The Westcott FJ200 One-Light Backpack Kit is Seriously Great
Just about a year ago Westcott expanded on its new wireless flash lineup that started with the FJ400 by offering new sizes and power outputs. After listening to user feedback, it launched the FJ200 as a more compact and travel-friendly light system… and it's awesome.
This portable strobe is available as part of a one-light backpack kit that includes several modifiers, the FJ-X2m universal wireless trigger, and a backpack that is capable of carrying it all as well as a personal computer and additional camera equipment.
I was super excited to test these lights because they really complimented my on-location shooting style. For me, it's all about being portable and having the flexibility for fast initial setup as well as the ability to make quick changes while on set. Right out of the box, the FJ200 looked to be a perfect combination of those features.
The FJ200 light offers up a 200Ws power that weighs only 2.53 pounds (with the battery and light stand mount attached) and can put out over 450 full-power flashes per full battery charge. If that isn't enough to spark some interest, the backpack kit includes the FJ-X2m universal trigger, a five-inch 70-degree metal reflector, a 30-degree honeycomb grid that has a magnetic mount built to also hold gels (six are included with the bundle), a battery charger, a snoot and grid combo for even more creative lighting control, and the Westcott Rapid Box Switch Octa-S. All of this is packed neatly into the included backpack with plenty of room for a laptop, tablet, and several other personal items.
FJ-X2m Universal Trigger
One of my favorite things about this combo is the inclusion of the FJ-X2m universal trigger. This remote will work out of the box with Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Olympus, Panasonic, and Sony cameras, with only the Sony systems requiring an additional $19.90 hot-shoe adapter. While this may not be a big deal to most photographers, as someone who reviews a variety of cameras as well as often works with corporate clients who usually provide their own cameras on set, this makes it incredibly easy to always be sure I have the right remote for whatever system is in front of me; that is one less thing I need to worry about.
The trigger itself boasts a range of approximately 985 feet, has Bluetooth compatibility, and has a battery that can last for about 200,000 shots. Full disclosure, I have not been in a position to test the full range (distance and shot count), but from my short time with this light combo, it was able to hit every shot with ease. In addition to the above features, control-focused creatives will be pleased with the 16 channels and six groups available for precision light controls. Having worked with clients who need multiple looks with only minutes or seconds available, this control is very useful and allows me to quickly swap between setups to get different looks on the fly.
Modifiers And Accessories
There is no shortage of creative modifiers available for photographers with this kit. The tools included are useful for everything from product photography to portraits, with an included snoot and optional grid to create a tight beam of light useful for fashion and beauty work, rim lighting, and many more details.
Additionally, there is a silver reflector that is useful for enhancing the light out of the bare bulb. This reflector connects to a magnetic grid and gel holder where you can use any of your own gels, or one of the six provided with the kit, all magnetically clamped into place. This holder can be used with or without the grid for additional control of the light spread for creative shooting.
If space is an issue when transporting the light between shoots, the light mount of the FJ200 can be detached and stored separately, which frees up more space when it is needed for smaller bags, or allows you to fit the light in a pocket while moving. The mount itself also has a slot for connecting an umbrella and can tilt 180-degrees.
Lastly, we have the Rapid Box Switch Octa-S which sits in a lineup of modifiers that live up to its namesake. The RapidBox modifiers are some of the fastest softboxes I have ever used to set up and tear down, making them some of my favorites to use (I actually personally own three different Rapid Boxes for my location setups). The Octa-S is a 26-inch octabox that comes with a white diffuser that secures to the modifier with a few velcro panels, and they stay seated safely even in pretty windy situations when shooting outdoors.
Each one of these modifiers can be quickly opened, set up, installed, and then removed to swap with another with very minimal effort, making them an ideal combination for photographers who have to move fast. The only trade-off with this speedy system is some of the materials can be broken if you are not careful. This won't be an issue for most photographers as we tend to baby our gear, but keep in mind that a drop onto a hard surface could break the adapter rings or puncture the softbox materials a little easier than some larger, heavy-duty modifiers.
The FJ200 Light
The FJ200 light itself is small and lightweight and, as mentioned, is capable of dishing out 450 flashes at full power (200w) with a full battery, which takes approximately two hours to charge fully once depleted. Since the flash tube isn't covered with a frosted glass layer, photographers will get a little more out of the flash power than other systems with the same power rating. The system has a recycle time of 0.5 to 1.3-seconds (with the latter being the full power output) which makes it one of the fastest 200 Ws lights on the market, ensuring its usefulness in action settings should the need to use High-Speed Sync (HSS) and freezing motion arise. The FJ200 can shoot with sync speeds of up to 1/8000 of a second, works with front or rear curtain sync, and can capture up to 20 frames per second (at reduced power of course).
