Location Lighting in Photography. Guide on how to do product photography on the cheap. An Explanation of 2nd Curtain Sync Flash (or Slow Sync Flash) A Post By: Jeffrey Kontur Let’s look at the sequence of events when combining flash with long exposures. When the flash fires during exposure, the normal sequence looks something like this (note there may be some slight variation among different camera brands or flash modes): Press shutter button.Curtain A opens.Flash fires.Frame is open for some period of time (as determined by your shutter speed).Curtain B closes the frame, ending the exposure. This is the normal sequence and doesn’t really have a name, except to help differentiate it from our next scenario.
With Second Curtain Synch (also sometimes called Slow Synch) the sequence goes like this: Press shutter button.Pre-flash fires so the camera can measure and adjust the intensity.Curtain A opens.Frame is open for some period of time (as determined by your shutter speed).Flash fires.Curtain B closes the frame and ends the exposure. During the first (normal) exposure, the flash illuminates the subject on one side of your frame. How to make an Infinite White Background Cheap. Using a Lightmeter and “Placing” the Photographic Exposure | ESSENTIALS For Photographers. Meters. Some people hate ‘em. Some people love ‘em. But a lot of people don’t know what they do or why they should have one. Well the gloves come off on this one. We will have a lot to say about meters in this post, so grab a cold one (or for my Toronto, Detroit, Boise and Pittsburgh friends… a warm one) and get ready.
I received a note from one of the workshop folks from earlier in the year. OK… that really made my day… hell, it made a lot of my days. Be sure to catch the “Going Pro” section for more information on making that jump. Anyway… let’s hit the road with this meter thing. Meters have been the subject of many discussions pro and con recently. I like using a meter. But I push the button and it tells me the exposure. Someday I will write about how much the Zone System study that I did helps me today, but for now I will only say that understanding what the meters see is so damn important. This photo of the “George Patton Museum” in California was taken in direct sun. Studio lighting for white backgrounds. Flash. Many digital cameras have a built-in flash that is so convenient and easy to use that you are usually unaware it even fires.
With your camera on automatic, it's always ready when your autoexposure system decides it's needed. But this on-camera flash lighting has certain characteristics that can make a difference in the way your pictures look. For example, the pictures will have a "flat" lighting typical of flash-on-camera shooting. Alternative approaches, such as using an external flash to bounce light off walls or ceilings, or even just turning the flash off may produce more interesting results.
Flash Power and Range One thing to check is a flash's maximum range. The light from a flash falls off with distance. When subjects in an image are located at different distances from the camera, the exposure will only be correct for those at one distance—normally those closest to the camera or in the area metered by the autoexposure system. Calculating a Guide Number Section 2. 3. 4. 5. 1. 2. 3. Welcome to Strobist. This website is about one thing: Learning how to use off-camera flash with your DSLR to take your photos to the next level.
Or the next ten levels. If you are a complete beginner at lighting, you are in the right place. Strobist's Free Lighting 101 course starts from absolute zero, and is widely considered to be the best resource of its kind on the web. Over 4,000,000 photographers from all around the world have taken the plunge before you. Come on in, the water's fine. You probably already have most of what you need to start creating kickass photos with your own small flash, and all of the information on this site is free. If you want to grow into more powerful lighting equipment later, fine. Already familiar with small-flash lighting gear and techniques? And since lighting is not a destination but rather a journey, bookmark Strobist's front page for the occasional new dose of lighting-related learning and fun. Got questions? Okay then, pick a place to jump in: