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... is a freelance photographer working in Middle Georgia

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Shooting Flash



I hate shooting flash. Always have. Guess it probably comes from way back when flashes were really terrible. Either real weak, or too strong, no way to control the output. I used an old Honeywell handle mount flash that was powered by a 510 volt battery. The only way to use it with Tri-X and a 35mm camera was to bounce the light. If there was no way to bounce and you shot direct flash, woe be unto you. You had some over exposed negatives.
Flashes now days are a joy to use. Auto exposure, variable power output, and small. I very seldom use on camera flash. I have mentioned before using an off-camera cord. Works great.


I have been using my little Nikon SB28 flashes with a optical slave trigger for a second light. Have to be fairly close, and still had to fire a flash from the camera to make it work. I had been looking for some radio triggers and came across some really inexpensive ones made by Morris. An on-camera trigger and receiver to go on the flash were less than $80.00. I have been using them for a while now with good results. They have a range of about 80 feet, work around corners. and you can use them in daylight.

The SB28's are set on manual, as is the camera. Power is down to 1/16 or less so they recycle really fast. These shots of Lillian Siu were done with the main flash stuffed in her cap to be out of sight


This makes a very small, easy to use light kit for lighting one or two people, or doing small objects. Fun, cheap toys, hard to beat.






1 comment:

Kim A. said...

Shooting with a flash is the hardest thing I've had to work on. A good (read decent) flash is next on my list to buy, but to be honest, I'm a bit intimidated by them. I've seen so many pictures where the shadows are so stark, or the flash is just used wrong.

I love your shots here. Very creative! I would never have thought to use a flash that way!

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