Post Your Favorite "Off Camera Hot Shoe Flash" Shots

This is my first picture post in this WONDERFUL Thread. This is also my first attempt!

markhyo wrote in post #7808795
Hello Gang. Here is an image I used from a video I put together on outside location lighting. The shot was taken around noon but I'm standing in the shade to avoid the harsh light of the 12 o'clock sun. Only one flash was used, bare bulb.

If you would like to see how this shot was made you can watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com …8JmY&feature=ch​annel_page
This may help answer many of your questions on off camera lighting.

single flash does the job doesn't it? yea man..
nice work and tutorial..

i wish i had the time to make a video that would be a fun project..

DallasPhoto wrote in post #7809525
This is my first picture post in this WONDERFUL Thread. This is also my first attempt!

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nice first shot.. and you did your first shot with in a job.. wow.. gusty.. i probably wouldn't even dare to try it..
good work..

one thing i have been learning is white dress or suits are difficult to work with flash.. just watch out for blow outs..

phamster

DallasPhoto wrote in post #7809525
This is my first picture post in this WONDERFUL Thread. This is also my first attempt!

Nice shot. I just prefer a cleaner look, especially for wedding portraits, so this is a cropped version...

HOSTED PHOTO
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SYS wrote in post #7809579
Nice shot. I just prefer a cleaner look, especially for wedding portraits, so this is a cropped version...

Hosted photo: posted by SYS in
./showthread.php?p=780​9579&i=i191006229
forum: People

Wow, that makes a dramatic difference. Thanks so much SYS, I'll def be cropping that image!

phamster wrote in post #7809537
nice first shot.. and you did your first shot with in a job.. wow.. gusty.. i probably wouldn't even dare to try it..
good work..

one thing i have been learning is white dress or suits are difficult to work with flash.. just watch out for blow outs..

phamster

It really helps when it's your cousin! Lol, but Pham I have a couple questions for you about using ETTL off camera.

TTL is through the lens, so does that mean that your strobes need to be the same distance from your subject that your camera is since the measurements are coming from the camera?

Also, I opened up the flexTT5's and read that the flash mounted on the transceiver mounted on camera will not fire with the 5D MKII... this true? You have any trouble with it. Funny thing is, as soon as I read that you are the first person I thought of... lol

thanks for the video Mark! I understand what I did wrong and will not put the flash away so early for the next shoot!

DallasPhoto wrote in post #7809666
It really helps when it's your cousin! Lol, but Pham I have a couple questions for you about using ETTL off camera.

TTL is through the lens, so does that mean that your strobes need to be the same distance from your subject that your camera is since the measurements are coming from the camera?

Also, I opened up the flexTT5's and read that the flash mounted on the transceiver mounted on camera will not fire with the 5D MKII... this true? You have any trouble with it. Funny thing is, as soon as I read that you are the first person I thought of... lol

dallas..

lets see on your first question.. i can not answer because i only use one light source and have not tried anything with the second light source.. and generally if we use a second light source it will be a back lighting so really i don't think the sensor inside the camera body would be able to detect it..

or if i miss read your question and you are talking about just one flash unit.. here is my take and experience of eTTL --- if given a certain distance flash to subject is in the capable range of the flash.. meaning the power of the flash unit can deliever, it will send the right amount of light to the subject.

now if you pull the flash unit away from the subject.. the flash goes beyond its capable lighting range and will not be able to send proper amount of light to the subject. now at this junction.. (not enough light from flash unit.. the camera might go confused on you and will start giving you inconsistent results.) Others please jump in and help me on this.. i am only explaining this as my experience goes with canon eTTL off camera..

so if the light is coming from the flash unit is 3 feet away vs. 6 feet away.. (both cases probably in the flashes capability) it doesn't matter, the sensor in the camera will read the light amount and then send a signal to shut off the pulse of light. result you get a pretty good exposure.

the other possiblity is if you have the flash outside of the power range and the results are iffy.. and probably dark exposures..

so i don't think it has to be equal distance from the flash to subject vs.. camera lens to subject..

just keep in mind the farther away you are from the subject with the camera.. the metering system is collecting data from the subject and the background, where originally if you are tight into your subject the data is just mainly your subject resulting in better exposures..

now onto the flex units..
i have read about the flex units with the 5DmkII's.. this issue is real..

https://photography-on-the.net …p?p=7746267&pos​tcount=638

i also spoke to the pocket wizard guy.. he assures it is being worked on.. who knows>?


phamster

DallasPhoto wrote in post #7809666
It really helps when it's your cousin! Lol, but Pham I have a couple questions for you about using ETTL off camera.

TTL is through the lens, so does that mean that your strobes need to be the same distance from your subject that your camera is since the measurements are coming from the camera?

Also, I opened up the flexTT5's and read that the flash mounted on the transceiver mounted on camera will not fire with the 5D MKII... this true? You have any trouble with it. Funny thing is, as soon as I read that you are the first person I thought of... lol

Hey Dallas, They do not have to be the same distance. We shoot eTTL every time out. In a lot of cases.... the ocf is 4-6 feet away from the subject and the camera is 20 or more feet away. The camera is doing the measure through the lens but based on the preflash generated from the ocf. The camera will detect the preflash and calculate the correct amount based on such.

