Off Camera Flash

dvaughn

I just got a couple of pocket wizards and have been playing with the flash off camera outdoors. I have a ways to go but was wondering what you would think of these two shots. Both are family members and graciously allowed me some time to play.

Hope


Theresa

Swartzy

To be helpful....this particular photo looks as though you could have shot it with the flash on board and aimed right at her. The idea of off camera flash is to create a lighting "mood" and getting it "off axis". Putting flash on stands w/umbrellas (one on each side CR, CL) leaves no room for lighting dynamics. Learn to use flags, scrims, modifiers to project the light exactly where you want it and most importantly, where you don't want it. It takes some experimentation but for willing subjects it pays off in the end. Keep practicing...it's fun.

dvaughn

Thanks

Swartzy wrote:

To be helpful....this particular photo looks as though you could have shot it with the flash on board and aimed right at her. The idea of off camera flash is to create a lighting "mood" and getting it "off axis". Putting flash on stands w/umbrellas (one on each side CR, CL) leaves no room for lighting dynamics. Learn to use flags, scrims, modifiers to project the light exactly where you want it and most importantly, where you don't want it. It takes some experimentation but for willing subjects it pays off in the end. Keep practicing...it's fun.

Thanks for your feedback. The first one is the one that comes closer to fitting the bill for off camera flash, but even it ended up looking a little like sunlight coming from the side. Which is ok since it was a cloudy day. The second one was more straight head on but in that one I am just glad that I hit a decent exposure. I'm struggling with all the manual settings of the flash and getting to the correct fstop. Guess it will take some time to break old habits and get used to the idea of controlling the light which is something that I need to do.

Tim Kamppinen

I'm only seeing one photo.

dvaughn

The other photo

Tim Kamppinen wrote:

I'm only seeing one photo.

I'm not sure what happened, I had both of them posted, but one seemed to have wandered off. Here is the other one.

Hope

Scott_Quier

Is this the one you are attempting to post? I had to do a little guessing but this is the closest you have in your gallery to the URL you posted.

dvaughn

Edited my posts

Scott_Quier wrote:

Is this the one you are attempting to post? I had to do a little guessing but this is the closest you have in your gallery to the URL you posted.

Yes that is the one. I went back and edited my original post and put names on the photos. I should have done that when I first posted. For a while yesterday, one of the photos was not showing so I posted it again. The photo of Hope is the one that I said best fits the description of off camera flash. The photo of Theresa is the one that I said I was just glad to hit a decent exposure. Don't know why there was a problem with them not showing up in the forum. The photos are linked to an album on my smug mug site.

dvaughn

Muscial photos.....
To Scott: I don't know why but when I first viewed your post there was no photo showing. Then after I posted my reply, it shows up in your post. Weird, sort of like me..

The_Fat_Zebra

I can only see the first one, but on the basis of the second I do agree that it doesn't really look like off camera flash. The second issue IMO is that flash is not well-balanced against ambient in terms of exposure and color temperature. Nothing slower shutter speeds and gels can't fix.

dvaughn

Thanks

The_Fat_Zebra wrote:

I can only see the first one, but on the basis of the second I do agree that it doesn't really look like off camera flash. The second issue IMO is that flash is not well-balanced against ambient in terms of exposure and color temperature. Nothing slower shutter speeds and gels can't fix.

Thanks for your comments. I would be curious to know if you think the flash is too hot in these shots or the ambient too underexposed, or both.

Balancing the flash with the ambient light is where I am struggling the most. I shot these with a Nikon d300s and I have a SB-600. When I use the SB-600 either on camera or off, it does a pretty good job of balancing the light. Not always but most of the time. These shots were taken with the Nikon and an old Sunpak 544D. What I am attempting to do is learn to balance without all the fancy gadgets to help.