The back of the light shows a large LCD panel that displays the power settings in large numbers with a few buttons on the back for controlling the test flash, turning modeling lights on or off, adjusting the power, and scrolling through the menu. The FJ200 even supports TTL should the need for quick setting changes present themselves. The side of the light has a USB-C connection for updating the firmware, and the opposite side has a sync cable port for wired shooting. The bottom of the light behind the mount is where the battery is housed, only slightly elevated from the system once connected.
It is also worth noting that the modeling light can be set to auto or proportional, which will match the output power of the flash so that photographers can get a preview of how the light will fall once popped, increasing or decreasing in intensity in proportion to the power output chosen to shoot with. Additionally, over the course of several long bursts of shooting, the color temperature showed no significant variation between bursts with a relatively consistent color temperature of 5500K.
Using The Light
For a lighting system as small and compact as the FJ-200, it was surprisingly versatile. I found it capable of creating dramatic portraits in a small studio and, perhaps even more impressively, it is strong enough to compete against the sun while using high-speed sync in an outdoor mid-day lifestyle shoot. The 200-watt system had a very fast recycle time, making it very easy to keep up with my model having a mini dance party on set, let alone the "actual" poses against the mid-day sun. The photos below are examples of where the strobe overpowered the sun, which is strong enough to blow out my model's hair:
The way I typically shoot on an outdoor session is to back- and side-light my subjects with the sun and use the strobe to fill in any hard shadows or contrast zones to try and make it feel a little more natural. The FJ200 on its own is more than capable of achieving that look, and with its small size, it is even light enough easy to carry without an assistant in a rushed situation. With the way the light stand mount is designed, it is even possible to handhold the light while shooting (if needed) to get some quick guerrilla-style images in tricky locations.
Moving indoors for a studio setting, I found the FJ200 to be an ideal light for a small room portrait. Since I currently do not have access to a full-sized studio, working with the FJ200 makes it easy to shoot in tight quarters. For the images below, I simply propped up a V-flat and stool in my dining room and placed the strobe up nice and close to my subject to create a moody single light portrait. Looping back to how quick it is to work with these lights, I went from setting up to taking portraits in a matter of moments.
The Westcott FJ200 Lights Are Just Fun To Use
I really fell in love with this system over the course of shooting with it. Given the low price of the FJ series of lights, the FJ200 One-Light Backpack Kit with Universal Trigger and Rapid Box Switch Octa-S stands out as a leader in its class for power, ease of travel, reliability, and affordability. While there may be more powerful light systems out there, the FJ200 kit offers a versatility and creative options for $749.
Welcome to a PetaPixel Showcase, where our staff gives you a hands-on with unique and interesting products from across the photography landscape. The Showcase format affords manufacturers the opportunity to sponsor hands-on time with their products and our staff, and lets them highlight what features they think are worth noting, but the opinions expressed from PetaPixel staff are genuine. Showcases should not be considered an endorsement by PetaPixel.
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Great Reads in Photography: April 11, 2021
Every Sunday, we bring together a collection of easy-reading articles from analytical to how-to to photo-features in no particular order that did not make our regular daily coverage. Enjoy!
I Called Off My Wedding. The Internet Will Never Forget – Wired
In 2019, Lauren made a painful decision. But to the algorithms that drive Facebook, Pinterest, and a million other apps, she is forever getting married.
VOGUE Cover Features Annie Leibovitz Photo of Amanda Gorman – VOGUE
Amanda Gorman on the cover of Vogue. © Annie Leibovitz, photo courtesy Vogue
The 23-year-old Amanda Gorman, the nation's first-ever youth poet laureate, read a poem during President Joe Biden's inauguration on January 20.
Gorman has now appeared in two different looks for alternate covers of Vogue for its May issue.
The first poet ever on the cover of @VogueMagazine. I am eternally grateful & do not expect to be the last—for what is poetry, if not beauty? – Amanda Gorman on Instagram
**Karl Lagerfeld's Photographic Legacy is Moving to the Blockchain. What Does That Mean? – **VOGUE BUSINESS
Christopher William Adach from Mexico, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Karl Lagerfeld was a highly rated photographer who shot ad campaigns for Chanel in Paris. He was also the creative director of Chanel for 36 years and Fendi for 54 years.
Eric Pfrunder, Chanel's former artistic director for fashion who lived with Lagerfeld for 36 years, has inherited his photographic legacy after Lagerfeld's death in 2019. He has decided to register the 120,000-plus catalog of images on the Lukso blockchain, which is building a network for fashion and lifestyle.
