Pixapro PIKA200 in Bright Sun on Brighton Beach

My good friend Jamie Bannerman has just spent two days street casting along Brighton Seafront in Sussex, England to I took the opportunity to try the Pixapro PIKA200 (aka Godox AD200) to create a quick snap of Jamie working - a rare incident worthy of recording 😃


Here's the final image which effectively lit with 2 lights - the sun as the accent light and my Pixapro PIKA200 providing the key light with the bare bulb in place and controlled with the PiXAPRO 48cm Foldable Octagonal Softbox  without either the beauty dish deflector in place or the outer white diffuser.


Rather than a BTS (Behind The Scenes) frame Jamie shot a POV (Point of View) of me in action as I was photographer & light stand!


The boom is an old aluminium tripod leg with The SPIG fixing the clamp bracket in place. The bracket supplied with the PIKA200 isn't a secure fit so I'd rather carry the extra weight & bulk of the clamp bracket.

Another observation, the display on the back of the PIKA200 is great indoors in low light, outside in bright sun it's invisible!


This is the Av TTL frame as the camera interprets the scene - exposure was ISO 100, ƒ/4, 1/3200th sec. Based on this I knew I had to get the PIKA200 in close and at full 1/1 power as close to Jamie as possible, hence nothing in front of the flash in the chosen modifier. The direct sun was intermittently slightly softened by high cirrus cloud. Location 51ºN close to 0ºE, Brighton, UK.


With PIKA200 providing the key light in classic butterfly lighting position (see shadow under nose) ISO100, Æ’/4, 1/2500th sec. Flash was about 4' from Jamie - I'd say this is the limit with this combination, but I had to work with what I had with me. Maybe the "standard" 12cm (4.75") hard open reflector, or even the 35mm fresnel head would have been a more efficient if harder option, which then wouldn't have matched the ambient light in the way the 48cm reflector has!



The Pixapro PIKA200 means my basic #EDC Every Day Carry or "Go Bag" is smaller & lighter in the form of a basic Tenba Messenger bag which contains a comprehensive kit with the exception of a light stand and weighs approximately 6kg. As I was working on a potentially crowded public beach the light stand was left in the car.

My thanks to Yang Wu, Ling Tang & team at Pixapro for providing such great service. If you're in the UK do support them as they do offer a 2 year warranty on their products and it really does save a pile of hassle by not dealing with a overseas supplier of potentially unknown provenance who may not be there when you need them . . .

Soon there will be workshops for both off camera flash & studio flash soon - keep an eye on my social media channels for more information.


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That's it for now and don't forget if you really enjoy lighting to visit and join The LIGHT Side - a place to learn, be mentored, nurtured and learn about lighting, lighting and photography, whatever your level or experience.



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