Sequence shots with a 550EX

[ShutteringFocus]

Have you ever seen those sequence type shots of skateboarders or snowboarders where its a single photo, but they use some sort of strobe/flash that fires a bunch of times so that you get a sequence all on the same frame?

Can you do that with a 550EX?

I have a 550 on its way to me right now, and I was just wondering if you can do those types of shots with that flash.

[kawter2]

it's hit and miss.. If you use it, be prepared for it to miss about every 3rd frame.. If you go manual and 1/128th you might get every one but you beter make sure that the power is ok for your exposure. (remember ETTL is popping 2 flashes per every frame) so manual mode will be a bit more consistant


Here is a coupple i have done.. I try not to use flash if I can avoid it.. Yea the shadows look like crap sometimes (like in #2) but i don't think it takes away from the action of the shot
http://www.ericcotter.com/blog/images/17_seq.jpg
http://www.ericcotter.com/blog/images/3shotkgrind.jpg

[etaf]

yes, you can set to fire multiple flashes on the 550EX
Stroboscopic flash
english manual
http://www3.canon.de/pro/bda/fot/bli/
Page 46

[kawter2]

Have you ever seen those sequence type shots of skateboarders or snowboarders where its a single photo, but they use some sort of strobe/flash that fires a bunch of times so that you get a sequence all on the same frame?

Can you do that with a 550EX?

I have a 550 on its way to me right now, and I was just wondering if you can do those types of shots with that flash.


ahhhh.. i didn't get your question the first time..

yes you can do a strobe on the flash but I don't think that is the technique that they are using

[ShutteringFocus]

What kind of technique do you think they use?

Do they actually photo shop all of those together? I've seen some pretty cool ones that happen so fast that there could be as many as 60-70 frames....and they basically overlap eachother in some parts...

it looks like it was some sort of 1-2 second exposure with a strobe flash going on.

[ImperialRed]

I've believe that they are photoshopping multiple frames together. I don't think that there's any way just a flash will create this effect...at least not in day time.

Think of how overexposed the rest of the photo would be if just one strobe would perfectly light the subject.

[ShutteringFocus]

Yeah, thats true...not in the day time is right....

I guess if you kept the camera at the same angle, putting mulitple frames together wouldnt take that long.

It would be cool to play around with at night though...you could have a streak of color from the slow shutter and then some solid in focus frames from the flash intermixed with the streaks...I'm excited to play around with this flash!

[kawter2]

here is one with the "Strobe Effect" the others i did above (snowboard & skater) were ps merges

This one is the 550 on strobe
http://www.ericcotter.com/blog/images/reality.jpg

[Rob612]

I have been thinking about experimenting the strobe function of the 550/580 I have for a while. Not managed to do it yet, but I surely will. Basically, all you need is a long exposure and the strobe set to the frequency and intensity needed for correct exposure and stop motion. If the frequency is too high and the movement is slow, you have overlaps as in the example kawter posted. In theory - not backed up with any real experience - the quickest the motion, the higher the frequency to ste for the strobe.

[ShutteringFocus]

Ok, so I went down town the other day with some friends and I got to shoot my first skateboarding photos.

I sequenced them in Photoshop, and it didn’t really take that long...not as long as I thought anyway.

Here's one of them.

http://www.trumendousz.com/ChrisMcC_5-o_Bank1%20web.jpg

I'm headed back downtown tonight to try out the strobe effect in the dark. We'll see which ones I like better.

[kawter2]

cool stuff man!!

[ShutteringFocus]

Yep, the strobe is really hard to make work....you need a totally black background, but when you have that it blinds the skater when you fire the flash.

Doesn't work so well.