQ. Rob, My search for a new lighting set up came to fruition when I had some trouble adjusting my Speedlights (Canon) with a Pocket Wizard rig. I wanted something more consistent. Battery life was superb as it was rated at something like 200+ pops per battery at a lower setting. I rarely used full power. I tuned the beast down by firs special ordering frosted glass made by Bron which supposedly lowers it by one and a quarter stops (I never measured). then I used baffles on the inside of the light modifier. IMHO I had enough power to do anything I wanted to achieve. Typically we could drive the ruck pretty close to the subjects and then just carry, Pack, light with monopod and light modifier. On about three occasions we had to walk about two kilometers in fairly scorching heat. But typically my tribe guide and driver would help me. I even had time to get inot foot races with the local residents. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/148579-m9-in-ethiopia-3-images/?do=findComment&comment=1643165'>More sharing options...
tdtaylor Posted April 12, 2011 Share #26 Posted April 12, 2011 Thanks so very much for sharing- exquisite. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morfeus Posted April 12, 2011 Share #27 Posted April 12, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Thank you, William. Heinz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie Roberts Posted April 12, 2011 Share #28 Posted April 12, 2011 Just fantastic work, William! Thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashwinrao1 Posted April 13, 2011 Share #29 Posted April 13, 2011 An absolutely marvelous series...while I wouldn't haul the lighting around, kudos to you for doing it, and producing some righteous photos...the subjects were not off put by the lighting? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
charles-k Posted April 13, 2011 Share #30 Posted April 13, 2011 What an amazing series of shots!!! I really thank you for sharing your lighting techniques too. Fascinating read on your techniques and venture Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark2 Posted April 13, 2011 Share #31 Posted April 13, 2011 Nice photos. All of them seems the same, they are standing up. Why don't you tell them to pose like a model. For the girls they can stand in a sexy manner. The kids can act cute. Something like what I see in magazines would be good. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
csg Posted April 14, 2011 Share #32 Posted April 14, 2011 First, to echo everyone else, thanks for sharing the shots and your lighting information. Very helpful. If you don't mind, a couple of questions: 1) what's motivating you to pick your post-processing method? I like it very much, but I'm curious as to why you ended up going down this path. It's especially pronounced with your photos for Ethiopia when compared to your shots from Burma, 2) as someone already asked, did your subjects have issues with the lighting? Hopefully you'll let people in this forum know if/when you plan to exhibit or publish. I know I would like to know! Again, thanks -- it's wonderful to see such great work. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WPalank Posted April 14, 2011 Share #33 Posted April 14, 2011 Thanks Terry, Jamie, Ashwin, Charles and csg. Thanks for the critique Mark. Ashwin and csg, Actually I was amazed that people were only uncomfortable a few times. one of them was a priest in Lalibella. I got the feeling that he felt I was irradiating him with each strobe pop. Whereas another priest was very vocal, through my translator, that he embraced this "new technology". When I PP my images, each one is different and even more a series. I try to bring back what I felt on that specific day. Was it scorching heat, were there 30 people trying to get a look at my LCD screen, was there a militia guy ramming me in the back with the barrel of the AK slung over his shoulder while trying to be my creative director? That's about all that comes to mind at this point. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/148579-m9-in-ethiopia-3-images/?do=findComment&comment=1646216'>More sharing options...
wda Posted April 14, 2011 Share #34 Posted April 14, 2011 William, thank you. Deserving of all the superlatives and a candidate for a future edition of LFI? Did you manage to photograph inside any of the private homes? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WPalank Posted April 14, 2011 Share #35 Posted April 14, 2011 Thanks David. I didn't shoot any shots from inside a hut but did shoot the inside of my guesthouse (I basically rented a room and the family gave me the whole house while they lived in the outer quarters) while in Harer. Very typical and ornate. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpalme Posted April 14, 2011 Share #36 Posted April 14, 2011 One of the best flickr sets I've seen... Bravo! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vdb Posted April 15, 2011 Share #37 Posted April 15, 2011 William, magnificent work. Breathtaking. I saw your images on the M9 masters gallery and then found this thread. Colossal effort with proportionally brilliant results. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stanjan0 Posted April 15, 2011 Share #38 Posted April 15, 2011 William, just curious did you feel safe in Ethiopia, such a lawless country? Your images first rate. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WPalank Posted April 15, 2011 Share #39 Posted April 15, 2011 Thank you bpalme. Virgil, thanks for commenting. Coming from someone with your talent, it really means a lot! Stanjan, thanks. I felt safe the whole time although the laws of the tribes in the south trump any Ethiopian national laws. While in the south in Suri and Mursi country I was required to have a militia member by my side at all times with an AK-47. While camping for about 6 nights the militia guy would sleep outside my tent on the ground with not even a bed roll. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/148579-m9-in-ethiopia-3-images/?do=findComment&comment=1646465'>More sharing options...
ho_co Posted April 15, 2011 Share #40 Posted April 15, 2011 Wow, William, the story is as fascinating as the pictures are great! As for the militiaman--he was a real presence, then? The pictures show him close and looking as if he means business. Did he ever intervene in a situation, or did it seem to you that his presence might have helped avoid a difficulty? Was he cheerful and friendly with the locals, or more "militarily aloof and stand-offish"? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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