Lowlight Photography with and without flash

[nimitzbenedicto]

Hi John,

Does this type of low light + flash fall within your category.

Thanks.

[William W]

This thread has been a hands on/work as you go tutorial for me. I appreciate yours and everyone else's input and hope the conversation will continue.

Yes. Most definitely. I intend to continue the dialogue. I have been very interested in this thread from your first post. It is a very worthwhile pursuit.

On reading your opening post I immediately began drafting a detailed response to it: but I was distracted by that particular photo that you posted later on. (BTW If you want to discuss that photo and my comments in more detail, feel free to contact me off this thread.)

In the meantime, I will get back to compiling my original contribution, which might take a few more days to re-read and to complete the final draft.

WW

[Shadowman]

Hi John,

Does this type of low light + flash fall within your category.

Thanks.

Hi Victor,

Yes it does. I am sure there are other versions of this photo. What spurred you to use flash, was it your first choice or did other settings not provide the vision you were looking for? I've seen your travel thread so I am familiar with your theme, but would you care to share location, placement of vehicle within the composition, camera settings?

Thanks

[John Morton]

I like doing low light ambient photography; and sometimes that is the only way to go, as when musicians are on stage and a flash would be disruptive to their performance.

Sometimes, when I have to do so, I will use a very small Manfrotto 482 "Minipod" that does little more than stabilize the camera against flat surfaces, along with an electronic shutter release:

Nikon D700; f1.4G, 50mm lens; Manual setting, shutter speed of 1/10th sec. with an aperture of f5.6; ISO 1600, EV -0.3



Mostly though I just shoot handheld and relax–lock my body structure (30 years of taijiquan practice) while timing my breath:

As above, but with a shutter speed of 1/60th of a second and aperture of f1.8



When I do use a flash, I really like using the Command Mode for the D700 pop-up flash and setting up the SB-900 remotely. Everyone that is a Nikon photographer whom I have shown that to so far has immediately gone out and bought a flash that is capable of doing this.

[Shadowman]

I like doing low light ambient photography; and sometimes that is the only way to go, as when musicians are on stage and a flash would be disruptive to their performance.

Sometimes, when I have to do so, I will use a very small Manfrotto 482 "Minipod" that does little more than stabilize the camera against flat surfaces, along with an electronic shutter release:

Nikon D700; f1.4G, 50mm lens; Manual setting, shutter speed of 1/10th sec. with an aperture of f5.6; ISO 1600, EV -0.3



Mostly though I just shoot handheld and relax–lock my body structure (30 years of taijiquan practice) while timing my breath:

As above, but with a shutter speed of 1/60th of a second and aperture of f1.8



When I do use a flash, I really like using the Command Mode for the D700 pop-up flash and setting up the SB-900 remotely. Everyone that is a Nikon photographer whom I have shown that to so far has immediately gone out and bought a flash that is capable of doing this.

Hi John,

I remember commenting on your concert shots which are great, nice combination of freezing the action and motion blur. The fast lens really comes in handy, although I sometimes like to push the camera and myself to the limit using the lens stopped down while trying to maintain a workable ISO level.

[nimitzbenedicto]

Hi Victor,

Yes it does. I am sure there are other versions of this photo. What spurred you to use flash, was it your first choice or did other settings not provide the vision you were looking for? I've seen your travel thread so I am familiar with your theme, but would you care to share location, placement of vehicle within the composition, camera settings?

Thanks

Sorry bout that John.

It was taken early morning Sun 15Feb2014 at the Corinthian Hills, Quezon City ( east of Manila) overlooking Eastwood City. Parked the bike so it would face the cam with the sunrise as background.
Nikon D5100, kit lens:18-105mm @18mm. manual mode:f/3.5 1/80 ISO800, on board flash ttl.
matrix.

Thanks

[Shadowman]

Sorry bout that John.

It was taken early morning Sun 15Feb2014 at the Corinthian Hills, Quezon City ( east of Manila) overlooking Eastwood City. Parked the bike so it would face the cam with the sunrise as background.
Nikon D5100, kit lens:18-105mm @18mm. manual mode:f/3.5 1/80 ISO800, on board flash ttl.
matrix.

Thanks

Victor,

Thanks for the additional information.

[Shadowman]

40mm, 1/125sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200, no flash

[lukaswerth]

Whow! I really like this one: the surreal in everyday life.

