Professional flash work. Practice using flash when shooting motion Rear curtain flash nikon

by Eduard Maydanic

Slow flash sync is one of those technical photography terms that sounds scary. There's nothing you can do about it, but it's obvious that amateur photographers tend to shy away from addressing the issue, convincing themselves that "I'll never need this, I'll leave it for the pros."

But the concept of slow synchronization actually hides a rather simple, but extremely useful in some cases, process. So! Let's take a deep breath and just figure out this "slow sync" thing to take your flash skills to the next level; Because slow flash sync is a simple but powerful way to improve the quality and artistic value of your flash photos.

What is slow sync?

In difficult lighting conditions, a photographer has only a few ways to take photographs. You can lower the shutter speed, but to do this you will have to use it additionally (which is not always convenient. For example, if you need to photograph a party or disco), or raise it as much as possible (if you want to place or print your photos in a larger size, the images will be grainy, so the quality photographs will raise questions in the viewer). When there is not enough external lighting to create a beautiful photo, photographers try to get additional lighting and are not afraid to use flash.

Slow flash sync is available on many modern digital cameras Oh. It allows you to take long exposure photos, but still shoot with flash. With slow sync, more information from the camera gets into the camera. environment- both from the background and from the foreground. As a result, it will work as powerfully as required to maintain correct color rendition.

In many cameras, slow sync is set manually, but compacts most often have a corresponding mode that works automatically when the user sets “night mode” or “party mode”. You should definitely try shooting in this mode; with a successful composition, you can get beautiful and high-quality photographs that will bring pleasure not only to the photographer.

Slow flash sync is simply a common popular term that means flash is used along with a long shutter opening or a slow shutter speed. Simple, isn't it?

With a long shutter speed, the photo is exposed for much longer than the subject is illuminated. Sometimes even for a few seconds. The photographer can choose whether he wants to use the flash at the beginning or end of the exposure. Firing the flash at the beginning of the exposure is known as "front-curtain" (or first-curtain) sync. If it triggered at the end, you were shooting with rear (second) curtain synchronization. Each of these options produces a different effect.

There are several situations in which slow flash sync may be appropriate.

Low light

Let's say there is a need to photograph people in poor lighting. You can simply use flash, but then you are more likely to end up with a dark, underexposed background. If you use a slow shutter speed, then most likely people in the foreground will turn out blurry. In any case, these are not options for solving the problem.

With slow flash sync, you can kill two birds with one stone - using a slow shutter speed to properly expose, and then, when the flash fires, get sharp, clear details in the foreground or people in the foreground.

If your subjects aren't moving, it doesn't matter whether you use front-curtain or rear-curtain sync. Most cameras have second curtain sync by default.

Ideally, in low light conditions, the photographer should use a tripod for any trick to maintain a well-designed background, but interesting effects can be achieved if you shoot handheld. Experiment! Chances are good that you will enjoy taking photos with slow sync, you will enjoy photography in low light and some other conditions.

Fast movement

Slow flash sync is effective for . Its use allows you to shoot an object with clear details and a background blur that gives the image a sense of speed, which looks much more interesting and advantageous than frozen motion, which is obtained using flash with a normal setting.

When photographing sports, dancing, movement in any form, it already matters which curtain the flash will be synchronized with. Typically, photographers choose rear-curtain sync to achieve natural blur behind the subject. This effect leads to a natural perception when viewing a photo.

Front curtain sync will create a trail of motion in front of your subject. In some cases the effect will look quite good. Experiment! Including different exposure lengths to see how it affects the quantity and quality of the blurred image from the flash.

Where can I find slow sync?

In DSLRs, slow sync is hidden in the camera menu settings. Depending on the manufacturer, it may also be located in “user functions”, so you should open the manual for your camera and read it carefully.

Compact cameras, as a rule, have a slow sync mode in the “green zone”. Switching it is quite easy - just turn the wheel. You probably won't be able to change the shutter speed or choose a curtain sync method, but you'll still be able to get fantastic photos and, most importantly, enjoy the creative process.