I'm not a blockchain expert, but I learn about it every day. There's a big opportunity in this field, especially now that the COVID-19 pandemic has digitized people's lifestyles and is forcing us to enter into a new mindset. The blockchain is opening up so many different avenues, from authenticating this collection to virtualization and more. -- Eric Pfrunder, Chanel's former artistic director for fashion, tells VOGUE.
New York Times Wins 11 Awards From White House News Photographers Association – New York Times
Political Photograph of the Year - A streak of lightning passes as President Donald Trump walks off Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Md. following a campaign rally in Londonderry, NH, Friday, Aug. 28, 2020. ( Photo by Doug Mills/The New York Times)
The White House News Photographers Association was formed 100 years ago on June 13, 1921 when President Warren G. Harding was in the Oval Office. Up on Capitol Hill, the two things then barred from the U.S. Capitol were dogs and photographers.
The New York Times won 11 awards from the White House News Photographers Association's annual Eyes of History contest, which honors excellence in visual journalism. Mills won 10 of them.
**Still Photographer of the Year - **President Donald Trump during a campaign rally at the Orlando Sanford International Airport in Sanford, Fl., Monday, Oct. 12, 2020. ( Photo by Doug Mills/The New York Times)
Doug Mills won both top prizes (see photos above) awarded by the competition. He was named Still Photographer of the Year, and his photo of Donald Trump exiting Air Force One as a streak of lightning appears in the sky won Political Photo of the Year.
"Washington is loaded with talented photographers, and I've been working here for more than 35 years and never won both of these coveted Awards in the same year," Doug Mills tells PetaPixel. "To say the least, I'm thrilled!"
Mills' advice to budding photographers:
Still photographers have one of the most exciting and challenging careers in Journalism. I encourage anyone who has the talent and the work ethic to get into the business. Like any career, you get out of it what you put into it. College students should try and get as many internships as they can… they are loaded with new experiences each and every day. If it's something you really want to do, DON'T GIVE UP… keep pushing yourself.
Note: We'd love to hear your photographic comments below—good, bad, or ugly-but no politics, please.
Underexposed: Women Photographers at the High Museum of Art – Juxtapoz
Lola Alvarez Bravo (Mexican, 1903-1993), Frida looking into mirror, 1944, gelatin silver print, 8 3/4 x 7 1/4 inches, 2012.278. Purchase with funds from Margaretta J. Taylor, © Lola Alvarez Bravo/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
This spring, the High Museum of Art will present "Underexposed: Women Photographers from the Collection" (April 17-Aug. 1), an exhibition featuring more than 100 photographs from the Museum's collection, including many that have never before been exhibited.
The exhibition opens with a selection of works by artists who transformed the practice of photography from the 1920s through the 1950s. Coinciding with the global rise of the feminist ideal of the "New Woman" in the late 1900s, practitioners including Ilse Bing, Margaret Bourke-White, Dorothea Lange, and Imogen Cunningham emerged as savvy leaders in the fields of documentary, fashion, and fine art photography.
Ilse Bing (American, born Germany, 1899-1998), Self-Portrait in Mirrors, Paris, 1931, printed ca. 1941, gelatin silver print, 1987.14. High Museum of Art, Atlanta. Purchase with funds from Georgia-Pacific Corporation. Xaviera Simmons (American, born 1974), 10A Untitled from the Utah series, 2010, dye coupler print, 30 x 40 inches, 2010.21. Purchase with David C. Driskell African American Art Acquisition Fund. © Xaviera Simmons
Works made in the 1970s and 1980s by artists including Barbara Kasten, Olivia Parker, and Sheila Pinkel join pieces by contemporary makers, such as Meghann Riepenhoff and Elizabeth Turk, who continue to expand the language of photography.
Sandy Skoglund (American, born 1946), Gathering Paradise, 1991, dye coupler print, 47 x 60. inches, 1991.270. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James L. Henderson, III.
Works by Diane Arbus, Nan Goldin, Susan Meiselas, Anne Noggle, and Clarissa Sligh reveal different ways women have looked at and photographed other women. Sheila Pree Bright, Sandy Skoglund, and Susan Worsham show images that deconstruct ideas around domesticity and feminine ideals.
The exhibition closes with a selection of portraits and self-portraits by Judy Dater, Zaneli Muholi, Cindy Sherman, Mickalene Thomas, and Carrie Mae Weems, among others, that explore the intersections of photography, representation and identity.
Gannett Newspapers Selling Photos Online of Children They Photograph. Parents Don 't like It – New Jersey GLOBE
As newspapers look for alternative revenue sources to supplement an ailing business model, some parents are pushing back on a decision by Gannett to monetize their journalists' work by selling photographs on their websites, including those of children.
