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Your use of flash in street


bruno

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Anyone willing to share their experiences with flash in street

photography? Say that I'm an ambient light maniac, but I also need to

use from time to time that expensive flash I bought.

<p>

Using it to fill shadows looks to me too much for wildlife and glamour

shots, so I put the metering on my camera to -1 and the exposure

compensation on the flash to +1. This should give a correctly exposed

subject with the background one stop behind.<p>

This is what i got:<br><center><img

src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/3926620-lg.jpg"><br><i>Nikon F90X,

Nikkor AF28/2.8D, Nikon SB28, TriX</i></center><p>

Probably I should have gone for a more subtle effect. I need more

tests.<p>

I don't know what would have been of this pic without flash. Probably

not much because the guy wouldn't have been popping out much. But the

fact that the light is unnatural is quite evident... although this

might be a matter of tastes.<p>

I also read once of a guy metering on the sky in gloomy days and

setting then the camera as the sky would have suggested and then using

flash, but I don't remember how and never seen a pic, but it might be

funny to try.

Well... if you have your own examples, post them!<p>

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<< ... Was shooting with Grant then - was his idea... >>

 

Old excuse: The devil made me do it? -:)

 

Not so happy with mine either, Bruno. I was using a p & s digicam on which I virtually always force the flash off. But for this shot I didn't. In the original color version, before adjustment, I literally fried the foreground bananas.<div>00EkjQ-27339184.jpg.efa8ee076168c98dbd894cd5e36f97d8.jpg</div>

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<I>Old excuse: The devil made me do it? -:)</I><P>

 

Heh, not at all - was a clever idea. Didn't occur to me shooting late afternoon with flash

would render the bg so much darker - like it was night - neat effect. Made sense after the

fact...

www.citysnaps.net
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I actually like the effect as well, Brad.<p>

 

Longer exposure w/ a smaller pop of flash would tend to leave the background appearing less dark, I suppose. But that's a different look. And assuming that was your older camera, I don't know how much flash control that offered?<p>

 

Bruno, I've never owned the SB28 (I do have a much smaller, less powerful SB15 I've used w/ FM2), but I borrowed th SB28 from a friend, along with his Nikon F5. He warned me that it's widely regarded as running "hot" and suggested I dial it down considerably or risk blowing away nearby subjects. As I learned through some trial and error (mostly error) he was right.<p>

 

Incidentally, Brad, keep in mind that's NY. Don't want to end up in <a href=http://www.gothamist.com/archives/2005/06/26/photographer_sued_for_taking_portrait.php>diCorcia's predicament</a>.

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When I first started shooting in the streets I relied solely on my 35mm cameras TTL metering and preset exposure modes for my flash work. Seemed to work ok and I didn't have to do anything but press the shutter release. However now I'm using a hand held meter and a mechanical camera so I'm a little scared to try flash. Perhaps in next class I'll be taking this spring I can get an idea how it all works. After all I have the flash, a L-grip with over the lens bracket and the leaf shutters so I should at least make some attempt.

I do like the fine detail Arbus achieved with some of her close ups of peoples faces taken outdoors. Besides, won't a flash allow me to use my beloved Pan F+ with a smaller f-stop?

Regards,

Marc

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the only time I've used flash in anything approaching street photography is for the NYC Village Halloween parade and 2 Street in Philly (2 street is the mummer's parade after the official one ;o)<br><br>

 

both were more of the Weegee variety........"f/8 and be there" straight ahead and more as main light than anything else.<br><br><center><img src="http://tssullivan.net/mummers2005/2streetdudebeer.jpg"><br><br><i>2 Street, 2005, tssullivan</i><br><br><br><br><img src="http://tssullivan.net/2004halloween/bloodygirl.jpg"><br><br><i>Village Halloween Parade, 2004, tssullivan</i></center><br><br>

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Flash on the street is a problem with the big slrs due to the weight of camera and flash.I like to shoot flash with the leica but it snychs at 1/50 which gives lots of blurry pics.Flash can also get you into trouble so be prepared for it.<div>00Ekx7-27345784.jpg.ac4caa9ddda77cef6c86060d05d13200.jpg</div>
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barry,

 

i'm using flash at night a lot these days. tried it on the subway too. best to use it at dusk

like in brads example. i wouldn't worry about pissing ppl off. again, like in brads example,

he's far enough away that the ppl in shot have no idea what he's taking pix of. if you get

right in someones face and pop a flash, it's a bit rude, otherwise ppl just tend to ignore you..

at least that's what i found.

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I'll use a flash when I MUST get a shot and there is NO light. Other than that, I'll not be taking shots 'till morning.

 

I'll go with Henri on this one. "Cartier-Bresson would sooner have died than photograph with flash. "Impolite," he famously said once, "like coming to a concert with a pistol in your hand.""

 

(from: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/essays/vanRiper/040805.htm"

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