Flash - 2nd curtain, illuminated runners - recommendations for shooting

Hi,
hope this is in the right area - seems like "experimental" to me at least!


There's an event this weekend, where runners/joggers are going to be wearing
either lighted costumes, or have lights on their bodies.

I've experimented with second curtain sync before, shooting people with fireworks.

What I'm wanting to accomplish.

- trails of light from the runner's costume lighting
- illuminating / stopping action with the flash

Just got a 5D MKIII, probably will use the 24-105, and only have a 580 EX (not II)

looking for recommendations (if anyone has done anything similar) for camera settings.

I'm thinking possibly
ISO 400
Shutter 2 seconds (+/-)

Where I'm a little hazy would be what aperture, and flash settings.

thoughts/comments/opin​ions greatly appreciated.

thanks!

You are just going to have to take a test run because its nearly impossible to guess without knowing how bright the lighted costumes are. Obviously you want to record the streak without recording enough ambient to lose the effect. Duration depends on how long you want the streaks to be.

Thanks,
I'll probably have to go to the starting line, and then make some test shots,
once the run starts, it doesn't stop until - well the runners stop

Also, Autofocus - I'm thinking AI Servo would be best for this, right?

(thinking of having the runner framed running into frame for the light trails,
perhaps at a diagonal - then stopping the action with the flash)

billinvegas wrote in post #15071605
Thanks,
I'll probably have to go to the starting line, and then make some test shots,
once the run starts, it doesn't stop until - well the runners stop

Also, Autofocus - I'm thinking AI Servo would be best for this, right?

(thinking of having the runner framed running into frame for the light trails,
perhaps at a diagonal - then stopping the action with the flash)

Generally you want them running at least somewhat parallel to you so that the streaks of light go behind them and not through them. This would seem to me to be a case where you want to prefocus then go manual focus as you want them to be in focus at the end of the long(ish) duration shot when the flash fires, not where they will be when you hit the shutter button. If they are running at you this could mean a considerable distance, two paces at a jogging clip could exceed your depth of field. If they are running parallel to you they would stay on the plane of focus for the entire duration of the shot.