Hand-held flash Hassey 100 f3.5 close-up shot

[john_rogers3]

With this 100mm lens, a head and shoulders Close up puts one at about

a 5' distance from subject, which among other obvious things is too

close for the camera mounted flash. Is it feasible for my asst. to

step up on a 3-step stool and hit subject properly with a hand held

flash?? Or is it too much to ask for anyone less than greatly

experienced as an asst? I love this lens, it takes distortion-free

portraits, i believe most use it in studio with external strobes,

butr i want to use it outdoors for a variety of portraiture. what do

you think? John

[jim_chow]

Nothing wrong with moving the flash back, but don't you think shooting from 5 ft is kind of close? I use a 180mm for general portraits and a 80/90mm for portraits where I want to incorporate more of the surroundings, but have been recently using even a 300mm wide open at f4. I would think the 180 sonnar or 250/350 superachromat would be a much better choices. :-) You also might not want close up portraits to be 'clinically' sharp for portraits, which is one reason why the 150/4 is so favored for portraiture.

[john_rogers3]

Jim,

 

yeah, that is close, for sure, but i was trying to ascertain how to do

a close up with the 100. Is it difficult for an assistant in general to hit subject in a uniform way from 8 ft back, and 2' off the ground?

I dont like harsh light, so it seems obvious to

back up and elevate slightly and hand hold the flash. Isn't that a good thing to do even if using 150mm lens? Isn't that lighting desireable from

being elevated 2'? I just don't know how safe that is in terms of

hitting subject in a pleasing way. I agree with your suggestion about

using the 180mm for close-ups.Its next on my list to buy. The 100mm is really an awesome lens, a lot of famous pros use it for studio portraiture due to its lack of

distortion, and edge to edge sharpness that is unparralleled. Thank you, and thanks to this great forum. Idiots like me can learn something. John

[michael_heal]

<p>Having an assistant hold the flash should work, but be prepared to give them something specific to aim at and tell them exactly where to stand. Is the flash your main light? Or a fill? I find the exact positioning and specular nature of light from a flash to be far less objectional when the flash is used only for fill. I am not sure what you mean be harsh light. I interpret <em>harsh</em> to mean specular light. If you want to avoid sharp shadows, you need to use an umbrella or soft box and keep <em>close</em> to your subject, not get further away. An assistant could still hold the light, if a stand would be too incovenient. Also, you might try a reflector instead of flash if you are outside and are looking for softer fill.</p>