Example of good flash, vs. bad flash technique

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SloPhoto
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p.2 #1 · Example of good flash, vs. bad flash technique

NathanHamler wrote:
Yeah, i dont shoot at f/1.4...i wish, but no....with all ambient i'd be 6400 @ 2.8, 1/60 s....then motion blur is terrible...i'm shocked everyone likes the fong dong look...

Not to keep drudging this up, but there is one issue that keeps popping into my head....

Why are you shooting with a second who has a style that you do not like and does not fit in well with your own?

Nov 02, 2012 at 05:29 AM

D. Diggler
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p.2 #2 · Example of good flash, vs. bad flash technique

ShacharLee wrote:
I don't like neither one

He lit that joint up, didn't he.

Nov 02, 2012 at 06:31 AM

alohadave
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p.2 #3 · Example of good flash, vs. bad flash technique

I don't think I'd be your second shooter anymore once I found a post like this. If you don't like his work, tell him, don't call out his work on a public forum for ridicule.

Nov 02, 2012 at 12:49 PM

tobicus
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p.2 #4 · Example of good flash, vs. bad flash technique

To be honest, I find both images a bit overexposed. Maybe I'm just biased more toward shadows.

Nov 02, 2012 at 01:36 PM

r-m-g
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p.2 #5 · Example of good flash, vs. bad flash technique

This post is depressing for me because I prefer the second photo and that is very difficult for me to admit. The venue is dim so you have to set up the cross lights but everything in that room has an efficient surface, the walls, the floor, the door, the posts - they're all throwing speculars and making an already busy photo in #1 even busier...

A couple questions:
1. You seem to imply that you had gels on your lights - is that true and if so, what strength were the gels because it doesn't look like enough to me and maybe it's a a learning point to say that wood paneling needs more CTO/CTS than a regular room...

2. The reflection in that door has me really confused... Is that just your on-camera bounce? Were you standing behind someone? Where is that outline of a person coming from? <edit> and what kind of on-camera light is that - it looks round, almost like a studio head with a reflector?</edit>

It saddens me to admit that (for my taste) sometimes it's better to just slap a dong on it and avoid shooting straight at any kind of flat efficient surface (which is what your 2nd did whether he planned it that way or not.)

Thanks for taking the time to post - I've never shot a venue like this and your post really helps me be more thoughtful about lighting a place like this...

Nov 02, 2012 at 01:54 PM

mjoshi
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p.2 #6 · Example of good flash, vs. bad flash technique

okay I prefer second but see something very interesting in first one - if you look into mirror next to bride you see a flash as well as shadow inside mirror - was this haunted place

Nov 02, 2012 at 02:18 PM

NathanHamler
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p.2 #7 · Example of good flash, vs. bad flash technique

The gels were 1/2 cto...my wb was down around 3500k or so...

The reflection in the glass (that's actually a handicap elevator) is my speedlight up and behind me to me right..it looks lower than it is, but it's really about 10ft....

As far as the 2nd, my main guy canceled on me last minute, so this guy was a local i found last minute....i didnt post his name, you cant see his face, and he doesnt post here, so i'm not worried....

literally everything fong dong was basically unusable...the backgrounds were so ARTIFICIALLY dark (darker than how your eyes perceived in person) because of the direct flash at close distances, there was no context at all....you pay good money for a venue, and dont capture the ambiance, what's the point?? TRUST ME, the first photo is more accurate to how your eyes perceived the events of the reception....i would show other shots, but i'm sure everyone would still rip the lighting....which, i could really care less about the c&c, cause it's my style, my clients love it, and that's all that matters...

Nov 02, 2012 at 03:40 PM

NathanHamler
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p.2 #8 · Example of good flash, vs. bad flash technique

To me the on camera flash wasnt the worst part, it was the bad settings and lack of gelled flash that got me....just the fact there is no ambient in the 2nd shot...which in that case a gel wouldnt matter...even in the first shot, there is still decent ambient exposure on the wall 20ft behind the couple.....

Which, is what a venue like this deserves...not black backgrounds...

Nov 02, 2012 at 04:03 PM

r-m-g
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p.2 #9 · Example of good flash, vs. bad flash technique

NathanHamler wrote:
i would show other shots, but i'm sure everyone would still rip the lighting....which, i could really care less about the c&c, cause it's my style, my clients love it, and that's all that matters...

Sorry Nathan that I seem to have offended you - it was not my intent and I'm nowhere seasoned enough to be offering criticism to any pro. I'm just trying understand your point and I think I missed it entirely until now.

I think people are missing the point about ambient being so lacking and unmatched to the fonged strobe because your example shot doesn't fully show an ambient light source and because of the closed down aperture and strong flash it's hard to see the mismatch. Also, the example photo doesn't really highlight important pieces of the surroundings that would have been good to see with a better balance of flash and ambient, for example the back of a chair and half a guest on the right...

Sorry if you feel like a punching bag - i'll reiterate that I appreciate real life posts like this and was just trying to learn as much as possible...

Nov 02, 2012 at 04:47 PM

alohadave
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p.2 #10 · Example of good flash, vs. bad flash technique

NathanHamler wrote:
As far as the 2nd, my main guy canceled on me last minute, so this guy was a local i found last minute....i didnt post his name, you cant see his face, and he doesnt post here, so i'm not worried....

Still, a dick move. Hope no prospective second googles your name and finds this thread in the future.

Nov 02, 2012 at 07:17 PM

Evan JF Roth
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p.2 #11 · Example of good flash, vs. bad flash technique

Why would you take so much time to publicly rip on your second? It seems like a sad ego boost. Hire a better photographer next time and always have backups.

Nov 02, 2012 at 07:53 PM

D. Diggler
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p.2 #12 · Example of good flash, vs. bad flash technique

ejeroth wrote:

It seems like a sad ego boost.

Isn't that why half the pictures are posted here.

Nov 02, 2012 at 11:25 PM

NathanHamler
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p.2 #13 · Example of good flash, vs. bad flash technique

D. Diggler wrote:
ejeroth wrote:

It seems like a sad ego boost.

Isn't that why half the pictures are posted here.

Where's the "like" button....

Nov 03, 2012 at 12:04 AM

mjoshi
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p.2 #14 · Example of good flash, vs. bad flash technique

D. Diggler wrote:
ejeroth wrote:

It seems like a sad ego boost.

Isn't that why half the pictures are posted here.

+1

Nov 06, 2012 at 08:34 PM

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