STILL LIFE LIGHTING

[stephengalea]

I have been using a custom made light box with consits of a daylight

tube and pespex. I mainly use it for glass photography.Also i have

one Canon 550Ex Flash. I new in the area!

I want to create a still life which consists of some movement. I

want to insert a toy into the photograph. I need to create a sense

of speed, movement. Since using small appertures and relativly low

shutter speeds due to lack of light + tube light flactuations, do

you think i could get a correct exposure + freeze the moving toy

just buy using one flash? Do i need maybe a slave or two?

 

Wht are your suggestions?

 

Also when using flash sometimes unwanted highlight appear onto the

object. Does one suggesting bouncing the flash? If not wht could be

done? Direct flash will produce unwanted shadows.

 

A BIG THX in advance<div></div>

[stephengalea]

Sorry for the horizontal image.

[sauerwine]

This is just a stab in the dark, until you get a better answer...

 

IF you have the capability of multiple exposures, why not expose firt exposure for the scene to be partially exposed. (Say, like 1-2 stops too dark,) Then, on the second exposure, have the toy still, at the end of its "movement" and expose again to attain the proper overall exposure? You would only need ambient light for this....I think. If you could do it this way, you'd be able to eliminate the need for the "freezing" effect and use of a flash.

 

If this doesn't work, and/or you don't have ME capability, then try using the flash off at an agle other than one that gives you those direct highlights back into the camera? Like, off to one side? The effect might be slightly more dramatic as well.

 

I'm not a pro, just am thinking what I'd try... you'll probably have more and better answers later. Good luck, let us know what works best!

[garry edwards]

I'm not sure that I understand the question, but if I've got it right you want to get a still life shot, using the lightbox, and to have some movement blur on the toy?

 

O.K., that's straightforward enough. Your continuous light source provides the exposure for the static subject and provides a blurred exposure for the moving toy.

 

A flash provides a sharp exposure for the moving toy. It can also contribute to the exposure for the static subject.

 

The trick is to get the flash a bit brighter (maybe 1 or 2 stops, you'll need to experiment) than the continuous flash, and for it to fire at the END of the exposure. This is important because it will create the movement blur BEHIND the subject. If it's a short exposure, say a 1/2 second or so, it's best to use second curtain flash on your camera (if your camera will do it) so that the flash fires just before the shutter closes. If the exposure is several seconds then you can just fire it manually at the end of the exposure.

 

Whether you use one flash or more, or where you place your flash(es) will affect the lighting effect but not the freezing of the subject (or at least, not in practical terms). Your example shows hotspots caused by having a very small flash in a less than ideal positon.

 

Hope this helps a bit

[stephengalea]

Thx for all your inputs...I own a CANON 10D so i cannot perform a double exposure..

Will try something though i the next comming days..THX ONCE AGAIN