Paparazzi and their strobe flashes

[cornflakes]

so i was watching the news the other day, and noticed when the paparazzi were taking photos of 'famous' people they were using strobe flashes with their speedlite....

as a complete n00b, i'm wondering why they do this???

why are strobes used??? in particular when taking photos of people like the paparazzi?

[jcw122]

What do you mean strobe flashes? That's a bit general (at least for me).

[bieber]

I think he means how the light seems so constant. That's just because there's so many of them, all using flash A LOT.

[cornflakes]

i'm talking about using the stroboscopic flash mode on their speedlites...

they were using that mode when taking photos of ppl, at a fast strobe rate...just wanted to know why they used that mode when taking photos of people?

[PacAce]

i'm talking about using the stroboscopic flash mode on their speedlites...

they were using that mode when taking photos of ppl, at a fast strobe rate...just wanted to know why they used that mode when taking photos of people?

Are you sure it's not a combination of a lot of photographers shooting with flash at the same time and the flash firing a preflash each time a shot is taken that makes it look like they are multi-strobing?

[cornflakes]

nope, i'm not looking at the subject/person that they're photographing...

i was looking directly at the photographer and his speedlite...and it looked like he was using the strobocopic mode.

[cosworth]

You were watching Beckham? If so there were 100000000 cameras in front of them.

You are also possibly seeing pre-flash from some flashes. Canon's pre flash is fast, but can be seen with shutter drag.

[Curtis N]

They're just shooting in burst mode.

A good flash unit can keep up with a burst of several shots if the power level is low enough.

[wazmunstr]

ok do none of you guys know what he is talking about? if you have a canon flash, then go back and read your manuals.

as to your question i too wonder what the point of it is. my old 430ez flash has this but i never used it unless i am having a dance party. jk. haha

[cosworth]

No, I have no idea about Canon flashes. He could be talking about 70 things. With his limited explanation we've all pretty much covered it I think.

wazmunstr - it's called modelling flash. I doubt he's talking about that.

Stick a CP-E4 on a speedlight and a 1D Mk.II / Mk.III set to burst and you'd get some disco action.

[Curtis N]

ok do none of you guys know what he is talking about? if you have a canon flash, then go back and read your manuals.He's talking about stroboscopic flash, whereby the flash will fire a number of times during a single exposure at a predetermined frequency.

But he's mistaken. What he thinks is stroboscopic flash, is actually the camera shooting in burst mode.

Is that clear enough?

[cosworth]

Yeah, strobo does that too Curtis.... so where's the OP to tell us wth he's meaning?

[wazmunstr]

yes i know that he is talking about stroboscopic flash.

i am wondering if he is asking why you would use that kind of flash in the first place. hey op, where are you haha.

[mkuriger]

maybe the photographer was using a high really shutter speed?

[bieber]

maybe the photographer was using a high really shutter speed?

Probably not, but it doesn't really matter; the HSS pulses are wayyy too close together for you to see them individually on a video recording.

[PacAce]

Here's a thought. Do you suppose that photographer was checking the DOF of the aperture he was using? That would set off the modeling light which also looks stroboscopic. :)

[Seefutlung]

as stated before ... just guys/gals shooting multiple frames a second and the flash keeping up.

[JWright]

as stated before ... just guys/gals shooting multiple frames a second and the flash keeping up.

Precisely... There's no logical reason a photographer would want to shoot in stroboscopic mode in that situation.

[Anh Nguyen]

when I am shooting at a red carpet along with other photogs.. they use 550ex and 580ex.. youd be surprised but a lot of them including myself use 20d's and 30d's. The set up are nothing special

[sboerup]

Lets argue about something stupid for another 10 pages.

Most likely, it was just a TON of photographers next to each other. Yes, if you do press the DOF button, it will fire like a stroboscopic flash.

[poloman]

The stroboscopic mode is used to capture, in stop action, something like the arc of a golf swing or a runner, creating apparently multiple images on the same exposure. I doubt that is what they were using.
Only one other choice as Curtis said.....

[rmford]

yup, i dare say they'd be bursting.

Set the power to around 1/32 or so, and you should (if my theory's right) be able to rattle off shots until the cows come home before you have to worry about cooking the flash. If not, can someone please let me know, so i don't cook my flash (when i get the frigging thing)

[Anh Nguyen]

Its alot of photographers shooting at the same time. again.. nothign special.. also the we all use battery packs.. huge heavy battery packs

[AussieCat]

old post i know -

but can i ask, whey would paprazzis use this feature"

strobe?

or do they only use the burts mode (continuos shotting per second)He's talking about stroboscopic flash, whereby the flash will fire a number of times during a single exposure at a predetermined frequency.

But he's mistaken. What he thinks is stroboscopic flash, is actually the camera shooting in burst mode.

Is that clear enough?

[Jim M]

They wouldn't. They don't. The OP was simply mistaken.

[pcunite]

why are strobes used??? in particular when taking photos of people like the paparazzi?

They are using 5 fps on the camera which sets off the flash many times. You get one chance to take the picture with people talking and blinking etc...

[simonSE15]

paps tend to use quantum turbos so they can shoot these bursts.

[No Bugster]

They are using 5 fps on the camera which sets off the flash many times. You get one change to take the picture with people talking and blinking etc...


Don't forget upskirt shots from getting in and out of cars!:p
And nip slips too! Gotta have fast flashing, for the flashing!

They (whoever buys this....tabloids, etc) pay big serious dollars for shots like this. It all depends on how many people get the shot, etc.

[sfaust]

Its competition at its worst. When a photographer gets good shot of someone thats salable and wants to limit the competition on the market, many of them while use their strobes in stroboscopic mode to ruin the shot for other photographers. With less shots of the situation available, the price goes up and that photographers that did get the shot will make more sales and at a higher value.

If you see the photographers just standing around firing their strobe, thats what they are doing. It seems to be pretty prevalent in LA. If they are framing through the viewfinder, it could just be for some of the reasons mentioned above (focusing, DOF, brst mode, etc). I sometimes use the flash preview mode on the 580 as a flashlight in the dark, but it does eat up batteries :).