Flash too powderful
- Thread starter WhipLash
- Start date
- Status
you are giving wrong answer, exposure on flash light has not to do with the shutter speed, and if set at faster than max sync speed, the shutter will not open fully to record the flash across the whole sensor.
To TS, your best bet is to use a diffuser. A large piece of white cloth would help to diffuse the light. You can try bouncing the light off your reflector too. HTHs
hope you are not shooting at f2.8, and die die must shoot at f2.8, cause the simple solution is just use a smaller aperture, smaller aperture as in smaller hole, bigger number.
another solution is get a piece of white board, aim your flash at it and let the flash bounce back on your subject, you will have much softer light and also cut down the exposure. if can't find a white board you can use a white wall also.
If he is shooting portraiture maybe he is desiring a f2.8 sort of isolation.
This is good practice for portraiture generally, so i really suggest placing the flash further away.
Advantages of this is cost-free "Diffusion" (light-spreads and before more balance and softer).
As he is using a wireless ebay trigger, the flash can be very far away, if space is not an issue. Just move if too power/not power enough
.If he is shooting portraiture maybe he is desiring a f2.8 sort of isolation.
This is good practice for portraiture generally, so i really suggest placing the flash further away.
Advantages of this is cost-free "Diffusion" (light-spreads and before more balance and softer).
As he is using a wireless ebay trigger, the flash can be very far away, if space is not an issue. Just move if too power/not power enough
I don't think placing the flash further back will help to diffuse the light... He need to bounce the light off something to create a bigger source of light.
this might sound like a crazy idea first off...
find a thin grade paper like 70gm not tracing, a3 size or something. hang in front of your light. feel free to boost up your flash power. (obviously, this is more for if your light source is super strong...)
important thing about diffusing lights is not just sticking it on the light, but have the light source fill the diffusing object, be it bouncing or directly thru it. just make sure not to have the light spill over the object.
find a thin grade paper like 70gm not tracing, a3 size or something. hang in front of your light. feel free to boost up your flash power. (obviously, this is more for if your light source is super strong...)
important thing about diffusing lights is not just sticking it on the light, but have the light source fill the diffusing object, be it bouncing or directly thru it. just make sure not to have the light spill over the object.
softness of lights is related the to size of light source, not the power of light
for instant, bigger softbox will have softer light compare to a smaller softbox at the same distance with the subject, but if you cut the distance between a smaller softbox and subject into half, you are increasing the size of the light source, so you will have much softer effect, TS kind of understand this, however, using a omnibounce, place in closer toward the subject will not have much effect, if the subject is fairly large, besides, the soft light effect of omnibounce is coming from bouncing the light in a enclose room.
TS want to get the softer light, this is his primary goal, hence my #1 suggestion to him is increas the apperture without alterning the lighting set up.
if he really want to get a softer light, can follow my #2 suggestion.
for instant, bigger softbox will have softer light compare to a smaller softbox at the same distance with the subject, but if you cut the distance between a smaller softbox and subject into half, you are increasing the size of the light source, so you will have much softer effect, TS kind of understand this, however, using a omnibounce, place in closer toward the subject will not have much effect, if the subject is fairly large, besides, the soft light effect of omnibounce is coming from bouncing the light in a enclose room.
TS want to get the softer light, this is his primary goal, hence my #1 suggestion to him is increas the apperture without alterning the lighting set up.
if he really want to get a softer light, can follow my #2 suggestion.
Hey guys, thanks for the great advice.
Let me describe my setup. I was shooting in an enclosed space with high ceilings and coloured walls (so no bounce flash), shooting at f/2,8 (yupz, you got it right I wanted the bokeh). I don't have a light stand, so I was handholding the flash off to one side at the lowest output power. This makes it difficult to move the flash back (esp with the enclosed space). ISO was 100.
So in summary, this are my options:
Move flash further back - difficult if in enclosed space, but applicable in most situations
Bounce flash / reflector - possible to use reflector
Use diffuser or softbox - don't have either. Can improvise using cloth or paper though.
Use smaller aperture - will affect bokeh, but can add blur in PP
Feather the light
Thanks again for your suggestions. Got to play around with my setup more I guess.
Let me describe my setup. I was shooting in an enclosed space with high ceilings and coloured walls (so no bounce flash), shooting at f/2,8 (yupz, you got it right
I wanted the bokeh). I don't have a light stand, so I was handholding the flash off to one side at the lowest output power. This makes it difficult to move the flash back (esp with the enclosed space). ISO was 100. So in summary, this are my options:
Move flash further back - difficult if in enclosed space, but applicable in most situations
Bounce flash / reflector - possible to use reflector
Use diffuser or softbox - don't have either. Can improvise using cloth or paper though.
Use smaller aperture - will affect bokeh, but can add blur in PP
Feather the light
Thanks again for your suggestions. Got to play around with my setup more I guess.
Last edited:
you forgot about the option of using ND filter on lens.Hey guys, thanks for the great advice.
Let me describe my setup. I was shooting in an enclosed space with high ceilings and coloured walls (so no bounce flash), shooting at f/2,8 (yupz, you got it right
So in summary, this are my options:
Move flash further back - difficult if in enclosed space, but applicable in most situations
Bounce flash / reflector - possible to use reflector
Use diffuser or softbox - don't have either. Can improvise using cloth or paper though.
Use smaller aperture - will affect bokeh, but can add blur in PP
Feather the light
Thanks again for your suggestions. Got to play around with my setup more I guess.
Hey guys, thanks for the great advice.
Let me describe my setup. I was shooting in an enclosed space with high ceilings and coloured walls (so no bounce flash), shooting at f/2,8 (yupz, you got it right
If high ceiling, then there won't be much risk of light bouncing from ceiling and runing the effect you want. So i think ABBC is your best bet to get a moderately soft directional light. It can be adjusted to get the right amount of light too. What's more, it's free.
http://www.abetterbouncecard.com/
TS - best bet to solve your problem is to try using a bounce card, the ABBC whould be a good approach. stick a big white card or the ABBC on your flash and let the surface of the card face your subject, and the flash head facing sideway away from your subject. you may need to bump up your flash power 1 or 2 notch from 1/64
Whoops, yes I forgot I could have used an ND filter and bounce card. Thanks guys.
And, er... the condom diffuser wouldn't work. My subject would be too busy laughing...
Good for the candid shots... :bsmilie::bsmilie:
- Status
Similar threads
