CarlG wrote:
Hide, thanks for the explanation of your setup.
I see you are shooting with a Nikon setup so are you using 5 Nikon speed lights? If so, are you using them in manual mode or in ETTL mode? I am a Canon shooter so I am not sure of the Nikon terminology equivalent or how you use the Nikon flash system. To be honest, the Canon ETTL flash system is the pits so if I ever did something like this, I would most likely use studio strobes. But then I am limited to the camera\'s flash sync speed of 1/200 sec - not quite fast enough for freezing these birds in flight.
Just curious.
When it comes to flash system,I like Nikon very much. I don\'t know about Canon flash system but you can use Nikon\'s newer models and old flashes together as a wireless system. My only modern flashes are SB800 and SB600. And I picked up 3 SB26s from ebay over the past year or so. You set the SB26s in maual,simultaneous mode,setting the SB800 as a master and the SB600 in wireless mode,you have a Nikon wireless system. Ony the SB800/600 works as a i-TTL,meaning that whatever setting you change in the SB800,it will change the setting in the SB600 automatically. Since the SB26 is an old flash,you\'ll have to change the setting for this flash manually. But it doesn\'t bother me and you can get this flash at around $100.
The flash sync speed of 1/200 will do though I prefer to use 1/250. The point is that you use the flash duration to freeze the hummer\'s wing motion.
For example,using a Nikon SB 800 in manual mode,
flash durations are:
M 1/1 : 1/1050 sec.
M 1/2 : 1/1100 sec.
M 1/4 : 1/2700 sec.
M 1/8 : 1/5900 sec.
M 1/16 : 1/10900 sec.
M 1/32 : 1/17800 sec.
M 1.64 : 1/32300 sec.
Now you get the picture?
I used either M 1/16 or 1/32 for these shots.
But there are more to it.
If you use your flash(s) to freeze the motion,then make sure that your flash light is
the main source of light, not the ambient light. This is very important. That\'s why you want to put the setup in a shaded area.
Hide
Jul 02, 2009 at 08:42 PM
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