The simplest photoflash produces a short light pulse of always the same power. The photographer adjusts the amount of light required for correct exposure using the lens aperture. More advanced flashes allow you to control the power of the light pulse, which gives the photographer greater freedom in choosing aperture and control. But modern system flashes, that is, suitable for cameras of only one system, for example Nikon or Canon, provide maximum opportunities for the photographer. They can independently measure illumination through the camera lens (TTL system and more advanced i-TTL, P-TTL, S-TTL, D-TTL - depending on the system), interact with each other, work in various modes using all the capabilities of modern SLR cameras. One of the most best systems Ensuring interaction between the camera and flashes is the Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS). It is currently supported by the SB-900, SB-800, SB-700, SB-600, SB-400 and SB-R200 system flashes. Junior models These flashes are very affordable and I recommend purchasing them to all owners of Nikon DSLRs. They will greatly expand your photography capabilities in low-light conditions (and lighting in any room is almost always insufficient). I myself have been using the SB-600 flash with pleasure for many years.
Compared to the built-in flash, external flashes have significantly more power, as well as the invaluable ability to control the light output by rotating the flash, as well as separating it from the camera and placing it in any suitable place, which significantly expands the photographer’s artistic capabilities. The remote flash can be controlled both wired and over the radio using special synchronizers, as well as wirelessly from the camera’s built-in flash turned on in control mode.

The shooting was done against the light and without the help of fill flash the shot would not have been successful.

First, let's figure out how the shutter of a SLR camera works.

The shutter of most SLR cameras consists of two curtains - the so-called “curtain shutter”; there are other types of shutters, but for us they are not important now. Initially, the matrix is ​​completely covered by the first curtain. When you press the shutter, this curtain moves, opening the way for light. At the end of the specified exposure time (shutter speed), the light flux is blocked by a second curtain, as if “catching up” with the first. At short shutter speeds, the second curtain begins to move even before the first one finishes its movement. It turns out that the matrix is ​​never completely open, but simply the gap formed between the curtains runs along the frame, consistently illuminating it. The duration of exposure is determined by the width of this slit. Before shooting the next frame, the shutter is cocked again, and the curtains return to their original position so that no gap is formed between them. It is precisely because the frame at high shutter speeds is not exposed immediately but gradually that it is impossible to use a flash at these shutter speeds.

Flash Sync
It is clear that the flash should fire at the moment when the camera shutter is fully open. The shutter speed at which this occurs is called the "sync speed." It varies from camera to camera and usually ranges from 1/60 to 1/500 of a second. Those who have read should understand that the time of this shutter speed is not so important, since the operating time of the flash itself is much shorter than the shutter speed.

Slow Sync
This mode combines a slow shutter speed (for highlighting dark backgrounds, such as at night) and flash (for bringing foreground objects into sharp focus). It is usually used in scene programs for night photography, such as "night portrait".

First curtain sync (standard)
Flash fires at the moment when the first curtain opens completely. That is, I explain slowly;) - 1. the first curtain opened 2. the flash immediately flashed 3. we wait for the remaining exposure time and 4. the second curtain closes the frame.

Second curtain synchronization (also called “rear” - Rear)
Flash fires right before the second curtain starts to close. I explain slowly - 1. the first curtain opened 2. we wait for the exposure time 3. the flash fires and then 4. the second curtain closes the frame.
What is the difference between first and second curtain synchronization? If you are shooting a stationary object, then no, but if the object you are shooting is moving, then the difference will be significant. For example, if you are photographing a car moving at night with the headlights on, then when the flash fires on the first curtain, you will clearly photograph the car, and when you “hold” the shutter speed, most likely only the light from the moving headlights will be exposed and you will get a picture of a car with people racing in front of it headlights. If the flash occurs along the second curtain, then the moving headlights of the car will be exposed first, and then the car itself. This way you will get a photograph of a car with the light from the headlights blurred from behind, which in my opinion looks more natural;)

High Speed ​​Sync
Despite the limitations of the camera shutter, some flashes still have the ability to work with very short shutter speeds - up to 1/5000 of a second. This mode is needed, for example, to take a picture with a shallow depth of field with an open aperture. When operating in high-speed sync mode, the flash fires many, very frequent, low-power flashes, providing even illumination throughout the shutter's duration.

