تويت
التصوير الفوتوغرافي الحديث
الجزء الأول - تصوير فلاش
التقاط صور أفضل بالفلاش
TAKING BETTER PICTURES WITH
FLASH
Throughout this course of photography , we have often mentioned the cardinal principles of good picture making . These same principles apply equally to flash photography . Because of their importance , we repeat some of them here with emphasis on their application to flash photography .
TELL A STORY
Before you make your exposure , stop and think for a moment . What story are you trying to tell ? If you have no story , your picture will have no life or purpose . Decide what is to be the story , then make that story the main idea . Think back to the basic principles of composition and select your center of interest . Then play up that center of interest in whatever manner may be appropriate . Light it more brilliantly , use leading lines or framing elements to give it support . Select your point of view to give you the best composition and the best lighting .
Have your subject doing something - not just standing there . Get life and action into your picture . Remember that flash stops action and gives you almost unlimited scope in capturing the fleeting moment when the picture has the most meaning . Make full use of flash possibilities in this respect .
USE THE RIGHT FLASH SET - UP
FLASH ON THE CAMERA . Flash on the camera is by far the most common type of set - up because it is simple and convenient . This is true even though much better pictures can often be made with the flash off camera , as we will see later . With flash on the camera , the flashgun is usually attached to the camera so the flash lamp is a little above and a little to one side of the lens . The result is a flat lighting with very little modeling or roundness . Ordinarily , however , this is perfectly satisfactory for snapshots of people at a party , action photography of a sports event , pictures of children at play , and news photographs where action is to predominate and lighting is secondary ..
Because the flashbulb is so close to the camera lens , the lens sees just about the same thing as the flash lamp . As a result , there are usually no shadows on the subject . There is , however , a single strong shadow the background if the background is close enough to be illuminated by the flash . This single dark . shadow may be completely unimportant , or it may be very annoying , depending on the subject and its placement . Figure 12 shows a flash shot with a strong shadow which runs into the head and may be disturbing . Figure 13 shows how to eliminate a disturbing shadow simply by placing the subject far enough away from the background so both background and shadow become quite dark . In Figure 14 , the same result is obtained by placing the subject against the dark background which absorbs the shadow .
Figure 12 ( Below ) Taken with flash unit on camera . Lighting on face is quite flat and strong shadow outlines subject .
Figure 13 Taken with flash on camera . Dark background was used to hide dark shadow ordinarily obtained with such lighting .
Figure 14 Bounce flash may be used to produce soft shadowless lighting .
FLASH OFF THE CAMERA . Many photographers prefer to shoot with the flash off the camera because it gives them much more interesting lighting . They simply remove the flashgun from its bracket and hold it up with one hand to the full extent of the cord . The other hand holds the camera and makes the exposure . At first , this may be awkward , but with practice it can be done with no difficulty .
Off - the - camera flash permits considerable variation in lighting because you can hold the flash lamp to the left , straight up , or to the right to give you the type of lighting which best suits the subject . This type of lighting can produce very . dramatic results with deep shadows and brilliant highlights . The background . shadow will shift its position as the light is moved , so it is often possible to hold the light in such a way as to cast the shadow where it is out of the picture or behind the subject .
The use of off - the - camera flash is illustrated in Figures 15 and 16. In Figure 15 , the background was too close to the subject and the flash held at such an . angle that it threw a large and disturbing shadow on the background . However , the child's face does show good modeling . In Figure 16 , the flash was aimed to throw the shadow in back of the subject where it cannot be seen .
A word of caution at this point : with off - the - camera flash , the flashgun must be aimed very carefully so that it covers the area being photographed . Most flashguns are designed to produce as much light as possible , so they concentrate their beam a limited angle to match the angle of view of the camera . The light falls off very rapidly outside of this angle . Ordinarily this design is good because it reduces exposure , and with the flashgun securely mounted to the camera , aiming the camera also aims the gun . However , if the gun is hand held , aiming it requires some care . It is only too easy to become so absorbed in taking the picture that you forget all about aiming the gun . The result is a picture with very uneven lighting .
Figure 15 Flash unit off camera . Modeling on face is good but background is too close so that disturbing shadow is obtained .
Figure 16 Flash unit off camera . Held in such a position that shadow is behind and below . subject where it cannot be seen .
It is best to use the broader - beamed , satin - finish reflectors for off - the - camera flash . Such reflectors widen the angle of the beam and reduce the chances of uneven lighting . While this will increase the required exposure , the results will justify it .
Figure 17 Group picture with flash on camera . Foreground is overexposed and background is underexposed .
Figure 18 . Same as Figure 17 , but flash . off camera . Flash unit held high and aimed toward background to provide even illumination .
