I'm all about the most bang for my buck, and this monstrosity does not disappoint. 


     This flash is a beast. I'm kinda torn on how to review it. It's a battery operated on-camera (bracket) flash... but comparing it to hotshoe flashes seems silly, it makes them look like little girls. Not quite in the league of studio strobes, but it makes a solid effort. I'll try and pick somewhere in the middle while comparing to both. Just so you know my bias, these things will be coming with me to every outdoor shoot from now on. 

     Had to seriously dig into my archives for an image I shot with these lights. It's been a while...

     Vivitar 285HVs have long been a favorite option for off camera lighting for budget minded photographers. However, in the past couple years, so many better and cheaper options have come to the playing field, that they've lost a lot of their shimmer.
     There are so many of them out there, though, that I can hardly go to a Goodwill or Salvation Army and not see one for $7, so they may still have a spot in your bag

     I love the softness of a large softbox for glamour work. However, shooting primarily with speedlites, and other small battery powered flashes, standard softboxes aren't really a viable option, without investing in sometimes expensive standard softboxes and pricey speedrings.

      I saw some 'umbrella softboxes' while perusing Amazon and the eBays, and thought I'd pick them up, and check them out... at $27 for two, I couldn't pass them up.

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     I'm super stoked about this project. I've been teaching workshops in various cities across the US for the past year or so, and have been trying to find a way to reach a wider audience. I was approached with the idea of producing a DVD workshop.

     It's an affordable way to get introduced to off camera lighting, covering topics from off camera lighting basics, indoor lighting styles, outdoor lighting techniques (including overpowering the sun) as well as studio lighting... and how to do all this on a budget.

     Workshops... For those of us on a budget, they can be a big, scary expense. I saw a full-day workshop here in Las Vegas recently that cost as much as my mortgage payment. However, would I suggest to stay away? Absolutely not. Instead, sit down and identify your needs, find out what topic would benefit you most, and invest a little into your education.


     The image to the left showcases skills I learned from an "outdoor lighting" workshop I attended, that had a big section dedicated to overpowering the sun.

Arranging wardrobe for sets can get expensive.