BTW... very nice shot!!

markhyo wrote in post #7808795
Hello Gang. Here is an image I used from a video I put together on outside location lighting. The shot was taken around noon but I'm standing in the shade to avoid the harsh light of the 12 o'clock sun. Only one flash was used, bare bulb.

If you would like to see how this shot was made you can watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com …8JmY&feature=ch​annel_page
This may help answer many of your questions on off camera lighting.

As usual, your videos are quite helpful Mark.
I have tried doing this myself and the results have been inconsistent.
How do you get such even lighting with such a smooth falloff?
What beam spread were you using?

tonyr0584 wrote in post #7810209
Hey Dallas, They do not have to be the same distance. We shoot eTTL every time out. In a lot of cases.... the ocf is 4-6 feet away from the subject and the camera is 20 or more feet away. The camera is doing the measure through the lens but based on the preflash generated from the ocf. The camera will detect the preflash and calculate the correct amount based on such.

BTW... very nice shot!!

Tony, I don't think mine was preflashing. Is there a certain setting that makes sure this happens? I know it's a newb question, but I'm pretty sure it's not!

tonyr0584 wrote in post #7810209
Hey Dallas, They do not have to be the same distance. We shoot eTTL every time out. In a lot of cases.... the ocf is 4-6 feet away from the subject and the camera is 20 or more feet away. The camera is doing the measure through the lens but based on the preflash generated from the ocf. The camera will detect the preflash and calculate the correct amount based on such.

BTW... very nice shot!!

Tony;
I am sure you have covered this, but on average, what are your camera settings for your portraits? ie. Flash ETTL, Exposure set manual for existing light or subject, etc. what is your flow for getting the exposure?

Thanks
kirby

DallasPhoto wrote in post #7809525
This is my first picture post in this WONDERFUL Thread. This is also my first attempt!

Great shot and love the lighting!

trailblazer wrote in post #7811236
As usual, your videos are quite helpful Mark.
I have tried doing this myself and the results have been inconsistent.
How do you get such even lighting with such a smooth falloff?
What beam spread were you using?

Glad the videos are helpful! The shot I posted was with the zoom head on the Vivitar at 28mm. So it was a pretty wide beam of light versus a narrow beam. I almost always use this setting. When shooting people most of the time I set the flash up at 45 degrees to the subjects nose. I like to work with the flashes as close as possible just outside of camera view. This insures smoother shadows and even light falloff. In the shot I posted I used the flash bare bulb so there is more of a definitive shadow. When you have a small light source further away from you subject shadows will become hard. If I had used a shoot through umbrella, my small light source would have become a bigger light source making the shadows much softer.

I hope this clarifies things a bit more.

markhyo wrote in post #7812272
Glad the videos are helpful! The shot I posted was with the zoom head on the Vivitar at 28mm. So it was a pretty wide beam of light versus a narrow beam. I almost always use this setting. When shooting people most of the time I set the flash up at 45 degrees to the subjects nose. I like to work with the flashes as close as possible just outside of camera view. This insures smoother shadows and even light falloff. In the shot I posted I used the flash bare bulb so there is more of a definitive shadow. When you have a small light source further away from you subject shadows will become hard. If I had used a shoot through umbrella, my small light source would have become a bigger light source making the shadows much softer.

I hope this clarifies things a bit more.

Hello Mark

Nice video. Clean, quick, and well executed. You have done this before.

Housekeeping note. In my circles "bare bulb (aka bare tube)" usually refers to a flash tube open "360 degrees" (actually, never a full 360 degree )to the environment, so that light goes everywhere. Bare bulb can be pulled off with small hot shoe flashes from quantum and sigma, where the lens assembly can be removed, or more commonly with "diffusers" such as the stofen. It produces a very unique effect when applied properly.

In your video, I observed "straight flash" -- a flash head with lens unmodified by diffusion.

None of this is news, I know, but many folks here, when they hear "bare bulb" think of something different from your technique.

Thanks for sharing!

mattograph wrote in post #7812465
Hello Mark

Nice video. Clean, quick, and well executed. You have done this before.

Housekeeping note. In my circles "bare bulb (aka bare tube)" usually refers to a flash tube open "360 degrees" (actually, never a full 360 degree )to the environment, so that light goes everywhere. Bare bulb can be pulled off with small hot shoe flashes from quantum and sigma, where the lens assembly can be removed, or more commonly with "diffusers" such as the stofen. It produces a very unique effect when applied properly.

In your video, I observed "straight flash" -- a flash head with lens unmodified by diffusion.

None of this is news, I know, but many folks here, when they hear "bare bulb" think of something different from your technique.

Thanks for sharing!

Mattograph,

You're absolutely correct in the terminology. I have seen the term thrown around loosely but it does more apply to tube style flash bulbs.