Aimee Spinks Photography Blog
Film | Screen Fighters | Actors | PerformersReview: Seculine Twinlink T2D Wireless Flash Triggers
Thanks to my budget eBay wireless flash triggers dying on me during my last shoot, I have recently been scouring the net for a better alternative. Like most photographers, my first gander was at the infamous Pocketwizards. As amazing as they may be, the ball park figure of £300 per set was a bit too steep for my pocket and so I went in search for something a little more cash friendly. In the end I went with Seculine’s Twinlink T2D set, bought from warehouseexpress.com for a more reasonable £119.99.
The first thing I liked about the T2D set was its “straight out of the box” setup. The box itself is fairly sleek with little wasteful packaging and includes everything you need to set-up and shoot within 5 minutes. Inside you will find:
• T2D 16-channel transmitter
• T2D 16-channel receiver
• Transmitter batteries (3x AAA)
• Receiver batteries (2x CR2032)
• Mains power supply for receiver
• Tripod/magnetic mount adapter for receiver
• Adhesive metal plate for mounting receiver magnetically on non-metallic surfaces
• Adhesive hotshoe adapter for transmitter remote fitting
• Flash sync to transmitter cable
• Receiver to studio flash 3.5mm jack connector
• 3.5mm jack input to 7.5mm jack adapter
The obvious pros you can see from the above list includes the 16 channel settings on both units, the common batteries used to power them and one of my favourite details: the magnetic mount for the receiver that I can just slap on the side of my Bowens flash heads. Another feature of the T2D set is that they use IF triggering along with the RF and direct connections though I can’t say I’ve so far had a need for it. The antennae for the units are removable so be careful not to lose them! Otherwise the units are lightweight and the build quality seems pretty decent.
Something you may wish to consider however is the 2.4 GHz radio frequency at which the T2D’s operate. Other users have reported slight interference of the units from baby monitors and even wireless internet however I have yet to encounter such problems. The only other bug bear experienced by myself and other togs is the fact that you can’t turn the transmitter off like you can the receiver. The transmitter has a sleep mode which you can set for different durations, the minimum being of 5 minutes. Though the advantage of this is that if you forget to turn it off it will do so automatically after the set period of time, it also means that every time you don’t want to trigger the remote flash, you need to take the unit off the camera’s hotshoe.
The first road test I took the T2Ds on was to an industrial estate to shoot stuntman, Andy Lister. The units worked perfectly, even around corners and with objects blocking the line of sight. There was an occasional mis-fire and a couple of spontaneous flashes however I’d say the triggers did what they were told 9/10 times. In terms of range, though they fired perfectly for my needs, the furthest I ever took the transmitter from the receiver was about 5/6m (this was the distance at which I was shooting around corners).
Though it’s early days yet, my experience with Seculine’s Twinlink T2Ds has so far been positive. Sure, it doesn’t have all the nifty features of a Pocketwizard, but I’d definitely recommend it to togs looking for a middle-of-the-road, reliable remote trigger at a fraction of the cost of a PW.
Tags: Photography, Review, Seculine Twinlink T2D, Wireless Flash Triggers
Gregory Crewdson
Pretty much anyone who has been on some kind of photography course will have been introduced to the cinematic works of American photographer, Gregory Crewdson. Though many fine art and conceptually orientated photographers often do not appreciate his work that they might describe as ‘convoluted’ and ‘boring,’ I personally love it.
Crewdson, though credited as the photographer to his images, acts in a way more analogous to a film director. Leading a production crew including a DOP, lighting and special effects teams as well as casting directors and actors, Crewdson commandeers little-heard-of Amercian towns in which he stages photographic images often described as, ‘Micro-Epics.’
