Using Flash to "Freeze" Moving Subjects - Help and Input Appreciated and Encouraged

butcha27 wrote in post #9961121
Thanks Clarence, thats very good to know, I think I'd best stick to ETTL then?

I was going to answer, but Kevin already beat me to it...

Big K wrote in post #9961388
I would recommend still shooting with manual flash. There are lots of things that can throw off the ETTL settings when you are covering moving objects of various colors. Once you get it dialed in, the manual settings will give you good consistency from shot to shot.

If you're fairly consistent with your setup from shot to shot, it's a lot easier and predictable to control the flash level manually.

I know you have a lot of good options to try above... ETTL vs M, on-camera vs off-camera, single vs multi-speedlights... but I'll throw in one more... I think you're close enough to try HSS (high-speed sync)... this pulses the flash and lets your shutter speed control the exposure. Also works great if you squeeze off 2-3 bursts in rapid fire mode while you're panning.

But I think you'll find that with fast dogs, you're better off decreasing the ambient exposure to remove ghosting and then adjusting flash level manually... the lower you can go the better (less of a harsh flash look, shorter flash duration to better freeze motion, quicker recycle time, and longer battery life).

I'll add a bit more to the soup-

The newer pocket wizards will allow a faster sync speed, without switching over to hss. Preserves the power level, and eliminates even more ambient light, which will allow a wider aperture, or higher iso. The net result is a more efficient use of the flash- lower power settings, faster durations. With my setup (40D and 580exII) I was able to set things to sync at 1/500, and even at 1/640 I get only an occasional thin black band.

PW only suggests that I can hit 1/400 with my gear, but my results were different.

Good luck- This seems to be quite the challenge!

clarence wrote in post #9962504
... but I'll throw in one more... I think you're close enough to try HSS (high-speed sync)... this pulses the flash and lets your shutter speed control the exposure. Also works great if you squeeze off 2-3 bursts in rapid fire mode while you're panning.

I thought about that same thing after I went to bed last night and was going to add it this morning as another option. I have always had mixed results with HSS but agree this seems like an opportunity that might work well with it.

sfinkernagel wrote in post #9962648
I'll add a bit more to the soup-

The newer pocket wizards will allow a faster sync speed, without switching over to hss. Preserves the power level, and eliminates even more ambient light, which will allow a wider aperture, or higher iso. The net result is a more efficient use of the flash- lower power settings, faster durations. With my setup (40D and 580exII) I was able to set things to sync at 1/500, and even at 1/640 I get only an occasional thin black band.

PW only suggests that I can hit 1/400 with my gear, but my results were different.

Good luck- This seems to be quite the challenge!

Thanks for posting that info. I was reading about them the other day and wondered what sort of level you could get with a 580EXII. Now I have yet another gadget to put on my B&H wish list.

Big K wrote in post #9963501
I thought about that same thing after I went to bed last night and was going to add it this morning as another option. I have always had mixed results with HSS but agree this seems like an opportunity that might work well with it.

I've done some crazy stuff with HSS... bouncing it off the ceiling in Av mode, using it in sports with a BetterBeamer... it's a completely different beast than the dual-exposure (ambient + flash) mindset.

Here's an article where Dave Black uses speedlites and 1/1600" shutter speed to freeze action in hockey...
http://www.daveblackph​otography.com/workshop​/04-2010.htm

If you're used to working/thinking of shutter speed freezing the action, like Tv or Av mode, but frustrated by xsync limitations, then HSS might work for you. The range is significantly decreased, but it looks like the OP can get relatively close to the dogs.

clarence wrote in post #9963607
Here's an article where Dave Black uses speedlites and 1/1600" shutter speed to freeze action in hockey...
http://www.daveblackph​otography.com/workshop​/04-2010.htm

Thanks for the link. I have not been on his site in awhile so that was good to read.

I have five speedlights and every since his post with the four square and the motorcycles, have been dying to get the triggers I need to try something similar. I get equally frustrated by being forced to shoot at f/11+ because of sync limitations and would love to be able to have the wider range of control of aperture that HSS allows.

Here is a link to a new site that also talks about HSS in case you have not already seen it. He also has a nice section that lists a wide variety of speedlight accessories all in one place.

http://speedliting.com​/

Dave Black's website is always broken when I try to look at it :-/

Big K wrote in post #9963758
Here is a link to a new site that also talks about HSS in case you have not already seen it. He also has a nice section that lists a wide variety of speedlight accessories all in one place.
http://speedliting.com​/

Good stuff...
http://speedliting.com …new-speedliter/#more-1132

Thanks.

I wish he would have made 14 say Aperture controls flash AND ambient exposure, shutter speed controls only ambient exposure.

I have a friend I am helping with his off camera flash and he got messed up with that phrase because he tried to dial down his flash exposure and his background went much darker than he expected and could not figure out why.