Couple of questions: something about fruit, and will my 580EXII sync with monolights?

[seenew]

Haha. Yeah, they seem unrelated, but hear me out:

I'm doing a shoot this weekend for my lighting class. I've reserved a lighting kit that has two Travellite heads, which I will sync using a cord on one and the photo cell on the other. My question is this: can I use my 580EXII as a third light if I put it in some kind of slave mode? I know obviously it has a photo cell, but I haven't ever used it.

Second question: For the shoot, I'll be doing a pretty complex set of still-lifes (sp?) involving fresh fruit among other things. Does anyone have any experience in shooting fresh fruit and how to keep it looking fresh once it's been cut open? I've heard some tips in the past, but I can't remember anything specific.

Thanks in advance!
Chris

 

[poopyhead]

I know nothing about shooting fresh fruit but to keep it fresh looking once cut you can use lemon juice or lime juice to control oxidation (keep it from turning brown) or use a simple glaze like used on fruit tarts

 

[seenew]

thanks for the tip.

these are just some snapshots, but look at how weird this fruit (vegetable?) is! Apparently they're called "kiwanos." I just picked up a couple because they looked cool, I had no idea they'd be GREEN inside!

weird.


Anyway, anyone have a clue about the speedlight question?

 

[seenew]

 

[compuwar]

I'm doing a shoot this weekend for my lighting class. I've reserved a lighting kit that has two Travellite heads, which I will sync using a cord on one and the photo cell on the other. My question is this: can I use my 580EXII as a third light if I put it in some kind of slave mode?

Thanks in advance!
Chris

The 580EXII doesn't have an off-camera slave mode- if you don't have an optical trigger for one, you're out of luck off-camera. I'm not sure if the Canon on-camera slave mode is optical or what. I'd get some posterboard for a reflector.

 

[seenew]

thanks.

yeah I just stopped by the local camera shop and got the news from them. Bummer.

 

[ChrisA]

thanks.

yeah I just stopped by the local camera shop and got the news from them. Bummer.

These things are cheap and turn any shoe mount flash into a slave. There is a tripod socket on the bottom to allow using a tripod as a light stand.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/62712-REG/Wein_W940030_HS_Hot_Shoe_Slave.html

I've got two of hese and they work well. The only problem is it there are other photographers using flash in the area. Their flashes will set your strobes off.

 

[seenew]

These things are cheap and turn any shoe mount flash into a slave. There is a tripod socket on the bottom to allow using a tripod as a light stand.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/62712-REG/Wein_W940030_HS_Hot_Shoe_Slave.html

I've got two of hese and they work well. The only problem is it there are other photographers using flash in the area. Their flashes will set your strobes off.

that's what they tried to sell me in the store, but for $45. Don't get me wrong, I realize that's cheap, but it's not a problem I will run into frequently since these aren't my lights, so I don't want to invest any more money in this project I've already got going.
Thanks for the link though!