Strobe flash
In this mode, the flash makes several bright flashes (their power and number can be set) throughout the shutter release (longer than in high-speed sync mode), as if “freezing” moving objects in various stages of movement. Interesting pictures using this mode can be obtained by shooting, for example, people dancing or athletes in motion.

Red-eye reduction
If the flash light is aimed “directly at the forehead” of the subject, it is reflected from the retina of the person or animal, causing the eyes to appear red in the photograph. The closer the light source is to the lens axis, the more pronounced this effect is. This way, the reddest eyes will appear when shooting with the built-in flash. When red-eye reduction is turned on, the flash before the main light pulse fires one or more weaker pre-flashes, which cause the pupils to constrict. Be careful - the patient may blink and ruin the portrait as a result:)

Auto flash
When working in this mode, in case of insufficient light, the flash automatically fires at full power or following the set metering program (for example TTL). Please note that the flash will not turn on automatically when taking pictures. You will still have to enable it yourself.

Fill flash
The term fill flash is used to describe a flash that contributes less than natural light to the exposure, meaning it is not the main source of illumination. Fill flash is so called because it actually fills in the shadows of the subject without changing the overall exposure. Fill flash works well as a secondary light source. Its use is more than useful in the presence of a bright and contrasting main light source that creates sharp shadows, for example on a sunny summer day. Remember that in fill flash mode, the flash does not fire on its own like it does in normal mode. automatic mode", simply due to lack of light - it definitely needs to be turned on.

Well, I think that's enough theory for now. Next time we’ll move on to the practice of working with flash and specific methods and techniques for using it.

Many photographers do not like the flash as a source of lighting when shooting. And there is a reason for it. An on-camera flash is far from the most successful light source in terms of location and nature of the lighting created.

Although, when the photographer has no other light at his disposal to illuminate the subject, the flash comes in handy. However, quite often in a photographer’s practice there are situations when there is still natural (constant) light, but either its intensity or some other parameters do not make it possible to make a good, technically high quality photo. And in this case, the situation can be corrected (and sometimes even literally saved!) by adding a flash as an additional light source. However, simply installing it on the device and turning on the flash in this case is not enough. You've already tried it, haven't you? You still need to configure the device correctly. And we decided to devote a special article to this topic.

Considering the practical aspects of using flash in this case, we, as always, will start with theory. Moreover, the theory will allow us to perceive the ongoing processes not as miracles or natural disasters, but as understandable and completely controllable phenomena.

So, the theory:

As you know, in standard mode, the flash emits the entire pulse of light almost instantly. The duration of the flash light pulse is typically 1/1000 - 1/10000 second. You could say almost instantly. Therefore, in the case of standard synchronization of the flash with the camera, the shutter speed is selected as short as possible, but not shorter than the shutter speed of the full opening of the frame window. We talked in more detail about coordinating the operation of the flash and shutter in. For most modern digital SLR cameras, the shortest sync speed is 1/200 - 1/250 second.

What happens if the shutter speed is made noticeably longer? Say, instead of using a shutter speed of 1/250th of a second, use 1/60? Such a change in shutter speed will not affect the illumination created by the flash. And, if the flash was the only light source when shooting, then even a tenfold increase in the shutter speed (for example, up to 1/2 second) will not change the picture in the photo.

But if constant (natural) light falls on our subject, then the illumination created by it will be proportional to the time during which the matrix was exposed to light. And, if natural light is of low intensity (for example at dusk), then a short shutter speed of 1/250 second will not allow such light to create any noticeable image. But at a longer shutter speed, the matrix will already have time to collect the required amount of light to obtain an image of normal tonality. As a result, the objects in the picture will be illuminated not only by the flash, but also by constant light. At the same time, which is very nice, the roles of constant light and flash light will be different, and using shutter speed you can easily adjust their ratio. For example, a flash light will illuminate the foreground, while a steady light will illuminate the background.

