lenses for portraits on DX framed cameras (1.5 crop factor)

well after taking a lot of pictures in the last two years and testing a lot of lenses and cameras I'm finally able to make a statement about what stuff to use what situation at a defined working distance.

Currently this is my standard approach

• full body 35mm F/2
• half body 50mm F/1.8
• headshot 90mm F/2.8

This allows me to be 2 - 3 yards/meters away from the model and communicate in a normal way without screaming out of my lungs. It also permits my flash system to work without trouble. If I shoot available light or need to be able to switch focal distances quickly I moving over to the heavy and big 70-200mm F/2.8. It's very flexible but demands shutter speeds of 1/250s and some distance to the model, since it can be intimidating.

well after googeling a bit, I found a nice dual bracket holder:

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250279099019

which could fix my: flash has not enough power problem and should be cheaper in the long run.

1 x SB-800 = 320$
1 x SB-600 = 170$

2 x SB-600 + Flash bracket = 400$

ok It's maybe cheaper to get an SB-800, but two SB-600 have much more power than a single SB-800.
It's a moot point anyway since I need a controller first. The nikon cameras can only control two bank.

I'm not even sure if I want to stick with CLS since it work's perfect inside, but is pretty unreliable outside, since the communication signal can't bounce off anywhere, maybe it's time that radio poppers drop by like 50% in price...

well after taking the potraits of lindsay today, first time ever with two umbrellas in public and testing something totally new. Yes i am a photo nerd...

Well SB-600 are great flashes for indoor work or to work in the shade with, but they are pretty much useless in the bright sun. They have just not enough power and it seems that I won't buy anymore of them.

Seems that the next flash will be an SB-800 or I have to shoot pictures after the 'golden' hour. An SB-900 would be even nicer, but at 500$ a pop and SB-800 for 300$ a pop, well it's not really a question anymore.
After all it's just a hobby...

I also could just shoot at ISO-400 or ISO-800, but this means that I never get nice sharp sparkling eyes. And a portrait without these is just pointless. Ok there is a solution to shoot sparkling eyes at up to ISO 1600 - 3200, it's called D3/D700 and way out of the reach of my wallet. (For now at least)

Why a third flash in the first place?

now I need a hair light or rim light from time to time to give my pictures this particular edge and to be more flexible.

well I finally start to understand adobe lightroom and discovered the greatest feature ever, the exposure brush. Basically you can lighten,darken parts of a pictures with the touch of a brush. The effects are quite amaizing.

For example, before:



and after adjustments and partial desaturation using exposure brush + reducing the exposure in some parts



so you need photoshop CS3/gimp less and less these days, thanks to photoshop light room.