Ziggy Shock

Flutist

This is my husband's band (only 2 members photographed). My husband is the one with the hat on. They go by the name Ziggy Shock They asked me to do some promo pics for them. I really liked some of these, but all of a sudden I got this horrible shadow cast on the bottom of the pictures and I got frustrated, so we stopped shooting and planned for another day so I could figure out what I was doing wrong.


they wanted the background whited out beyond belief so when they transfer to a CD, there is something going behind him

Photo Info:
1/125
f/5.6
35mm
ISO 200


shadow is unbelievable!! :cry

Photo Info:
1/400 (here is the problem!!)
f/5.6
40mm
ISO 200

Please tell me what I've done wrong so I can fix it fast. I am shooting them again next week for a picture to be used on a T-shirt

darkdragon

The shadow might be caused by your shutter speed being too fast for your flash(faster then 250th) ? that's what it looks like to me, shutter problem. What were the camera settings for the these 2 images?

Flutist

OMG!!!! that must have been it. Son of a gun I didn't even think of that. When it happened, I just flaked and got mad at myself for being such a noobie without the answers!!!!

Nikolai

Apparently your bg lights stopped working.
Can be anything, from the lack of contact to a dead AA/CR battery to a brunt out lamp to a broken unit..

ziggy53

With that thread title I just had to check this thread out. ("Ziggy" don't you know.)

I cannot see any EXIF so I can't be sure but it looks like you were shooting in manual mode and used too fast a shutter speed for the flash.

If you shoot faster than the flash sync shutter speed you will get this sort of a problem.

What camera did you use and what was the shutter speed?

Edit: I wish I could type faster.

Nikolai

darkdragon wrote:

The shadow might be caused by your shutter speed being too fast for your flash(faster then 250th) ? that's what it looks like to me, shutter problem. What were the camera settings for the these 2 images?

Lisa, that's possible, and it woudl explain the totally dark band on the bottom, but what about the gradient that takes almost 50% of the frame? X-sync related shutter problem usually features a fairly sharp border...

darkdragon

Nikolai wrote:

Lisa, that's possible, and it woudl explain the totally dark band on the bottom, but what about the gradient that takes almost 50% of the frame? X-sync related shutter problem usually features a fairly sharp border...

I thought maybe if it was just a little off it might create the gradient like a ghosting? I'm not sure, but you are most likely right. you have much more experiance then me with studio lighting.

I'm not sure if it would be the background light though as the band looks superimposed over the image and not as part of the scene..

Flutist

I just updated with the photo info and yup there it is 1/400 on the second picture!! Why on earth couldn't I figure that out on the spot!!!!! :splat

WingsOfLovePhoto

definately shutter speed. Have done this a million times, while reviewing a picture I often change the shutter speed instead and when it hits like 320 thats exactly what I get.

darkdragon

Flutist wrote:

I just updated with the photo info and yup there it is 1/400 on the second picture!! Why on earth couldn't I figure that out on the spot!!!!! :splat

At least you figured it out now

You couldn't figure it out then because you got upset and flustered, it happens to me all the time.

Flutist

Nikolai wrote:

Apparently your bg lights stopped working.
Can be anything, from the lack of contact to a dead AA/CR battery to a brunt out lamp to a broken unit..

That may be it too, I forgot my good power strip and the one they had looked like it was from 1940 if that is possible

I don't know what, but I don't want this to happen again. I look like enough of an a** on my own being a novice photographer, i don't need any help with that!! I can read all the books in the world look at all the websites there are and it all means nothing to me unless someone, physically holds my hand and shows me how to set lighting. I'm such a visual learner.

Qarik

hmm..on my nikon if a flash is connected, I can't go past 1/250th shutter speed with out turning on the high speed sync even in manual mode.

darkdragon

Qarik wrote:

hmm..on my nikon if a flash is connected, I can't go past 1/250th shutter speed with out turning on the high speed sync even in manual mode.

using studio flash is different because the camera doesn't read the pocketwizard (or whatever you use) as a flash and therefore doesnt limit the shutter speed.

Flutist

Qarik wrote:

hmm..on my nikon if a flash is connected, I can't go past 1/250th shutter speed with out turning on the high speed sync even in manual mode.

OK those are things I've never heard before......

I'm shooting with a Canon Rebel XTi. I'd love to get a new body, but my skills are not worthy.

Flutist

ziggy53 wrote:

With that thread title I just had to check this thread out. ("Ziggy" don't you know.)

I cannot see any EXIF so I can't be sure but it looks like you were shooting in manual mode and used too fast a shutter speed for the flash.

If you shoot faster than the flash sync shutter speed you will get this sort of a problem.

What camera did you use and what was the shutter speed?

Edit: I wish I could type faster.

Ha!!! I thought you'd find that interesting. The older gentleman is Sigfried "Ziggy" Shock. Born in Germany and still a German citizen

Qarik

darkdragon wrote:

using studio flash is different because the camera doesn't read the pocketwizard (or whatever you use) as a flash and therefore doesnt limit the shutter speed.

ahhh..that makes sense

Flutist

Qarik wrote:

ahhh..that makes sense

which also makes sense as to why stupid me wasn't paying any attention to shutter speed. So let me ask this. why was it working fine, and then all of a sudden not? I did not change my shutter speed. I did change light position though.

darkdragon

Flutist wrote:

which also makes sense as to why stupid me wasn't paying any attention to shutter speed. So let me ask this. why was it working fine, and then all of a sudden not? I did not change my shutter speed. I did change light position though.

you must have accidently changed the shutter speed or if you had the camera on AV or TV it would have changed the shutter speed because of the light change you made.

WingsOfLovePhoto

Flutist wrote:

which also makes sense as to why stupid me wasn't paying any attention to shutter speed. So let me ask this. why was it working fine, and then all of a sudden not? I did not change my shutter speed. I did change light position though.

I don't shoot canon so I am not positive but sometimes when I am reviewing, zooming etc to see the picture on the LCD I inadvertently change the shutter speed. uses the same dials on Nikon...

Flutist

Not the same dial on Canon, but I most certainly had to have bumped it. Probably when I was changing focus points.

Scott_Quier

Flutist wrote:

which also makes sense as to why stupid me wasn't paying any attention to shutter speed. So let me ask this. why was it working fine, and then all of a sudden not? I did not change my shutter speed. I did change light position though.

Late to the game but I do have a couple of things to add:

• It is seriously easy to bump the shutter speed setting. I do it all the time. So, I pay a lot more attention to it than I used to
• The x-sync speed of the XTi is 1/200s. You can, sometimes, use a faster shutter speed and not see any impact. Sometimes, the documented x-sync is wishful thinking. Test it.

Flutist

Ah, did not know that either. thank you Scott.