Creativity Exercise #12: Flash Techniques

[evil4blue]

Creativity Exercise #12: Flash Techniques

Most people use their flash in 2 ways, indoor, low light or as a fill flash, well that's about to change.

The idea of this exercise to force participants to learn some of the other creative ways to use their flash (be it on-camera or hot shoe flash unit). Take the time this month to read through your flash manual and really learn some of the other flash modes available to you.

Learn what slow sync shutter is, try doing some rear curtain flash shots. Try setting the camera to a really long shutter, and manually fire the flash with the test button into the scene to see what you get. Learn how to ad motion blur with a longish shutter and rear curtain sync. Try lowering the flash power and record "ghostly" images. Set your flash to repeat fire and get some stroboscopic effects. There are so many ideas, I could go on forever.

The only rule is no studio strobes. If you want to do some portraits, try using sync cords or wireless flash units. This can be as simple or complex an exercise as you want to make it, but use March to better learn how to use your flash.

Rules:

1. All photos are to be taken with some sort of flash (on camera, hot shoe, wireless...but no studio strobes).

2. Basic photo editing only (Review the "How this works" thread for clarification).

3. Each participant can post as many shots as they's like, but try not to go crazy.

Next Exercise: 04-01-2006

[Jake]

Good one! I have played with the stroboscopic effects and that can be cool. I just hope I can find some time to do this one.

[zargon20]

This is a hard one, but definetly one to experiment with. I'll have to get back with some photos.

[Daniel Bates]

This thread is lonely without pictures... we can't have that...

Plus, I just discovered the strobe feature on my flash.



(I did a bit of levels to reduce the brightness--otherwise, it's straight from the camera.)

--Daniel