Long shutter flash technique question

divamum

I've been googling, but I have zero idea what the technique is called so I'm having trouble finding any info.

What I want to find out more about is when you're shooting at night, leave the camera on a slow shutter and then walk around manually popping your flash at the subject.

Searching "paint with light" seems to give me lots of info about light trails etc, but not this other way of flashing.

Could some kind soul englighten me? The main thing I'm trying to discover is how one determines an aperture/shutter combination that may result in a properly exposed picture when everything is said and done. And how slow does the shutter need to be to ensure that ghostly bodies aren't visible wandering around flashing? :scratch

Thanks in advance for any info (or links to threads with info. Or search strings to google for info. :rofl)

Art Scott

'tis just a different type of light painting......and just takes practice, practice and more practice.......one thing needed is a wireless shutter release that will work on bulb.......mine is an ebay special model that cost me around $30......I also have a wired model but never use it since I have gotten the wireless (unless batteries die on me)........basically you open shutter and just fire the flash by hitting the test button.....now flash to subjec distance still matters so I usuall leave my flash in an auto mode so it measures distance (or I use an older auto thyristor model taht measures needed light out put and just fire away)......it is fun....it is agravating and stressful and you can spend hours and hours and come away with nothing....so keep notes....LOTS OF NOTES on each project.

I also usemini mag lights with colored gels over the flashlights lens..............oh yes you need to be in all black, unless you just want to be in the photos.

Good Luck.....

Google search for painting with strobes brought me these RESULTS.........

jbakerphoto

divamum wrote:

I've been googling, but I have zero idea what the technique is called so I'm having trouble finding any info.

What I want to find out more about is when you're shooting at night, leave the camera on a slow shutter and then walk around manually popping your flash at the subject.

Searching "paint with light" seems to give me lots of info about light trails etc, but not this other way of flashing.

Could some kind soul englighten me? The main thing I'm trying to discover is how one determines an aperture/shutter combination that may result in a properly exposed picture when everything is said and done. And how slow does the shutter need to be to ensure that ghostly bodies aren't visible wandering around flashing?

Thanks in advance for any info (or links to threads with info. Or search strings to google for info. )

I could be wrong but I think this is what you are talking about....

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2008/07/one-light-night-landscape.html

divamum

Art Scott wrote:

'tis just a different type of light painting......and just takes practice, practice and more practice.......one thing needed is a wireless shutter release that will work on bulb.......mine is an ebay special model that cost me around $30......I also have a wired model but never use it since I have gotten the wireless (unless batteries die on me)........basically you open shutter and just fire the flash by hitting the test button.....now flash to subjec distance still matters so I usuall leave my flash in an auto mode so it measures distance (or I use an older auto thyristor model taht measures needed light out put and just fire away)......it is fun....it is agravating and stressful and you can spend hours and hours and come away with nothing....so keep notes....LOTS OF NOTES on each project.

I also usemini mag lights with colored gels over the flashlights lens..............oh yes you need to be in all black, unless you just want to be in the photos.

Good Luck.....

Google search for painting with strobes brought me these RESULTS.........

BINGO. "Paint with strobes" not "paint with light". Google. Gotta love it

I have a remote, so no worries there

Thanks for the tips!!!

divamum

unclejon wrote:

I could be wrong but I think this is what you are talking about....

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2008/07/one-light-night-landscape.html

yesssssssssssssssss! Thank you!!!

(I adore the Strobist, but I haven't figured out how to search it efficiently yet..... )

CWSkopec

Have a look here, Divamum!

http://www.lostamerica.com/technique.html

There's a lot of info there, and the night shots with gel'd flashes on abandoned structures are pretty cool!

moose135

I use this technique sometimes when shooting aircraft on the ramp at night. Here's an example - I was shooting the "dark" side of the airplane (the side facing away from the ramp lights). The EXIF says I shot it at ISO 100, f/11.0, 101 seconds. I tripped the shutter with a remote, and fired the flash 4 or 5 times from the side as I moved along from the front to the back of the aircraft. It's something of trial and error, I probably shot two or three frames until I was happy with the mix of exposure settings and flash. I try to remember to wear dark clothing, and stay out of the frame as much as I can.



Obviously on this one, I couldn't keep out of the frame. This was 78 seconds at f/9.0 (Again, shooting the "dark side") In addition to popping the flash on the side, I strobed the intakes and behind the landing gear, pointing the flash at the camera.

pathfinder

Moose, these look great!!

I gotta try this in my barn one evening when it gets warmer.


Were your speedlites shot bare? Or did you have a small softbox for them to diffuse the light?

Were the speedlites shot in Manual, or did the speedlites offer an Auto exposure setting like the old Vivitar 283/285s?

divamum

Those airplane shots are fantastic! Thanks for the contribution. If the weather cooperates, I should get to play with this technique tomorrow evening. We'll see!

divamum

CWSkopec wrote:

Have a look here, Divamum!

http://www.lostamerica.com/technique.html

There's a lot of info there, and the night shots with gel'd flashes on abandoned structures are pretty cool!

These are the COOLEST shots. Creepy sometimes, but very, very cool. Thanks for the great link!

moose135

Thanks! Nothing fancy there, Pathfinder. No diffuser on the flash, and I just turned in on at normal power and manually flashed it.