Flash for low-light outdoor situations

Hi everyone,

 

Here's the situation: I'm looking for some basic advice concerning outdoor flash

use (i.e. no bouncing) at night. I enjoy photographing social events such as

parades, processions, and other celebrations that occur at night and that

usually have some level of mixed lighting from street lights, homes/buildings,

and possibly candlelight (on occasion). Because these are events with a lot of

people, tripod use is out of the question. I do not shoot digital so please

don't suggest that I check the histogram or bump the ISO. I've done a search on

photo.net but everything that comes up seems to be about indoor events

(weddings, nightclubs) or other situations that are not directly applicable.

 

I've so far had three disappointing experiences and since I don't have any

digital examples to show you, I'll just have to describe them. In the first, at

a fire festival in Japan, I did not use flash, only high speed (1600) colour

film. The colour was poor and images were too grainy to be usable. In the

second, at a friend's wedding reception, bounced flash off the white tent left

images under-exposed and grainy and made backgrounds pitch black. In the third,

at a St. Nicolas parade held at night, the flash images (direct flash, -1 comp)

were too 'flashy', although colour and grain were more than acceptable and the

background ambient light came through.

 

My next opportunity will be taking photos during the Semana Santa celebrations

in Spain, and I'd like to be able to get some decent to good to great night

shots of some of the processions. I do plan on using a variety of techniques and

resources (black and white, high speed, natutal light) but my main concern is

what to do with flash at night, outdoors, with colour film in these kinds of

situations. I'd like to change the colour temp. of the flash (I use an SB-28) to

match what I imagine will be the warmer colour of the available street light and

candles. In doing so I thought I might use a gold stofen omnibounce (direct

flash, with manual exposure for ambient light). However, before shelling out

money for it, I'd like to know what others would recommend. It would really

helpful if successful photos of similar types of situations could be posted here

(with technique explained).

 

Cheers.

The best way to match color is to gel your flash. Since you are trying to match what will likely

be incandescent lighting and filter the flash , the best match will be a Rosco or Lee CTO gel.

 

Since you are in a big city check in with any of the motion picture /television production

companies that rent or sell llighting gear and see if you can have a free "Swatch" book from

either Lee or Rosco. The size of these samples is just large enough to cover the SB-28. You'd

then tape the get over the flash an then shoot color negative, preferably a color neg material

balanced to tungsten light.

Good advice from Ellis the Sage. An alternative, perhaps not quite as good, would be use of a warming filter on your lens (cuts the blue) and a diffuser dome on the 28. The diffuser cuts down the range but lessens the deer-in-the-headlights look somewhat. I'd shoot Fujicolor 400 if possible; if not, then 800, although it's a little grainy. Rear-curtain sync can help to balance with the ambient light, although it can be a trick under some circumstances, like moving subjects and a slow shutter speed. Good luck, HWD

When I shot film I would have used Portra 800 or Fuji NPZ (I preferred the Kodak, because it seemed to be lower contrast). F100 with SB-80DX and diffuser dome with flash compensation at maybe -1/3 to -1. But the crucial part is the aperture and shutter speed. No more than f4, and preferably faster, and shutter speeds at no faster than 1/30. This is assuming darkness with no real ambient light to speak of.

 

You will be unable to get rid of the "flashy" look though unless you are able to move the flash off camera. A bracket is not very discreet for unofficial candid type photos, but a TTL cord with the flash held up to the side in the other hand goes a long way.

 

Stick with focal lengths that are shorter than 50mm (maybe 85mm if you have a 1.8) for the best results. So for the pictures to work well you will have to be closer. No telephoto of any kind if you want usable shots.

 

It has been awhile since I have done this with film, so maybe some others may have some additional insight.

I find it very difficult to solve. Worst of it is that celebrations are produced usually at the old part of towns with narrow streets, sometimes full of people, everything moves... you will always find something closer inside the frame to be flash-fried.

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At this situations prefer to accept the flashy look. Which camera do you have? I usually set the camera to rear courtain flash mode, 1 to 1/30sec. and let all the things moves, a la National Geographic style (see below). If I`m not wrong the SB-28 have this feature from the F4 on. I use Velvia, and I like the contrsty and colourful results. You must have flash compensation previously tested to your preferences.

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Let me to look for some "Procession" chromes. If I find them, I will post tomorrow.