Lukas

[Shadowman]

Whow! I really like this one: the surreal in everyday life.

Lukas

Lukas,

Thank you.

[Shadowman]

Without flash

With flash


The only movement was the light source.

[ajohnw]

It's been interesting to see that many people seem to see flash as all or nothing and forget the in betweens where they could be used. There is a lot more scope for power variations on modern flash units.

2 flash heads are used a lot for studio work and can provide all sorts of lighting effects but rather difficult to set up just like 2 studio lights. One of the awkward things about flash built into cameras is that they are usually perfectly placed to give red eye and return reflections. A hammer head on a flash bracket doesn't give red eye problems and lessens reflection problems a little. No sensible person would use full single flash power on people unless they had no alternative. That's professional film days. I would guess that twin flash heads are still used in some quarters on digital. I've only seen numpties doing social work of late - one brolly flash which can still gives flat lighting but rather easy to set up.

Andre reckons his shot has too much noise. It isn't apparent at some sizes. If he looks at some of the larger shots that have been posted he will see chroma noise in places. None where it really matters but larger sizes still would bring more up. Personally I might be inclined to make the camera do more work in this area by using it's jpg's. All camera jpg engines are tuned to take care of noise in as many situations as possible. Sacrilegious maybe but the manufacturers have more info available than any one else has about how there sensors behave. Rather a lot of processing can be done without problem on modern best quality camera jpg's as well. The main thing ideally is not to use 8 bit processing software and if pushed rather a long way colour artefacts and banding may crop up.

Words fail on the extract from the book. What it would be fair to say is that it isn't easy to duplicate say diffuse shadow free northern light - if that is what some one needs. The comments posted from it are so simplistic I would demand my money back.

John
-

[Shadowman]

Flash photography is such a do-it-yourself, no-training-necessary accessory that I wonder how many people used it for the first time and were really, really happy with the results. Did the first time flash user continue using the accessory the same way or did they just vow to never use it again. If I see someone's image that appears to be lit exceptionally well for its particular theme, night photography in particular, then I would want to know how the shot was taken. Just getting the particulars of the exposure triangle may not be enough information. When I learned I could control the intensity of my on-camera flash unit I began to experiment more with flash photography. If I can get the shot without flash then I'll do so, but if flash is needed and it doesn't have any negative effects on my images or to those in the near vicinity; then flash it will be.

[Shadowman]

Wanted to see how this looks.


no flash, 5/4.5, 1/640sec, 102mm, ISO 1600, 4ev

[Shadowman]

No flash-f/4.5, 1/60sec, ISO 1800, 70mm

flash-f/4.5, 1/40sec, ISO 3200, 102mm


Both taken at same time of day, 8:47pm September.

[Shadowman]

No flash-f/5.6, 1/320sec, ISO 800, 3.33ev, 170mm, 8:20pm, September

[Shadowman]

Using a static subject until the weather breaks or I head somewhere sunny.

Flash image-40mm, 1/125sec, f/5.6, ISO 200-hard to capture without flash.

[RichardTaylor]

For myself, as a hobbyst in low light it is, depending on the circumstances.

Use a tripod
#1

Circular Quay by dicktay2000, on Flickr

Settings: 5 sec @ ƒ/4, ISO 80 and F=12.1 mm (Canon G11 P&S camera)

or

Hand held with a fast or image stabilsed (VR) lens

#2

Queen Victoria Building. (2) by dicktay2000, on Flickr

Settings: 1/40 @ ƒ/4.5 & I O 1600, F=35 mm on a full frame camera.

and again hand held - no flash allowed (i was the "offical photographer").

#3

Violeta's party (1) by dicktay2000, on Flickr

Settings: 1/125 @ ƒ/2, ISO 800 and F85 mm (full frame camera)

[Shadowman]

Richard,

Nice selections, I spent quite a few evenings on the Circular Quay and me without a tripod.

[RichardTaylor]

Thanks John,
I also spend a fair bit of time in that area, as my wife sometimes sings in concerts at the opera house. Sometimes I have a tripod (best) and other times just a 35mm F2 lens on a full frame camera (which is OK). It is amazing what f2 & ISO 3200 will give you, especially if you can get away with a bit of noise reduction and for web publishing or for prints up to 10x8.