Learn How the Affordable Kodak Brownie Camera Made Photography Accessible – My Modern Met
A young girl photographing her doll with a folding Brownie camera, perhaps the No. 2 Autographic Brownie, which was first released in 1915. Used 120 film with an original price of $10. Photo by H.T. Mitchell, May 24, 1917, Library of Congress.
Modern photography was born in 1838 when Louis Daguerre captured an overhead view of a Paris street showing one man having his boots polished in an exposure that lasted several minutes. Photography needed large, heavy cameras and technical expertise all the way to the turn of the 20th century.
All that changed in 1900 when George Eastman released the first Kodak Brownie Camera. It was simple to operate, used roll film, and cost just $1. Over 150,000 Brownie cameras were shipped in the first year of production.
Quiz: The first Kodak Brownie camera was introduced in Feb 1900. Over the years, Kodak made over 100 different models, with the last one using 110 film. In which year was it made?
Answer: 1986.
How to Join or Start a Camera Club in 2021 - ShotKit
Photo by Sterling Lanier
Being part of a photography club can be a great way to learn and develop as a photographer and build friendships with like-minded people.
Here are some things to consider before joining:
1.) Competitive or non-competitive?
2.) Do you want to learn from established photographers?
3.) Can you attend as a non-member before signing up?
Check out 10 more things to consider before joining at the link above.
8 Common Ethical Mistakes in Wildlife Photography (And How to Fix Them) – Feature Shoot
Mistake #1: Wildlife baiting
Mistake #2: Ill-considered use of flash
Mistake #3: Geo-tagging everything
Check out the other 5 Mistakes and full details at the link above.
Demand for Funeral Photography and Videography Booms in Wake of COVID-19 Pandemic – News Corp Australia
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The pandemic forced people to become creative when it came to funerals, but one unusual service to capture moments could be here to stay.
In Spirit – Lens Culture
A Poor Facsimile © Alison Luntz
It was April 2020, and photographer Alison Luntz was not happy with the COVID lockdown.
"I have a large print of a landscape photo I shot in Scotland in 2018 hanging across from my bed, and it occurred to me to shoot a portrait in front of it and try to match the lighting to make it look like I was there," Alison Lunz tells PetaPixel. "I had nothing but time and thought this would be an interesting challenge and a bit of a visual joke to play on my Instagram followers.
"I posted the cropped-in version first, showing just me in the Scottish Highlands, and then the wide shot of my bedroom, which showed how mundane my surroundings really were. At the time, I had no long-term plans for this project, but after I'd completed it, I began to think of other scenarios I wanted to show and all the different ways this format could be used to express the feelings of isolation and longing."
I shot this photo on the fence in Peru in the summer of 2019. © Alison Luntz
Luntz sorted through her archives and selected photos that made her feel the most - the ones that evoked memories most vividly. Sometimes it was the people or places depicted that she missed, but just as often, it was something less tangible, a feeling of being in that moment that she wanted to recapture.
"I think photographs always have this power, to mentally transport us, so this project was an attempt to take it a step further," explains the photographer who studied theater directing in college.
To make these images work technically, she needed the largest prints possible. She also needed prints that could be destroyed without too much regret -- the one in the bathtub and on the fence outside didn't survive the shoot.
That Sunny Day. The background photo was taken at Coney Island in 2015 using a disposable waterproof camera. The self-portrait was in my bathtub during April 2020. © Alison Luntz
"So, I opted for blueprint and engineering prints in 36×48″," explains Luntz. "For some images, I would print on multiple sheets and tile them together. Now I'm looking into wheat paste printing options for future shots.
"The largest shot was made from nine 3-foot by 4-foot images tiled together - that one takes up almost the entire wall and is still up behind my bed. There's also one behind my couch, and of course, the original Scottish landscape shot still hangs across from my bed. In most cases, I liked to leave them up for a while after the shoot."
Luntz is a full-time freelance photographer in NYC and has been fortunate to have been able to focus only on photo work since 2014. She does a wide variety of work with events, portraiture, weddings, and studio shoots all around the city, in addition to personal projects like this.
Best Photography Graduate Schools – U.S. News & World Report
1.) Yale University
2.) University of California -Los Angeles
3.) Rhode Island School of Design
Check out the other 7 that made the Top 10 for 2020 by the U.S News & World Report
Westcott Makes Jimmy Fallon Look Good on Zoom – Forbes
When Jimmy Fallon relocated his Tonight Show set from 30 Rock to the Hamptons to continue filming amid Covid-19 restrictions, his team phoned an Ohio-based photographic lighting company, Westcott. They wanted to order portable, studio-quality lights (Ice Lights) to give his home studio a more professional look.