FLASH ON AN EXTENSION . This opens up a great many more possibilities for good pictures with flash . An extension cord enables you to place the flashgun almost anywhere so you can light your subject exactly as you would with photoflood lamps . You can improve the picture quality by improving the modeling , which is often lost in ordinary flash . When shooting a group , you can aim the gun at the people farthest away so they get the most intense part of the beam . In that way you can compensate for the fact that light falls off with distance and get an evenly illuminated picture .
In Figure 17 , the flash lamp was at the camera and aimed in the usual way Note that the man in the extreme background is too dark because of his greater distance from the flash , and objects on the table foreground are so badly . overexposed that they lose all detail . In Figure 18 , the flash lamp was held higher and aimed toward the background figure . This evened up illumination so it was fairly uniform throughout the group .
When using extension cords , be sure your batteries are fresh and in good condition . Better still , use a B - C pack . In calculating exposure , remember it is determined by the distance between the flashbulb and the subject , not between the camera and the subject ..
BOUNCE FLASH . This type of lighting is obtained by bouncing the light off the walls , ceiling or other large reflecting surfaces . To use bounce flash , take the flashgun off the camera and aim it at the ceiling or a nearby reflecting wall . The reflected light obtained in this way is soft and diffused , thus giving the effect of natural lighting . It is often very effective for candid shots when you want to get away from the artificially posed and lighted type of flash picture . Figure 19 is a good example of bounce flash .
For best results , the walls and ceilings should be lighted so they will reflect most of the light striking them . If you are using color film , the walls and ceiling must be white so your subjects don't take on the color of the reflecting surfaces .
Exposures must be increased considerably for bounce flash . The factors . which determine the exposure will vary considerably more with bounce flash , so rely on your general experience and good judgment . As a starting point , base your exposure on the distance from the flashgun to the ceiling to the subject , not just from the flashgun to the subject ( see Figure 20 ) . In this figure , the distance from the lamp to the subject is 10 feet , but the distance from the lamp to the ceiling and then on to the subject is 14 feet . The correct distance for exposure calculation is , therefore , 14 feet . Open up one additional stop to allow for the greater spread of light and for absorption by the ceiling . If the ceiling is fairly high or fairly dark , open the lens two stops instead of just one .
MULTIPLE FLASH . Multiple flash may be used for better lighting control to avoid deep shadows which result from off - the - camera single flash , and to provide more balanced lighting . Here again , the basic principles of indoor lighting will apply . We strongly recommend that you review the Assignment on lighting before you undertake multiple flash pictures .
When using two flash lamps , make sure one lamp serves as the main light source . It must be larger or closer to the subject than the other light . It is a good . idea to have both lamps of the same make becau mps of different manufacturers have slight differences in their firing characteristics . If both lamps are the same size and the fill - in light cannot be moved back conveniently to reduce its strength , simply drape a handkerchief over it . An ordinary handkerchief will cut the light output in half .
Figure 19 Taken with a flash lamp on camera . Dark shadows on background not noticeable because background itself is too far away and receives little illumination .
Figure 20 With the bounce flash , the correct distance from flash to subject must be obtained by measuring the distance from flash to the reflecting surface ( A ) plus the distance from the reflecting surface to the subject ( B ) .
More complicated lighting arrangements with multiple flash are often necessary in industrial and commercial photography . This subject will be covered more fully in later Assignments .
SLAVE UNITS . There are times when multiple flash is called for , but it is not practical to have extension cords because they would be in the way or because of the long distance involved . In such circumstances , slave units are invaluable . A slave unit is a self - contained flashgun which is not fired by closing a switch , but instead by a photocell and relay . When the photocell picks up a strong flash of light , it triggers the flashbulb in the slave unit , thus setting off the flash .
A slave unit is always used in conjunction with a main flashgun . The slave unit is set up so the photocell picks up the light from the main flash . In this way , firing the main gun automatically flashes the slave unit . Since the slave unit always fires after the main flash , its time lag must be added to that of the main flash . For example , if both use M type lamps , allow 20 milliseconds for the main flash lamp to peak and another 20 milliseconds for the slave unit , or a total of 40 milliseconds , which is 1/25 second . For this reason exposures made with slave units must not be shorter than 1/25 second , unless electronic flash is used .
OPEN FLASH . Open flash is sometimes used for lighting large , dark areas where the proper synchronization is not available , or where the camera must be at too great a distance for the use of extension cords . To make an open flash shot , set the shutter to T or B. You then open the shutter , flash the lamp manually , then close the shutter . The effective exposure is determined by the total output of the flashbulb used . The equivalent in exposure time will vary with the bulb , but it is generally about 1/25 second to 1/50 second . Guide number tables usually give the guide number for open flash - if your table does not , use the guide number for 1/25 second .
