Carry On: Sunpak 120J

2011 © Brian Adams

The Sunpak 120J is another wonderful, albeit discontinued, flash I own. When I bought my 120J in 2006, the price was reasonable ($160), but these days I can't believe how much people are willing to pay for them (usually over $300). The 120J is an amazing flash, but at this point if I wanted another and couldn't find a good deal, I would save up for a Qflash.

When I was first getting into lighting and developed a respectable reserve of Vivitar 283 flashes and accessories, I found myself wanting more, but I didn't want to buy studio strobes--they're to heavy for the type of photography I do. So I started looking at photography lighting books, and in one book I found a portrait of a girl lit with every type of light source. My two favorite portraits of the girl were lit with a soft box (I had one of those already) and a bare bulb flash. I was shocked to see that the girl's skin tones were nearly perfect, and from a bare bulb no less. I began researching bare bulb flashes and found the Sunpak 120J.

The 120J is capable of firing up to 100 feet at 100 ISO and recycles in 1.5 seconds, so for my intents and purposes, it's perfect. Sunpak originally sold the flash with a battery pack that outputs at least 150 full power bursts, for which I use four AA batteries. Someday I intend to pick up a Quantum Turbo battery for the 120J and Vivitar 283, but for now I am satisfied with the AA set-up.

Chimera and Quantum both offer great accessories for the 120J. A few years ago, I picked up a Chimera speed ring that attaches to the front of the flash, making is easy to attach any Chimera soft box quickly. There is no hot shoe on the flash, which means that you have to plug in to the camera with a household PC cord, but the nice thing about not having a hot shoe is that you can mount the flash to any light stand or tripod.

As you can see in the photo above, my Sunpak 120J has been through it, or so to speak. It has never let me down, which is why I carry it on. And on. And on.

To see what some other photogs are doing with the 120J, check out my 120J Flickr group.

Morning

2011 © Brian Adams

Summer is on its way to Brooklyn.

From The Archives

2005 © Brian Adams

The photo above of Barbara Wesley was taken at my Grandmother's funeral in September 2005 in Kivalina, Alaska.

Carry On: Billingham 225 Shoulder Bag

2011 © Brian Adams

Before Louis Vuitton and after Domke, there was Billingham. If you see me with this bag, I am working. The Billingham 225 Shoulder Bag is my go-to bag for editorial assigments and weekend trips to Coney Island. I love my Domke bags, but in 2007, after using them for many years, I felt it was time to move on and try something new, so I bought the 225. The 225 has the perfect amount of storage space and all the durability and style you could wish for in a good camera bag. One of the many problems I come accross in most shoulder bags is that they're over-padded and over-designed. I will always prefer a shoulder bag that's simple, stylish and light as opposed to one that's complicated and bulky.

The photo above of Ash was taken during our first week of dating. She'd always wanted to shoot with a Hasselblad (the only medium-format work she'd done previously was with her Holga), so I set her up with the Billingham, Hasselblad 500cm, 50mm lens, film, and a light meter, and she was off! That's a big load for a little lady like Ash, but with the Billingham's great balance and forgiving material, Ash was able to tote that bag around all weekend with no problem. That's why I (we) carry on the Billingham 225.

Carry on, carry on.

Adam From 3C

2011 © Brian Adams

A day with the neighbor. More photos and info on Brian & Ash.

Carry On: Chimera Softbox

© Brian Adams

When you're first starting out as a photographer, finding a good softbox is harder than you think. When I assisted photographers, I was sometimes amazed with their sad choices in lighting equipment. To me, it's not only about having a good softbox, it's about having a softbox that can be assembled in less than a minute and taken down just as fast to move on to the next set. It's about having a system that is easy to control, high-quality, versatile, light, and smart. I understand a lot of photographers reading this may think that "it's not about the equipment," but then think about how many photos you may have missed because you were too busy trying to get your light right.

I normally only photograph one to two people at a time, so for me, the Chimera Super Pro Plus Softbox is the way to go. The Super Pro Plus measures at 24x32 inches, which is perfect for a standard portrait. That being said, I have used it with groups as big as ten and just pulled back and cranked up the flash. I have found with Chimera you can get a speedring for pretty much any strobe/flash out there. Not only that, you can attach the speedring to any type of light stand or tripod you like. Because I mostly shoot on location and the ground is always iffy, I usually attach the softbox/speedring to a tripod for best security against uneven ground and, more importantly, wind! Lastly, one of my favorite details about the Super Pro Plus softbox is the three-inch-deep lip around the front, which makes the light fall-off incredibly easy to control. Remember: photography is all about light (or the absence of)! Carry On, friends!

Lord Provost and Tartan Day Makes the Papers

This morning, the Glasgow City Council kindly sent me a few tearsheets from the story on the Tartan Day Parade and Lord Porvost in Glasgow's Evening Times and The Herald. It was a sincere pleasure photographing the event, and I was able to work with a lot of truly wonderful people. It's nice to see it all in print!

Lord Provost - Tartan Day Parade

2011 © Brian Adams

Yesterday, I had the privilege of photographing Bob Winter, Lord Provost of Glasgow, Scotland, and the Tartan Day Parade in New York City. Tartan Day is a celebration of Scottish heritage held on April 6, so the parade followed on Saturday this year. April 6 is the date on which the Declaration of Arbroath, a declaration of Scottish independence, was signed in 1320. There are over 6 million people in the United States that claim Scottish heritage, so yesterday was quite the turnout!

Carry On: Rollei 35 By Ash Adams

2009 © Ash Adams

Check out this week's Carry On by Ash over at Brian & Ash!

Prospect Park

2011 © Brian Adams

Read and view more on Brian & Ash!