Week 29 - JuLY 21, 2013
The Need for Speed
Today I decided to expand on some ideas I've been trying and also try a new technique. Both involve the ability to freeze moving objects, yet they are done in different ways, one with the strobe of a flash, the other with a high shutter speed.
I'd seen the "Multi" setting on my Canon 550EX flash and knew it would allow the strobe to be flashed multiple times during one exposure (with intensity, frequency, and number of flashes all controllable.) I got out a subject that had served me well when I did the splash photos, a bell pepper, this time an orange one. Setting up the camera and playing with the strobe settings on the flash, I dropped the pepper, tossed it, did it again and again, maybe 2-dozen times or more. It was a lot of trial and error... mostly error. These two shots were my best, good but not great I don't think. I can see this technique might work best for more controlled motion and that's where I've seen it - in sports photography such as an analysis of a golf swing or a diver. Camera and flash settings are on the captions. (Click the images to view them larger)
(After the shoot, I ate my model as an ingredient in some fajitas!)
Today I decided to expand on some ideas I've been trying and also try a new technique. Both involve the ability to freeze moving objects, yet they are done in different ways, one with the strobe of a flash, the other with a high shutter speed.
I'd seen the "Multi" setting on my Canon 550EX flash and knew it would allow the strobe to be flashed multiple times during one exposure (with intensity, frequency, and number of flashes all controllable.) I got out a subject that had served me well when I did the splash photos, a bell pepper, this time an orange one. Setting up the camera and playing with the strobe settings on the flash, I dropped the pepper, tossed it, did it again and again, maybe 2-dozen times or more. It was a lot of trial and error... mostly error. These two shots were my best, good but not great I don't think. I can see this technique might work best for more controlled motion and that's where I've seen it - in sports photography such as an analysis of a golf swing or a diver. Camera and flash settings are on the captions. (Click the images to view them larger)
(After the shoot, I ate my model as an ingredient in some fajitas!)
The "pour" photos below were done on much the same way as the splash photos on Week 26. I used a black backdrop, shot outside in the bright sunlight, set the camera at a very high shutter speed (1/8000, the max for my Canon 50D), and poured the liquids into glasses held in a clamp on a light stand. Rather than drop objects into the water as with the Week 26 splash photos, I poured water (well, ginger ale) into the glasses. As was the case with the splash photos, shooting Raw and using Lightroom made a big difference. Cheers!