Is there someone to clarify me this simple technique?

[.b.]

First of all i want to say Hi to all of you contributors to this very helpful

forum and thanks for all your advices i learned very lot from you guys :)

 

Now, whats my question... Recently I purchased a used sb800. It was not my aim,

but the price was very kind, because the original owner wanted to get rid of his

equipment in a short time. So basicly i have just a little knowledge how to use

it and i am in the phase of trying. But thing that would interest me a lot is

how to set the flash with camera to achieve this kind of effect

 

http://img171.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mg5234mediumjs5.jpg

 

all i know is, that author of this picture was saying something about strong

flash /which i have right know/, underexposure and zooming with the flash. He

said that this is the very basic technique you can shoot with the flash and it

is no big deal. Well, i dont care if its not art to do this kind of pictures,

but i just love the decadency and atmosphere of this kind of shots :)

 

So anyone who could give me some tips how to set things to do this, would help

me a lot :)

 

Thanks guys

 

PS-anyone knows a photographer who uses this techique to see more examples?

[johnw63]

I am by no means a flash expert. In fact I rarely use one, but..looking at the shot, it seems to be VERY focused. Maybe he even used some sort of shield around it to keep it from filling the whole frame, and leaving the guy in the shirt, in the dark. Other than that, it appears to be a fast shutter speed to freeze the water. Or, perhaps the flash duration did that.

[thierry nguyen cuu - nomad]

You didn't say anything about your camera.

<br>

This effect can be made with high speed and oriented (not diffused) flash.

<br>

Similar effect as using a snoot.

<br>

The reason why I asked for your camera is that some Nikon with built in flash can remote control the SB800 and give this effect.

<br>

Also that a wide angle (wider than 24 mm) would give this effect as the flash only cover 24mm (in the wide end) FF equivallent.

[.b.]

Oh i am sorry i use a d200 with the sb800 on the camera and the Nikor 17-55 lens

 

John - what do you mean with VERY focused? Does it have something to do with flash zoom?

 

Omega - I somehow cant find translation of "snoot" -is it kind of shield which covers the flash to stop the light spread all over the place?

How could the flash give this effect? could you be more specific? i have really no experience with this /or any other than build in/ flash, i guess i would need a "how to - for complete imbecil" guide :)

 

 

Guys thanks for answers, you are really helpful

[philip_alvarez]

Hi Brano,

A "snoot" is a generic term for a device that attaches to the front of the flash to limit the spread of light to a smaller, defined area. They can be made on the spot with heavy paper and tape. A good, no-nonsense source of info on them, and for all things related to flash lighting, is Strobist at http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101-cereal-box-snoots-and.html

Good luck,

Phil

[philip_alvarez]

I forgot to mention that the SB-800 has some not-so-obvious features built into it could enhance or diminish your shots; In particular, the ability of the flash head to zoom in-and-out is activated/deactivated by such things as using the built-in light diffuser (the one that slides in and out), the detachable white diffuser, and the lens being used. Also, if you use a long zoom, beyond a certain focal length (I think it's around 200mm) the flash TTL loses a lot of its ability to illuminate the scene appropriately. When this happens, I think you have to switch to manual and try to figure out what will work. Good luck, Phil

[nickwhite]

One important thing that has not been mentioned is that you will not get the effect shown with on-camera flash.

 

In the shot posted the flash has been fired from the left.

[bill_keane2]

It is possible to achieve this effect by slight underexposure and by using a very wide angle lens that covers more area than the flash. The posted shot could have been done on-camera -- setting the telescoping flash head on manual (say to 80mm) and directing it away from the person in uniform. Note that no shadow from the left side model falls on the right side model (even though she is also slightly behind the one on the left).

[ellis_vener_photography]

You SB-800 has a zoom feature. What it looks like that photographer has done is to take the flash off camera, possibly connecting it to the camera with a Nikon SC-29 cable and set the flash to narrower angle (longer focal length setting) than the lens he is using o nthe camera,/. So maybe he is using a 20mm lens on his DSLR and has set the flash to think he is using a 50mm or 85mm lens instead of the wide angle and then he aims it at the girls instead of straight ahead.