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<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/5758330-lg.jpg">

There are also other considerations. A gear bag is a big inconvenience to me (althought you will see all the photogs with it), notice that you could be pushed by the mass people, and in certain places a gear bag is a bird call ("vulture" call... ). I like to go with camera+lens+flash, film and batteries on the pockets, nothing else. You must enjoy the party...

If you're in the street, before the even starts, mount a couple of Nikon SB-series strobes up

high on existing poles or other structure. Control them wirelessly with the SU-800. Try to get

two or three point lighting with one of your strobes working as a key and the other as fill or

fill and backlight. SB-800 or 600's would work well.

Brooks is correct. There is no way to get those exceptional crowd celebration shots without control of the lighting. That is why those guys doing that stuff make so much money, perhaps also the reason they have those gear bags.

I have found one kilogram of "procession" chromes. Let me say this ones were made a loooong time ago, no slow sync flash. I were using at this time the "classic" Metz 45 + F3 combo, and the "exotics" 24/2.8, 50/1.4 and 105/2.5 AiS lenses amogst others. Let me say that I`m trying to show different flash situations at a celebration, neither skill or cleverness, which I`m pretty short of it. Badly scanned on a V750pro, just sharpened.

 

First one, normal flash, difficult with "costaleros" black dresses:<div></div>

This one without flash. No tripod, just squashed at the wall, thougt. I forget to say that probably all the shots made with Velvia 50.<div></div>

Next, the problem if you are shoting closer. Better to avoid this kind of shots or use the slow sync with rear courtain, with great results. Or accept it as it is. An advanced flash system helps here.<div></div>

Fill-flash, strong daylight,<div></div>

A few ones without flash, the easiest opportunities along the whole day. Most processions are at daylight.<div></div>

It could be difficult even to take a shot here, you will have a little bit more room if you set the flash head upwards... take with you the lesser gear here.<div></div>

Incandescent light is sometimes beautiful, take advantage of it. A classic shot (a common shot, thought), mirror locked-up to be more static, available light.<div></div>

That`s all. Processions have differences from some cities to anothers, but usually were located at places like above. If you are a bit likeable and speak two words of spanish you will notice their extreme kindness (specially at small villages). Hope this helps.

Another thought. Be prepared for fast action at processions. Situations pass quickly, there is no time to think it over. At certain celebrations you cannot change of position easily, if allowed.

It sounds like your biggest complaints are (1) color temp. of subject not matching the background, and (2) flash overpowering ambient lighting.

 

Solving (1) is easy with color gels as previously mentioned.

 

For problem (2) I think Brooks has the most 'complete' solution except that you mention you are shooting film and can't use CLS in its modern form. The only ways I can think of resolving this are either getting a tripod and using rear-curtain sync (but you say you can not use a tripod), or setting up a second flash unit, and controlling using a wireless set-up (radio prob best in this case, so others don't trigger your strobe). Using a second light source, you can light up the background, but you will have to practice since it will likely have to be set to manual mode. If you have a friend, you can have them hold and position your second flash.

 

The cheapest solution would be getting a fully manual flash (Vivitar 283s are great), and a wireless optical peanut, this assumes that no one else is using flash, otherwise they will trigger your second unit. You can get more elaborate and use infrared or radio triggers.

 

May sound a little complicated, but once your try it once, you'll get the hang of it.

 

Best luck.

Hi Everyone,

 

Thanks for all the advice and photo examples. I know that being able to set up a second light source would be ideal but I usually travel alone and don't have that kind of gear anyway. I have recently pared down my camera collection and everything I shoot now is old and manual (until I can scrape enough money together for a D200). The camera I currently use is an FE, which I love, but obviously doesn't have rear-curtain sync. I think my best bet will be to get some gels and drag the shutter and see what I can get. I'm not a professional (obviously) but I still want to try to get the best exposures I can in a situation that I have little to no control over (in terms of lighting). Cheers.

Remember : photography is painting with light: If you have multiple lights with differing color temperatures, and also light sources with different or insufficient ranges: then you will have insufficient photography right off the bat.

 

There is no cure for these dilemmas, unless you develop a personal way to compensate for the problems of low budget and low gear in an artistic way of your very own.

 

On this path I wish you creative success. Try that before morgaging the house into this via gear and assistant purchases/hires.

Good answer.