Am I doing something wrong?

[MOF_Sydney]

Harold,


Regarding your points/questions of 22 November:

• Manual focus - no. I'd use AI Servo but certainly one of the AF modes. My point was to set the focus point on the eyes rather than the body.
• ISO - there is a tradeoff between using a higer ISO or adding more light. Adding light gives more reflections off the skin and detracts from the natural skin tones (and when the photo is mostly skin the skin tone really matters.
• Diffraction - again there is a tradeoff, this time between DOF and diffraction. Diffraction increases slowly and any serious lens is well capable of using f11 without noticeable degradation. An aperture of f11 gives you more DOF than f8.

You simply need to experiment with all these different combinations of speed, aperture and ISO to get the right balance - as you see it & for the photos / photo effects you want.


It is much easier to do these set up experiments with an inanimate object that doesn't move. I have a large teddy bear that I plonk in a director's chair (hence his nickname "Director Bear." With Director Bear I can simulate almost everything except movement blur and skin reflections (because of course he is fur covered). I can check general lighting and DOF (the individual fur fibres give an easy to see indication of in focus to slightly oof). Because he doesn't move I can change anything and test different arrangements.


Then when you bring the model in you don't spend as much time messing about with setup. The issues then are mostly to do with posing and light reflections.


Cheers,


Michael

[Manofmayo]

Thanks


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Thanks for the Replies. One more question: If my top sync speed is only 1/200, how can I stop motion? Orcan I increase it & stillfreeze the action of the model dancing?


Here are a few pictures too, sorry for the delay here and the carpy pasties on the first image.

[Keith B]

Message Board = RUINED!

[Manofmayo]

Message Board = RUINED!
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Sorry about that.....[:P] really I am [6]

[MOF_Sydney]

I like the "covered in paint" phot very much - it's got quite a bit of character. The other not so much (even without the added pasties).


There may well be people here to give you better information on sync speed, but here's my take.


The actual flash time is very short, around a thousandth of a second. Synch speed refers to the time the shutter needs to be open in order to be sure of catching that precise moment. More than that, that is about the highest speed at which the whole shutter is open at once. At higher speeds the second curtain begins to come down before the first curtain has fully opened - the effect is a letterbox "slit" moving in front of the sensor. This is fine in constant light but no good with a short duration flash - only part of the image will be properly exposed.


Canon Speedlite's have a "high speed" synch option that keeps the flash on long enough for the "slit" to pass right down the sensor, but I don't think this option is available with the lights you are using.


The trick then is to either use constant light rather than flash/strobe or to have the room dimly lit so that the very short duration flash is the dominant light source. (This effectively freezes the action if it is almost the only illumination source).


Just a couple of other points. I think it is good to limit the amount of make-up. Because the face is made up and the body not so the difference (IMHO) can look odd. Try to have the face and body look consistent. (Eye make-up, mascara, hair treatments etc don't count). Also watch for light reflections on the skin. Skin tone is the most important single aspect to making body photographs look "right."





Cheers,





MOF

[Manofmayo]

Thank MOF, my favorite shot of the bunch is the paint covered picture. I had adjusted the left strobe to give a brighterhigh key light for the previous setup, and I forgot to lower it enough for the next setup. Looking at the shot, I do notice the skin on the right hand &amp; shoulder to be a bit bright.


The other photographer wanted the lights on, but I had assumed since they were flourescent (and overheads), the color, shadows andfeelwould have been screwy. I am doing another one of these shoots tonight, same place, different girl. This time I am taking all 2.8 or better lenses (50 1.8, 100 2.8 (non L), and a Sigma 18-50 2.8).


Ok so if I choose to do a dark room w/ strobes, do I turn down the strobes to get a very short duration flash? (only if I choose a shutter speed faster than 1/200).


Harold

[Colin]

Like the paint too

[nickds7]

Ok so if I choose to do a dark room w/ strobes, do I turn down the strobes to get a very short duration flash? (only if I choose a shutter speed faster than 1/200).


Harold

I don't think many studio strobes can high speed sync. Ask whoever is running the studio... however long the flash duration is can be your max shutter speed.

[Sean Setters]

Manofmayo-


A very short while ago there was a thread that was deleted by the moderator for containing images that showed a little too much. I think the first picture, especially, falls into that category. I think it's best if you remove that first picture, as I'm sure Bryan will do it once he sees it.


That said, even though your max sync speed is 1/200 second, there's an easy way to enable you to freeze motion--eliminate as much ambient as possible in your studio. Pre-focus the lens, turn the lights out, then the only light that will be exposed is being provided by your strobes. As the burst of light coming from your flash happens so quickly, blur will be reduced significantly (if not eliminated all together).

[Rodger]

Pre-focus the lens, turn the lights out, then the only light that will be exposed is being provided by your strobes

When using this method, be aware that the pupils of your model's eyes will dilate. I ran in to that situation in my "studio at home" (hallway of my basement haha) that has very little ambient light.


-Rodger