As everybody started using Zoom, Westcott's ring lights helped to improve screen appearance.
According to President Brandon Heiss, before the pandemic, ring lights and green screens made up 1.3% and 2.5% of Westcott sales.
"From the start of the pandemic to December 2020, ring light and green screen sales increased by 400% and 600%," Heiss tells Forbes. "It was quite the change for a company that got its start selling fashion umbrellas in 1899."
How to Hide Photos on your Android Phone or Tablet _ - Digital Trends_
Photo by Plann
When you hand your phone to your co-worker to show him what your cute cat can do, he may not stop there. You definitely don't want that person to keep on swiping and check your other photos.
Because the temptation may be overwhelming, you can hide photos on your Android device — either in the device settings or using a third-party app. Here's how you do it.
Why I Like This Photo –Ami Vitale
Northern Kenya, 2019. (Photo by Ami Vitale)
I like this photo as it illustrates our fragile and complex relationship with the natural world. It represents the heartbreaking reality of a mass extinction we are all facing. This is Zacharia Mutai, the head keeper of the last two northern white rhinos left on the planet, touching the horn of Najin, the oldest of the two rhinos at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in northern Kenya. Zacharia has a profound understanding of just how precious these last northern white rhinos are, and he spends his life caring for and protecting them 24-hours per day, seven days a week. He and the other men devoted to caring for them spend more time with these rhinos than they do with their own families. The bonds are deep, and they have become the northern white rhinos' closest friends and greatest advocates.
I have spent the last eleven years getting to know the rhinos and the keepers, which allowed me to get close and have their trust. I like the layering of this image. There is something symbolic about the way Zacharia is touching Najin's horn in the foreground. It represents the relationship and trust he has with this rhino, and at the same time, there is something mysterious and ominous, knowing that it's her horn that has led these creatures to the brink of extinction. I like the rhino in the background, blissfully browsing, but there is a sadness to the whole image. We know under normal circumstances, no human being should be touching a rhino. If things were okay, they would truly be wild.
Losing a keystone species has a huge effect on the ecosystem and can throw a society's existence out of balance. These giants are nature's greatest engineers. They are part of a complex world created over millions of years, and their survival and history are intertwined with our own.
This is part of an ongoing story I've been working on and what began as documenting extinction has a beautiful twist. Today, an international consortium of scientists and conservationists from Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Avantea, Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya Wildlife Service, and Safari Park Dvur Kralove have been harvesting immature egg cells from the two females. They artificially inseminate them using frozen sperm from deceased males to create viable northern white rhino embryos. In the near future, the embryos will be transferred into southern white rhino surrogate mothers to create northern white rhino offspring.
We must see ourselves as part of the landscape. Our fate is linked to the fate of animals. Without rhinos and elephants, and other wildlife, we suffer more than the loss of ecosystem health. We suffer a loss of imagination, a loss of wonder, a loss of beautiful possibilities. Saving nature is really about saving ourselves.
Ami Vitale is a Nikon Ambassador and National Geographic Magazine photographer, writer, and filmmaker who has photographed in more than 100 countries. Instyle Magazine named Ami one of 50 Badass Women, a series celebrating women who show up, speak up and get things done. She is a five-time recipient of World Press Photos, including 1st Prize for her 2018 National Geographic magazine story about a community in Kenya protecting elephants. Panda Love on the secret lives of pandas is her best-selling book that has recently been published.
Quote of the Week (or a previous week):
Embed from Getty ImagesPhoto by Steve Parsons, Canon EOS-1D X, 16-35mm f/4L.
Just take the f***ing picture 1 -- Prince Philip , husband to Queen Elizabeth II for over 70 years who sadly passed away two days ago aged 99.
1 12 seconds into the video above, Prince Philip was heard swearing to the royal photographer Steve Parsons during a photoshoot at the RAF Club to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of The Battle of Britain on July 10, 2015, in London, England.
To see an archive of past issues of Great Reads in Photography, click here.
We welcome comments as well as suggestions. As we cannot possibly cover each and every source, if you see something interesting in your reading or local newspaper anywhere in the world, kindly forward the link to us here. ALL messages will be personally acknowledged.
About the author : Phil Mistry is a photographer and teacher based in Atlanta, GA. He started one of the first digital camera classes in New York City at The International Center of Photography in the 90s. He was the director and teacher for Sony/Popular Photography magazine’s Digital Days Workshops. You can reach him via email here.
Image credits: All photographs as credited and used with permission from the photographers or agencies.
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