namasste
19th of December 2007 (Wed), 14:07
I was having a discussion with Dennis via PM and he wisely suggested taking it here in case others might benefit as well. Here's the jist of our messages...
Me:
Dennis, I am thinking about trying out your technique for shooting with on camera flash and a lightsphere. As a point of reference to any who didn't see your post a day ago, you used on camera flash bounced off the ceiling with a LS that had no top on it. As for my shooting environment, I could shoot on camera or we have a 10' bleacher setup right behind the hoop (about 15') that I could setup on and just feather out over the top of the key. You think this might produce decent results? My thought in the second instance is to fill with the flash rather than strobe out the ambient.
Here's my two questions..at full power, will I stop action doing this? How about at 1/2? I ask since I'd love to get a few "bursts" by lowering the recycle time/power. I rarely shoot more than 3-4 on any given burst anyway so I was hoping this might work. Maybe sticking to a shoe mounted flash with the sphere would allow this? Any thoughts?
Dennis:
Scott - the challenge you will have filling with flash and using the ambient as main is you will be limited to 1/250s shutter speed maximum. If the only reason you want to do this, rather than use the flash as the main light is the freedom to shoot bursts, FWIW, I rarely, and I do mean rarely, shoot bursts, and know many other shooters who don't either. Yes, it's nice to have that luxury, but I have found my keeper rate is WAY higher if I get the shot the first time with good timing. Almost always, one shot per second is plenty.
When I shoot with a hotshoe mounted flash and the LS, I try to use my Quantum 2X2 Turbo to power the flash to give me a quicker recycle time so I can grab one image then another shortly after. This also allows me to shoot several games and not worry about the batteries.
I have shot a couple events with a Speedlite on a stand positioned over and behind me, fired with a PW, and it does remarkably well - better than most on-camera flash situations. The challenge here will be you'll need to stay in the same position (the events where I did this were Judo meets where I had to stay put), whereas the on-camera flash (with or without the LS) gives you the freedom to move about as needed.
Me:
You had me right up to that last point Dennis. If I am using PWs, why couldn't I be mobile? I'm glad you said it works result wise too as I am seriosuly thinking this would be a more versatile way for me to shoot than the relative complexity of setting up (and gettng the wife to agree to) a full AB setup.
I prefer the single shot timed right as well but do find that frequently, the 30D needs 2-3 to nail the AF (naturally it's not the shooter!:lol:)
Dennis:
Scott - if you move too far away from the axis of the flash, you'll get some funky shadows. Our minds and eyes are used to seeing shadows being cast mostly vertically (from the big strobe in the sky) and when they are too angled (especially from one source) it looks odd. That's why two strobes/flashes crossing each other works, 'cuz they cancel each other's angled flash to some extent.
Me:
Dennis, I am thinking about trying out your technique for shooting with on camera flash and a lightsphere. As a point of reference to any who didn't see your post a day ago, you used on camera flash bounced off the ceiling with a LS that had no top on it. As for my shooting environment, I could shoot on camera or we have a 10' bleacher setup right behind the hoop (about 15') that I could setup on and just feather out over the top of the key. You think this might produce decent results? My thought in the second instance is to fill with the flash rather than strobe out the ambient.
Here's my two questions..at full power, will I stop action doing this? How about at 1/2? I ask since I'd love to get a few "bursts" by lowering the recycle time/power. I rarely shoot more than 3-4 on any given burst anyway so I was hoping this might work. Maybe sticking to a shoe mounted flash with the sphere would allow this? Any thoughts?
Dennis:
Scott - the challenge you will have filling with flash and using the ambient as main is you will be limited to 1/250s shutter speed maximum. If the only reason you want to do this, rather than use the flash as the main light is the freedom to shoot bursts, FWIW, I rarely, and I do mean rarely, shoot bursts, and know many other shooters who don't either. Yes, it's nice to have that luxury, but I have found my keeper rate is WAY higher if I get the shot the first time with good timing. Almost always, one shot per second is plenty.
When I shoot with a hotshoe mounted flash and the LS, I try to use my Quantum 2X2 Turbo to power the flash to give me a quicker recycle time so I can grab one image then another shortly after. This also allows me to shoot several games and not worry about the batteries.
I have shot a couple events with a Speedlite on a stand positioned over and behind me, fired with a PW, and it does remarkably well - better than most on-camera flash situations. The challenge here will be you'll need to stay in the same position (the events where I did this were Judo meets where I had to stay put), whereas the on-camera flash (with or without the LS) gives you the freedom to move about as needed.
Me:
You had me right up to that last point Dennis. If I am using PWs, why couldn't I be mobile? I'm glad you said it works result wise too as I am seriosuly thinking this would be a more versatile way for me to shoot than the relative complexity of setting up (and gettng the wife to agree to) a full AB setup.
I prefer the single shot timed right as well but do find that frequently, the 30D needs 2-3 to nail the AF (naturally it's not the shooter!:lol:)
Dennis:
Scott - if you move too far away from the axis of the flash, you'll get some funky shadows. Our minds and eyes are used to seeing shadows being cast mostly vertically (from the big strobe in the sky) and when they are too angled (especially from one source) it looks odd. That's why two strobes/flashes crossing each other works, 'cuz they cancel each other's angled flash to some extent.