His images are tableaux of malcontent, suspense and characters that seem so resigned to their circumstances that their vacancy leaves them appearing more like props. The unnatural static positioning of the subjects and their disconnection with the dark and often surreal environments they are captured in, creates an atmosphere of unease and air of the uncanny. The images echo of the works of David Lynch and Alfred Hitchcock in their layering of surreal dread over suspense-filled narratives but in a way that successfully compacts an entire film into one frame.
Crewdson’s attention to detail is overwhelming and it is not just the finished piece that captures me, but also an appreciation for the intense amount of production that has gone into producing it. It is perhaps for this reason Crewdson’s work seems to be less appealing to more fine art and conceptually orientated photographers who often judge the work by its purpose alone.
It is often argued that Crewdson’s work is too descriptive and lacks purpose or meaning. Crewdson doesn’t claim to want to change the world through his work as is often the naive intent of more philanthropic artists, but why should that give lesser value to it? Just because the focus may be more on the meticulous and highly skilled technical processes in the creation of the work doesn’t make it any less the work of an artist.
It seems that in today’s era of post-modernism, art cannot be appreciated for art’s sake; it must be accompanied by an artist’s statement of philanthropic intent in order to give the work a legitimate reason to exist, followed by a pretentious deconstruction that could find meaning and metaphor in an ant’s arse.
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Street Fighter: Legacy
By now, I’m sure most of you have come across the ultimate fan short that is Street Fighter Legacy. If you haven’t, check it out:
SFL is the birth child of actor, film maker and action choreographer, Joey Ansah. Along with long time friend Christian Howard, who helped write the script as well as take on the role of Ken, the pair have created quite frankly the best screen adaptation of Capcom’s cult classic beat-em-up.
What makes the £150k 3 minute short so sweet is the passion that has clearly gone into it. Being true fans of the game, the attention to detail given by Ansah in the creation of SFL has left even the most avid fanboys raving and craving more. Coming in at just shy of 2 million views in just 2 months of the short appearing on YouTube is surely a testament to its viral success.
Everything from the score, wardrobe, choreography and even the eyebrows come straight from the game without any Hollywood embellishment or bastardisation as we know them so well to do (look at Van Damme’s 1994 feature)! With such a huge fanbase, anything less than a true-to-game production simply would not satiate the fans looking for a real life representation of one of the most successful games ever made.
This said, SFL isn’t just some testosterone filled fight fest appealing only to those already a fan of the genre – it’s a work of art in itself. The quality of the filming is spectacular and the cinematography is absolutely breathtaking. The production creates an amazing atmosphere with fantastic lighting and superb use of what would otherwise be pretty bland scenery. A particular detail I loved was the constant falling of autumnal leaves around the fighters, reminiscent of scenes in Yimou Zhang’s Hero.
With such an overwhelming response from fans, critics and everyone else who seems to have stumbled upon the gem, it’s hoped that Ansah will be able to take the short one step further and get Capcom’s backing for a full length feature and show movie-goers just how spectacular a fan made film can be.
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Dr. Who
Soooo it looks like Dr. Who may be making its way to Hollywood! I have to admit I’m in two minds about this one. As happy as I am to see Dr. Who get to the big screen it makes me wonder if the big budget treatment will ruin the fundamental appeal of the series’ crappy special effects, tongue in cheek story lines and the pepper pot baddies. Of course this isn’t the first Dr. Who movie ever made but it is possibly the only one that threatens to Americanise a truly British bit of broadcasting.
Additional rumours spout that Johnny Depp has been penned for the role of the Doctor. Though it would be a shame to see the role leave the hands of Matt Smith, who seems to have picked up the mantle of the Time Lord rather well, a name such as Johnny Depp would certainly get bums on seats and open up the genre to a new wave of fans. Another deserving candidate should surely be the fantastic David Tennant, who has been without doubt the best cast Doctor of the whole 47 year long, record breaking series. It was a shame to see Tennant leave last season however he is definitely destined for greater things and it would be great to see him get his big screen break with a Dr. Who blockbuster.
