PopPhoto Flash

Tip of the Day: Flash Filters

You can use filters on your flash to solve two problems.

Problem #1 -
Flash Is Too Blue

Problem #2 -
Orange or Green Backgrounds
When using flash, the backgrounds are illuminated by the room light.
That's because the light from the flash doesn't go very far.
The backgrounds may be orange from tungsten (light bulb) lighting, or green from from florescent lighting.
You may also have noticed that the shadows created by your flash are orange or green.
Again, that's because the room light is illuminating the shadows.

To eliminate the orange or green:
• Change the color of the flash.
• Adjust the white balance.
Change the Flash Color
Change the color of the flash to match the color of the light in the background.
Use one of the following three methods.

Method #1
The manufacturer of your flash may sell color correction filters.

Method #2
Try Rosco filters.
To convert a flash to tungsten light color, use a Rosco 3401 filter (aka Roscosun 85), which is equivalent to a Kodak 85B filter.
To convert a flash to florescent light color, use a Rosco Plusgreen 3304, which is equivalent to a Kodak 30G filter.
Use real gaffer tape to attach the filters to your flash, not duct tape.

Read more at www.photokaboom.com

Tip of the Day: Slow-synch flash

There are a couple of refinements that you can make to slow-synch flash. Some flashes allow you to set them so that they fire at the end of the exposure not the beginning. This means that the flash exposure is, in effect, superimposed over the blur, not the other way around. You can also use colored gels to match the color temperature of the flash with that of the ambient light. This will make the picture look more balanced.

Adapted from Travel Photography by Steve Davey (Footprint, 2008; $30)

Tip of the Day: Slow Shutter flash

Usually depicted with an arrow and person with star icon. This option means that you can combine a long shutter speed with the flash operation. It is best used for night portraits where the flash lights up the person and the long shutter is used to record the night or city lights.

Adapted from Langford’s Starting Photography by Michael Langford & Philip Andrews (Focal Press, 2009; $27)

Four Weeks to Become a Better Photographer (Part 2)

In August 2007, Assistant Editor Kathleen Davis participated in a four-week course with BetterPhoto.com. Click here to see what she learned that month.  For a refresher on how the classes work, click here.

Posing and Portraiture Techniques taught by Ibarionex R. Perello

Lesson 2: Using Flash

In this lesson Perello discussed using fill flash in daylight to eliminate harsh shadows, and techniques for controlling flash output.

One method he mentioned is flash compensation, which works similarly to exposure compensation, in that you can increase or decrease the amount of flash output. Another method to modify the flash output (especially in mixed light conditions) that was covered was bouncing the flash off a ceiling or wall, as well as using a flash modifier over the flash head to soften the light.

He went on to explain the limitations of flash sync speed (usually between 1/200 and 1/250 sec) and the limitations it creates in low light.

Finally the last part of the lesson included advice on using flash in low light. Perello advised using an aperture of f/5.6 for a flash exposure at twilight, and manually setting the shutter speed slower to produce a good exposure of the sky.

Our assignment was to take a portrait at twilight using flash, experimenting with several different flash exposure compensations.

More photos, and my critiques after the jump.

Ring Flash Made Affordable

Ring Flash has been around for awhile but has recently become more popular with more affordable designs.  Using Ring Flash is common practice in fashion photography and can be used as a fill in conjunction with other light sources.  A ring flash is a flash that makes a circle around the lens of your camera.  The light will show up often in the subjects’ eyes as a ring of lights. Recently companies have created more affordable units.  David Honl and Robert Hanashiro tried out three of these ring flashes, the Ray Flash adapter by Expoimaging, for $ 200, Orbis for $169, and Zeus Ring Master by White Lightning for $ 300. 

With the help of Myung Chun they created a video demonstrating the different models and discovering some of the pros and cons of the different units. Strobist.com brought attention to a video from johnricard.com showing the difference between the professional ring flash units and some of these newer more affordable units.  Check each ring flash’s site for specifics like whether you will need additional cords. The Ray Flash seems to be self-sufficient and should fit most standard speed lights, the Orbis requires an off-camera cord for use off of the hotshoe but should fit over most standard speedlights. The Zeus Ring Master will need a power pack.  For someone just trying out the ring flash look the Ray Flash or Orbis may be the perfect match.  One thing to realize when using a ring flash designed to fit over a speedlight is the recycle time for the speedlight. Recycle time can become a major issue if you plan on shooting a lot with the ring flash.

—Melissa Macatee
Contributing Blogger

Tip of the Day: How to Use Flash for Night Portraits

Taking a portrait at night can be tricky, even with flash.  Digital Photography School explains how to make it work.

Here’s the first step:

Set Your Camera

You want to shoot on TV with your shutter speed at 1/10-1/30, and your ISO set to somewhere between 200-400. If you have Canon speed lights on ETTL, your flash will automatically adjust itself for the light necessary to compensate for the lack of exposure as set by your camera.

Click here to read the rest.

Tip of the Day: When Not to Use Your Flash

Don't always trust your camera, this video from ShootTheBaby.com, shows you when to not trust your camera's built-in flash.

Tip of the Day: Slow-Sync Flash How To

Slow-sync flash is a technique where the freezing effect of the flash is mixed with along ambient light exposure to create an image which is both sharp and blurred at the same time. To darken the background so that the frozen subject stand out more, the shutter speed can be increased over that recommended by the camera’s light meter.

• Set the camera to a low ISO setting

• Select a slow shutter speed to allow movement blur, e.g. 1/8 sec.

• Take an ambient light meter reading and select the correct aperture.

• Set the flash unit to give a full exposure at the selected aperture.

• Pan or jiggle the camera during the long exposure.

Adapted from Digital Photography Essential Skills by Mark Galer (Focal Press, 2008, $30)

Tip of the Day: Three Ways to Improve Photos with Off-Camera Flash

Knowing how (and when) to use your flash can elevate beautiful images and save mediocre ones. But there are limits to the power of a pop-up. Here are three cases in which using an off-camera flash instead can create magic.

1) Main light. The directional light of the magic hour gives your photographs great texture. But if you can’t wait for sunset, fake it by placing your off-camera flash to one side of your subject and moving in close. To avoid extreme shadows, diffuse the flash with a small, portable softbox. When shooting macro or product shots indoors, surround the object with white paper to make a light tent, and bounce the flash off of its top and sides for even illumination.

2) Fill light. If you’re taking a photo on a sunny day, fill light is essential to brighten harsh shadows or avoid silhouetting. By freeing the flash from your camera, you can control its power and direction so the right areas are filled in with the right amount of light.

3) Background light. Using an additional light source behind a portrait subject separates the subject from the background. Aim it at your subject’s back to create a rim light around the hair and torso, or at the ceiling to create a hair light. You can add interest to translucent macro subjects by placing your off-camera flash behind them, as well.

—Kathleen Davis
Assistant Editor

Pocket Wizard Giveaway

David Hobby, Mr. Strobist.com himself, and the folks at Pocket Wizards, who make those awesome remote control triggers for your camera and/or flashes, are teaming up to see who has what it takes to create a video showcasing how you use pocket wizards to make amazing photos. To win a Pocket Wizard Plus II in the monthly giveaway, post a video of your photos and set up on youtube with the tag “pocketwizardstrobist,” be detailed in your explanation of your set-up, and get creative with your shots. You have until November to win, and the first winner being announced August 15th. For all of the details see strobist.com.
—Melissa Macatee
Contributing Blogger