الجزء الأول - تصوير فلاش
التقاط صور أفضل بالفلاش
TAKING BETTER PICTURES WITH
FLASH
Throughout this course of photography , we have often mentioned the cardinal principles of good picture making . These same principles apply equally to flash photography . Because of their importance , we repeat some of them here with emphasis on their application to flash photography .
TELL A STORY
Before you make your exposure , stop and think for a moment . What story are you trying to tell ? If you have no story , your picture will have no life or purpose . Decide what is to be the story , then make that story the main idea . Think back to the basic principles of composition and select your center of interest . Then play up that center of interest in whatever manner may be appropriate . Light it more brilliantly , use leading lines or framing elements to give it support . Select your point of view to give you the best composition and the best lighting .
Have your subject doing something - not just standing there . Get life and action into your picture . Remember that flash stops action and gives you almost unlimited scope in capturing the fleeting moment when the picture has the most meaning . Make full use of flash possibilities in this respect .
USE THE RIGHT FLASH SET - UP
FLASH ON THE CAMERA . Flash on the camera is by far the most common type of set - up because it is simple and convenient . This is true even though much better pictures can often be made with the flash off camera , as we will see later . With flash on the camera , the flashgun is usually attached to the camera so the flash lamp is a little above and a little to one side of the lens . The result is a flat lighting with very little modeling or roundness . Ordinarily , however , this is perfectly satisfactory for snapshots of people at a party , action photography of a sports event , pictures of children at play , and news photographs where action is to predominate and lighting is secondary ..
Because the flashbulb is so close to the camera lens , the lens sees just about the same thing as the flash lamp . As a result , there are usually no shadows on the subject . There is , however , a single strong shadow the background if the background is close enough to be illuminated by the flash . This single dark . shadow may be completely unimportant , or it may be very annoying , depending on the subject and its placement . Figure 12 shows a flash shot with a strong shadow which runs into the head and may be disturbing . Figure 13 shows how to eliminate a disturbing shadow simply by placing the subject far enough away from the background so both background and shadow become quite dark . In Figure 14 , the same result is obtained by placing the subject against the dark background which absorbs the shadow .
Figure 12 ( Below ) Taken with flash unit on camera . Lighting on face is quite flat and strong shadow outlines subject .
Figure 13 Taken with flash on camera . Dark background was used to hide dark shadow ordinarily obtained with such lighting .
Figure 14 Bounce flash may be used to produce soft shadowless lighting .
FLASH OFF THE CAMERA . Many photographers prefer to shoot with the flash off the camera because it gives them much more interesting lighting . They simply remove the flashgun from its bracket and hold it up with one hand to the full extent of the cord . The other hand holds the camera and makes the exposure . At first , this may be awkward , but with practice it can be done with no difficulty .
Off - the - camera flash permits considerable variation in lighting because you can hold the flash lamp to the left , straight up , or to the right to give you the type of lighting which best suits the subject . This type of lighting can produce very . dramatic results with deep shadows and brilliant highlights . The background . shadow will shift its position as the light is moved , so it is often possible to hold the light in such a way as to cast the shadow where it is out of the picture or behind the subject .
The use of off - the - camera flash is illustrated in Figures 15 and 16. In Figure 15 , the background was too close to the subject and the flash held at such an . angle that it threw a large and disturbing shadow on the background . However , the child's face does show good modeling . In Figure 16 , the flash was aimed to throw the shadow in back of the subject where it cannot be seen .
A word of caution at this point : with off - the - camera flash , the flashgun must be aimed very carefully so that it covers the area being photographed . Most flashguns are designed to produce as much light as possible , so they concentrate their beam a limited angle to match the angle of view of the camera . The light falls off very rapidly outside of this angle . Ordinarily this design is good because it reduces exposure , and with the flashgun securely mounted to the camera , aiming the camera also aims the gun . However , if the gun is hand held , aiming it requires some care . It is only too easy to become so absorbed in taking the picture that you forget all about aiming the gun . The result is a picture with very uneven lighting .
Figure 15 Flash unit off camera . Modeling on face is good but background is too close so that disturbing shadow is obtained .
Figure 16 Flash unit off camera . Held in such a position that shadow is behind and below . subject where it cannot be seen .
It is best to use the broader - beamed , satin - finish reflectors for off - the - camera flash . Such reflectors widen the angle of the beam and reduce the chances of uneven lighting . While this will increase the required exposure , the results will justify it .
Figure 17 Group picture with flash on camera . Foreground is overexposed and background is underexposed .
Figure 18 . Same as Figure 17 , but flash . off camera . Flash unit held high and aimed toward background to provide even illumination .