The movie is speculated to be planned for a 2012 release as let slip by writer Russel T. Davies who is said to be in the process of writing the screen play.
Let’s just hope the idiom regarding smoke and fire rings true to this little rumour…
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Events
Well I thoroughly enjoyed myself at the charity screening of Chee Keong Cheung’s feature film, ‘Twelve.’ It was the first event of its kind I’ve been to but I hope to enjoy more in the future! Got a few snaps with some of the cast and crew – check out my wushu fist on this one with Mark!
At the Premiere of 'Twelve,' with star, Mark Strange
As I mentioned in my previous entry I had a couple of exhibitions coming up and I am pleased to announce that they were a huge success! After a cock up with the accompanying publication to the exhibition, I was relying on people to find my nicely stacked pile of business cards for contact details and it looks like all of them were taken from the first show in Manchester!
Last night was the opening in London, which although didn’t have as a big a turnout at Manchester, did see a lot of industry professionals through the doors. Ben Trebilcook; screenwriter and producer who I am looking forward to working with on his new script for ‘Candy,’ popped along to check out the work (and pinch the free beer!). Ben also introduced me to some of his actor friends whom I also look forward to working with later this month. In all it was a successful night from which I may have gotten a few jobs as well as print sales and I look forward to the next time I can exhibit my work.
Currently I am in the process of doing a spot of market research (keep checking back for future blog entries for your chance to participate!) for a niche service for the acting industry that is at present unavailable anywhere. I am also looking to update my portfolio with work more relevant to the path I want my career to take so keep an eye out for gradual changes on the website and new work emerging!
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Twelve Premiere
Well it’s been a hectic few months but hopefully I can relax for the night tomorrow! I will be attending the charity premiere of Chee Keong Cheung’s martial arts movie, ‘Twelve,’ at the Printworks Odeon in Manchester.
The film is a re-launch of ‘Underground,’ starring several of the UK’s fastest rising action stars including Mark Strange, Zara Phythian and Joey Ansah. The movie follows twelve fighters from different backgrounds and disciplines entering into a bloody underground tournament in the hopes of winning the £500,000 cash prize. With such hot new talent coming from a world champion cast, the fight scenes are guaranteed to be slickly executed with creative and brutal choreography.
I was introduced to the original film, ‘Underground,’ by Liang Yang who plays the ‘Foreigner.’ Liang taught me Wushu Kungfu for several years before I moved my focus to tricking and gymnastics. Wushu has had a huge impact on my life and has been a massive inspiration on my photography. It is always a delight working with fellow martial artists and is the reason I started pursuing a career working with stunt performers and their productions.
Not long after seeing the film I did some photography work with Zara Phythian who played the ‘Teacher.’ Zara and fellow Underground screen fighter Andy Lister, recently modelled for my exhibition work that you can see in the ‘Film’ section of my portfolio and will be showcased at my graduate exhibitions later this month.
The exhibition, entitled, ‘Eighteen Percent Grey,’ will be running at the Cube Gallery in Manchester from the 22nd – 26th June with a private view on the 22nd 6-9pm. Following that we will be exhibiting at Sustain Gallery in London from the 30th June – 4th July with a private view on the 30th, again between 6-9pm. For more information, please follow this link to the exhibition website:
http://www.18percentgrey.org.uk/.
Hopefully I will see some of you there!
I look forward to future work with the cast and already have some projects lined up and ready to go. In the mean time I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s premiere and will be sure to upload photos in my next blog entry!
Tags: Andy Lister, Chee Keong Cheung, Eighteen Percent Grey, Exhibition, Film, Joey Ansah, Mark Strange, Movie, Photography, Twelve, Underground, Zara Phythian
New Blog!
Welcome to my Blog. Here I will keep you all updated on current and future projects as well as sharing my thoughts, rants and general comments on all things creative! Please feel free to leave comments, critiques and suggestions on any area of my blog or indeed photographic work.
Thanks,
Aimee.
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