Trying some stuff: Flash, hispeed sync modifiers

Gordon @ Convergent AV

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OK So got in tonight late, really knackered. Promised myself that I would try to see if I could get my cameras to sync at hispeeds as I want to try something outside during day when I get a mo.

Couldn't get my 5d to work at all with my pocketwizards. Got the G9 to sync at 1/1000th sec. Did these two self portraits.

original.jpg


original.jpg
 
Interesting effects, but if you don't mind me saying so you've got a lot of refinement to do. Tell me if you want a critique, I've got a lot more chinese to translate so I'm going to be up late :'(
 
I know Brammers. I had 30 minutes to just muck around and see what happened. I really want to take a day off and try to get the flash to work more effectively for me. I'm at home by myself for a few days but don't really have any time available just for photography....so I grab a moment and use myself as a model. It's not really terribly effective use of time though.

Cheers

Gordon
 
Fair enough :) In that case well done for getting it all set up on the G9 - wonder what's going on on the 5D?

Try setting the flash to optical strobe mode and the 5D to manual flash exposure, 1/32 or as low as it'll go - see if it works then. I'm not a big fan of pocketwizards tbh, unless you're really using the distance feature they seem massively over-engineered for what ÂŁ5 worth of peanut will do.
 
I have a nut allergy hahahaha


The wizards have always worked before. No idea why they wont now. I did try 1/32 power. I dropped the 5d in my car yesterday but I doubt that is the problem I am sure it's something I've set somewhere when I've been doing other stuff. Not used the flash with the 5D in about 2 months....
 
interesting experiment. i quite like #1 but i think i'd crop your face to remove the light bit to the left of you
 
None of the remote flashes fire. You can press the test fire button on the wizard on the camera and they go off but when you press the shutter you get nothing. I need to sit down and go through the thing to work out what is happening.

Cheers

Gordon
 
Ignoring the flash technique (which I know nothing about), I like the balance of the first shot.
That small area of light on the left really adds to the picture and gives a depth to the situation.

It reminds me of those shots you see of photographers holding up negatives to the light in a darkroom.

On the second one, as rob says - it's got a posterised look, which I don't find appealing. Especially the highlight at the tip of the nose.

I like the experimentation though Gordon :thumbsup:
 
OK I can see the posterised look now I'm more awake and looking in daylight. It's not compression as such....but I can now see it and it doesn't look too pretty. Anyway more later if I get a chance...

Thanks for comments. I think the section on left balances it too. I thought about cropping it out but decided it added to the image.
 
Maybe the 5D knows it can't sync at such high speeds so doesn't send a signal through the PCsync/hotshoe when you have a high shutter speed selected?
 
Bit confused about what you are trying to do here. Couldn't you achieve the same thing just by flashing the flash normal-style without the high-speed thingy?

Best you explain in the pub tonight...:beer:
 
Bit off topic perhaps, but just want to say that I think the first picture is superb, albeit a bit scary. Particularly like the composition and the "echo" of the twigs in the bottom left part of the composition. Excellent.
 

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