FLASH ON AN EXTENSION . This opens up a great many more possibilities for good pictures with flash . An extension cord enables you to place the flashgun almost anywhere so you can light your subject exactly as you would with photoflood lamps . You can improve the picture quality by improving the modeling , which is often lost in ordinary flash . When shooting a group , you can aim the gun at the people farthest away so they get the most intense part of the beam . In that way you can compensate for the fact that light falls off with distance and get an evenly illuminated picture .
In Figure 17 , the flash lamp was at the camera and aimed in the usual way Note that the man in the extreme background is too dark because of his greater distance from the flash , and objects on the table foreground are so badly . overexposed that they lose all detail . In Figure 18 , the flash lamp was held higher and aimed toward the background figure . This evened up illumination so it was fairly uniform throughout the group .
When using extension cords , be sure your batteries are fresh and in good condition . Better still , use a B - C pack . In calculating exposure , remember it is determined by the distance between the flashbulb and the subject , not between the camera and the subject ..
BOUNCE FLASH . This type of lighting is obtained by bouncing the light off the walls , ceiling or other large reflecting surfaces . To use bounce flash , take the flashgun off the camera and aim it at the ceiling or a nearby reflecting wall . The reflected light obtained in this way is soft and diffused , thus giving the effect of natural lighting . It is often very effective for candid shots when you want to get away from the artificially posed and lighted type of flash picture . Figure 19 is a good example of bounce flash .
For best results , the walls and ceilings should be lighted so they will reflect most of the light striking them . If you are using color film , the walls and ceiling must be white so your subjects don't take on the color of the reflecting surfaces .
Exposures must be increased considerably for bounce flash . The factors . which determine the exposure will vary considerably more with bounce flash , so rely on your general experience and good judgment . As a starting point , base your exposure on the distance from the flashgun to the ceiling to the subject , not just from the flashgun to the subject ( see Figure 20 ) . In this figure , the distance from the lamp to the subject is 10 feet , but the distance from the lamp to the ceiling and then on to the subject is 14 feet . The correct distance for exposure calculation is , therefore , 14 feet . Open up one additional stop to allow for the greater spread of light and for absorption by the ceiling . If the ceiling is fairly high or fairly dark , open the lens two stops instead of just one .
MULTIPLE FLASH . Multiple flash may be used for better lighting control to avoid deep shadows which result from off - the - camera single flash , and to provide more balanced lighting . Here again , the basic principles of indoor lighting will apply . We strongly recommend that you review the Assignment on lighting before you undertake multiple flash pictures .
When using two flash lamps , make sure one lamp serves as the main light source . It must be larger or closer to the subject than the other light . It is a good . idea to have both lamps of the same make becau mps of different manufacturers have slight differences in their firing characteristics . If both lamps are the same size and the fill - in light cannot be moved back conveniently to reduce its strength , simply drape a handkerchief over it . An ordinary handkerchief will cut the light output in half .
Figure 19 Taken with a flash lamp on camera . Dark shadows on background not noticeable because background itself is too far away and receives little illumination .
Figure 20 With the bounce flash , the correct distance from flash to subject must be obtained by measuring the distance from flash to the reflecting surface ( A ) plus the distance from the reflecting surface to the subject ( B ) .
More complicated lighting arrangements with multiple flash are often necessary in industrial and commercial photography . This subject will be covered more fully in later Assignments .
SLAVE UNITS . There are times when multiple flash is called for , but it is not practical to have extension cords because they would be in the way or because of the long distance involved . In such circumstances , slave units are invaluable . A slave unit is a self - contained flashgun which is not fired by closing a switch , but instead by a photocell and relay . When the photocell picks up a strong flash of light , it triggers the flashbulb in the slave unit , thus setting off the flash .
A slave unit is always used in conjunction with a main flashgun . The slave unit is set up so the photocell picks up the light from the main flash . In this way , firing the main gun automatically flashes the slave unit . Since the slave unit always fires after the main flash , its time lag must be added to that of the main flash . For example , if both use M type lamps , allow 20 milliseconds for the main flash lamp to peak and another 20 milliseconds for the slave unit , or a total of 40 milliseconds , which is 1/25 second . For this reason exposures made with slave units must not be shorter than 1/25 second , unless electronic flash is used .
OPEN FLASH . Open flash is sometimes used for lighting large , dark areas where the proper synchronization is not available , or where the camera must be at too great a distance for the use of extension cords . To make an open flash shot , set the shutter to T or B. You then open the shutter , flash the lamp manually , then close the shutter . The effective exposure is determined by the total output of the flashbulb used . The equivalent in exposure time will vary with the bulb , but it is generally about 1/25 second to 1/50 second . Guide number tables usually give the guide number for open flash - if your table does not , use the guide number for 1/25 second .
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