what caused "black" pictures??????????

[teressa_brown2]

I recently bought some studio lights...I have been practice and

playing with them..attempting to learn how to use them .....on a

practice picture one of the pictures came back with the subject

totally black . The picture was of an adult inside a gym. I could sse

the walls, floors and things around him but he was a black silouette.

What happened!!!!!!what could have caused this ..please advise

moramom

[mel_brown1]

Teressa, I recently bought a new car. How fast can it go at night?

 

Ridiculous question, right? The information you've disclosed is no more useful. Please read what you wrote!

 

You are WAY in over your head, and need to hire a local professional photographer to help you.

[gene_crumpler6]

Is it possible that you accidently put the camera synch on "m" rather than "x" for that shot?

[tommy_z.]

<I>" .....on a practice picture one of the pictures came back with the subject totally black"</I>

<P>

If it's just one frame, my GUESS is that you shot before the flashes were able to recycle, thus under-exposing your subject. The further away walls and floors probably had some ambient (existing) light falling on them and registered on the film causing your subject to silhouette.

<P>Meter properly, stay within your sync speed (meaning at it or slower - 1/60 or 1/125 if you have the AF model), and make sure that your flash recycles before you shoot, and you should be OK.

[roger krueger]

To get a black silhouette, you need a lot of light behind the subject and none in front. The only failure consistent with that is that your key light didn't fire, but your background light did. It could have just not been back up to ready, a cable could have had an iffy connection, something or someone could have temporarily blocked your slave if you're shooting slaved, the list is endless... It does sound like you got some flash on film, so I doubt it's a sync issue (I've made the m-sync mistake, thanks; I know what it looks like)... No flash at all would have given you all black, or at least a consistent level of severe underexposure.

[patrick_drennon]

I don't think you're over your head, this is how people learn. Previous poster's cycling suggestion is probably accurate. If it is a Novatron it can easily fire fills w/out firing key. On some packs you have an option of turning on an alarm that tells you when this occurs and on what strobe. Best avoidance is power pack or other (visual perhaps) flash confirmation. I've made the sync mistake more than once but caught it on polaroid. Most times I've had this happen the sync cord has come loose, but in that case everything not hit with alot of natural light was dark, that doesn't seem to be what you're describing. Keep experimenting to see if you can cause and control the behavior (several rapid fires, etc.), the only cost of practice and experimentation is film and time.

[russell_britt]

Do you have a flash meter? you can find out whats happening if you will meter your flash and avaible light! I think this will solve your problems