Tips from David Ziser on using Flash for portraits..

[acedigital]

<p>Thought I would share these 5 great tips from noted Wedding shooter, David Ziser - great stuff!<br>

http://digitalprotalk.blogspot.com/2011/07/5-flashcamera-techniques-to-improve.html<br>

I was not aware that HSS (High Speed Synch) works only/best with AV mode....</p>

[francie_baltazar]

<p>yes that is correct - Tri-Coast Photography has great information and video on exactly how to use off camera flash with HSS - I believe they are the best in the country for doing this and they provide FULL disclosure in all of their training - nothing left out. You can google them and see their work... Kodak chose one of their images for their Times Square image... and besides all that they are just great people... tell them francie sent you...</p>

[Spearhead]

<p>He contradicts himself on 1 and 4, although it's not that difficult to figure it out, just sloppy editing. Otherwise, some great stuff that should help learning.</p>

[picturesque]

<p>I don't believe it is true that high speed sync works 'only' with AV mode. It works when you select the mode on the flash--whether you have Program or TV mode on the camera.</p>

<p>Whether it works 'best' in AV mode is also questionable. It works best in the sense that aperture 'controls' flash exposure. In Program or TV, the camera varies the aperture according to what it determines is the best exposure value, so you don't control what specific aperture you get to use.</p>

<p>One thing Mr. Ziser fails to mention in that bright sun situation, is that the power of the flash is drastically cut, with high speed sync. I can see new photographers thinking that they can set f1.4 on their lens (in AV), set HSS, and shoot away with shutter speeds of 1/8000 (or whatever) in bright sun, not getting any flash benefit for fill. The higher the shutter speed above the native speed, the more power is 'lost'.</p>

[bruce_rubenstein]

<p><a href="http://www.dg28.com/folio/biography/index.htm">Neil Turner</a> has been posting lighting info like this since 2000, http://www.dg28.com/index.htm.</p>

<p>Good thing I can go to a lighting seminar by a real pro like David Ziser and not some no name poser like Joe McNally.</p>

[davebell]

<p>I use HSS in Manual mode, usually off-camera controlled by Pocket Wizards. In fairness he says that Av is the only <strong><em>auto</em></strong> mode in which HSS works. Can't say I've ever tried it in anything but Manual.</p>

<p>The thing to remember about HSS is that in terms of flash exposure, it can be treated very similar to ambient light. By this I mean that, for the same flash to subject distance, the shutter speed has a direct impact of the flash exposure as the light emitted by the flash can be treated as continuous.</p>

[parv]

While discussing a technology that is available on more than one brand of camera but specifics being discussed seemingly apply only to one, it would have been thoughtful to mention here that David Z wrote about *Canon* flash system. Else, just throw this thread in the Canon forum around here.

[picturesque]

<p>David--yes, he said 'auto' mode, but HSS works in Program and TV--both auto modes. As for treating HSS similarly to ambient light, you can treat regular flash just as similarly to ambient light. The shutter speeds don't work any differently.</p>

<p>parv--I don't believe the crux of what Mr. Ziser says is specific to Canon flash. His basic statement is that it is possible, having chosen to use a specific aperture (in aperture priority), to not be concerned about the sync limit for regular flash by using HSS. This would apply to just about any camera system that can utilize HSS. The fact that the statement omits a few other concerns is arbitrary.</p>

[davebell]

<p>Nadine, regular flash (below max sync.) cannot be treated, in terms of exposure, like ambient light. Shutter speed doesn't affect flash exposure below max sync speed. As soon as max sync speed is exceeded then shutter speed does affect the flash exposure. So for a given distance of flash to subject, in HSS it is ISO, aperture and shutter speed which affect flash exposure (as well as ambient exposure). In normal flash operation is is just ISO and aperture which affect flash exposure for a given flash to subject distance. I am sure this is obvious, but maybe my post above wasn't written very clearly...</p>

[picturesque]

<p>David--yes--we have a clarity issue. In the sense that you 'get back' shutter speed as one of the controls in a flash image (whether fill or full), yes, I see what you are saying. Otherwise, I personally do not treat HSS any differently than regular flash when determing how to expose an image which involves flash. I guess I assumed too much from your original statement--"it can be treated very similar to ambient light". Seems to me one trades one limitation (max sync speed) for another (weak flash power), and one still needs to compensate one way or another in most cases.</p>

<p>For instance, I'd love to photograph bright sun wedding processionals (fill light) with a shutter speed higher than 1/200th (5D), but HSS is too weak to 'make a dent' against bright sun. I still end up with some slight motion blur when subjects move fast. However, I use HSS with outdoor dusk or shade processionals, with faster shutter speeds.</p>

[r_smith2]

<p>Canon "High Speed" sync works in all these auto modes: AV, TV or P. I think there was a major editing error in his article. When using "High Speed" sync in the AV mode you need to go into the cameras <strong><em>"Custom Functions" </em></strong>under "<strong>cf: <em>exposure" </em></strong>and <em>"<strong>Flash sync speed in AV mode" </strong></em>and set this to <strong><em>"Auto" </em></strong>mode<strong><em> </em></strong>in order to use "High Speed" sync in AV mode. If you set the mode to "1/200-1/60sec. auto" or "1/200sec. (fixed)" then you will not be able to use "High Speed" sync in AV mode. It looks to me like the wording just got mixed up in his article.</p>

[r_smith2]

<p>After reading through Davids article several times I think the entire article is a mess full of typos, contradictive statements with mixed up and out of context statements as well. Several times I found myself asking why, especially in regards to technique #2. That wasn't really a technique for improving lighting skills but rather the ramblings of someone trying to do something antiquated when there are other means (such as radio triggers) to achieve the same objective. Why did he even include it? I would have expected better from David which leaves me to wonder if he even wrote the article or at least proofed it when it was done.</p>