[w._krassowski]

1. Change flash coverage angle to narrower than the angle of coverage of the lens being used, in other words: zoom in the flash. 2. Turn the flash head so it points to a subject being off center. Above can be accomplished with several older Nikon flashes starting with -I think- SB-24.

[frank_skomial]

" Also, if you use a long zoom, beyond a certain focal length (I think it's around 200mm) the flash TTL loses a lot of its ability to illuminate the scene appropriately. When this happens, I think you have to switch to manual" - nonse.

 

Long zoom has narrower angle of view, so any flash would have no problem covering evenly entire view, if zoomed at tele position. TTL flash does not loose anything with a long zoom. Shooting flash TTL at significantly longer distance may be less acurate.

 

If a long zoom is used, is more practical to use it away from the subject and at a longer distance, and in this case the flash may not have that enough power needed to light up at that long distance.

 

Switching flash to Manual mode does not increase flash maximum power. The only case is that SB-800 in Auto iTTL uses a bit of energy for preflashes (more so if used as a commander), and whatever energy is left available is a bit less than the max capacity, but the difference is very small.

 

SB-800 has Auto Zoom flash head feature that works if enabled in the flash, and only works with compatible camera and lens that provide distance and lens zoon information. If you zoom your lens the flash head zoom also follows your lens zomm position, but withing design limits only.

 

For SB-800 Auto zoom to work, the built-in reflector and diffuser cards must be completely pushed in, and the flash head must be in normal position (not tilted, not rotated).

 

Also if the diffuser Dome is placed over the SB-800 flash head, the micro switch in the SB-800 body is pressed in and the Zoom flash function is disabled. Look up the Dome diffuser for a plastic notch that does presses on the micro switch. 3rd party diffuser domes may not have that feature.

 

If I remember, the SB-800 auto (or manual) zoom range is to 105 mm zoom lens position (do not confuse crop factors), and SB-600 is only to 70 mm.

[mark_sirota1]

Two minor corrections to Frank's quite thorough and mostly accurate response:

 

(1) The lens does not need to provide focus distance information for the flash's auto zoom head to work. The lens and camera body do need to provide focal length information, though. In other words, it doesn't need to be a D or G lens -- any CPU lens will work.

 

(2) The flash's auto zoom head will work if the bounce card is pulled out. It'll also sorta work if the diffuser is pulled out, but that's getting a bit too far into the semantics. :-)

[greg jansen]

My guess: The flash on camera, head pointed straight up, white card out, top of flash turned to the left 25 degrees or so. Or... hand held flash far left, wide lens.

[thierry nguyen cuu - nomad]

Brano,

<br>

Having the D200, you can control your SB800 wirelessly.

<br>

Here is a test drive of a similar (without the models actually. Sorry :-x) lighting composition:<br>

<b>SB800</b>:<br>

Slave mode and manual zoom @ 85 mm

 

<br>

<b>D200</b>:

<br>

M mode @ 1/500 f3.5

<br>

Built in flash in C (Commander) mode and turned OFF.<br>

I set the SB800, from the D200, to AA and -0.7

<br>

Here is a sample of the set up:<br>

(Note that the statue on the right is white so is sensitive to reflection of the SB800)

<br>

<center>

 

SB set to Slave and on tripod. The beam is oriented off center

<br>

 

<img src="http://thierryphoto.com/Poub/Off%20SB%20800-01.JPG">

</center>

<br>

 

And some sort of results :)

<br>

<center>

 

With some darker subject on the right, there will be less flash reflection.

<br>

<img src="http://thierryphoto.com/Poub/Off%20SB%20800-02.JPG">

</center>

<br>

[.b.]

Well guys thanks a lot for all your answers, as this was my first question on this forum ever, i am very very pleased with all your answers and advices.

Well i think i have to try all of your suggestions. It will take a lot of time to master the flash without any manual and advices, i'm gonna search here for some help :)

 

Anyway i've tryied some settings here with my supermodel - shot with 17-55, Aparature priority /60/, f8 ev -5, flash in manual mode 1/128, 0.8m, zoomed to 105mm

 

Please guys, give me some advices to catch the right direction in this :)

 

Thanks a lot once again, i really love your advices