Now let's move on to practice:

In any case, flash light is dosed by its own flash automation. It may be called differently - "E-TTL II", "ADI" or "i-TTL", depending on the name of your camera. But the results of her work are quite good in any case. Therefore, abandoning flash automation is a bad idea. Anyone who has ever tried to shoot a report with a non-automatic flash knows this well. When using a non-automatic flash, the likelihood of getting a correctly exposed frame in reportage shooting, even with negative film, is small, and there’s no need to even talk about “digital”.

Exposure Modes

Now about the shutter speed and aperture control modes. The most understandable, predictable, but at the same time extremely slow method of matching constant and flash light is to use the manual (M) exposure mode.

We start shooting in “M” mode by setting the average photosensitivity and aperture values ​​(ISO 250-400, aperture number - from 4 to 8). After that, we select the shutter speed, guided by the readings of the built-in exposure meter of your device. After that, turn on the flash, focus, finally frame and press the shutter button. The flash will illuminate the foreground, and the background will be developed thanks to a long shutter speed. Everything is fine!

Additionally, you can adjust the balance of natural and flash light by entering negative exposure compensation for the flash and changing the shutter speed value from that recommended by the built-in exposure meter (we do not set the “bunny” to “0”, but move it to “+” or “-”).

That's how the process works, in a nutshell. Naturally, we do not forget about the color parameters of our constant lighting. If it is daytime or evening light, it is not difficult to achieve normal, natural color rendition.

"Slow" synchronization

Most cameras can coordinate the operation of the flash and the use of constant light not only in manual mode, and also automatically. This mode is called "slow sync". With standard synchronization, the device’s automation, using the flash, considers it the only light source, not paying attention to the weak constant light. In the “slow sync” mode, the device, despite the use of a flash, does not forget about other sources of constant light. An example of the “slow sync” mode is the behavior of Canon EOS devices in Av mode with the flash on. In this mode, the device does not seem to “notice” that the flash is on, setting the shutter speed for normal exposure of the background with constant light. And the flash, in turn, illuminates the foreground. Naturally, using user functions, the device can be reconfigured to normal, “standard synchronization” (“shutter speed 1/200 in Av mode when working with flash”).

The “slow sync” mode works in roughly the same way in Nikon and Sony devices. However, we will not fully describe the entire process of setting up the camera. Do you have instructions on hand? Everything is written there in detail, and our article is by no means a replacement for instructions.

Synchronization on the first and second curtain

When synchronizing, the flash fires after the first curtain has already opened the frame window, but before the second one begins to close it. At short shutter speeds (1/200 - 1/250) this is actually the same moment. But at longer shutter speeds (that is, with slow synchronization), the second curtain begins to cover the frame window with a noticeable delay proportional to the exposure time. And here the difference will be very noticeable when the flash fires - at the very beginning of exposure of the frame, as soon as the first curtain frees the matrix for light access. Or at the very end of the process - before the second curtain begins to cover the frame window.

Accordingly, these two options are called “first curtain” and “second curtain” synchronization. Since both of these options are varieties of “slow” sync, slow sync on the first curtain is referred to as “slow”, and sync on the second curtain is referred to as “slow rear” (Nikon) or simply “rear” (Sony).

Let's take a closer look at both of these options in the case when the subject is moving and if there are any other sources of constant light in the frame. With normal synchronization, that is, “first curtain,” the flash is fired as soon as the first curtain opens the frame. A sharp, clear outline of the subject located in the foreground will be “drawn” at the very beginning of the frame exposure process, and therefore in the initial phase of the object’s movement. Further, while moving, the object is illuminated only by constant light sources. And, since the shutter speed in the case of slow synchronization is quite long, the image of the subject created by constant light will be at least blurry. Or it can even turn into a translucent "track". Accordingly, the final picture will consist of a combination of a clear, sharp image and a blurry “track”. Moreover, the track will be located immediately after the sharp contour in the direction of the object’s movement.

With second-curtain sync, the flash is fired at the very end of the exposure process. That is, the flash creates a clear, sharp image of the subject at the last moment of its movement. This means that when switching synchronization from the “first” to the “second curtain”, the sharp contour and the blurred track will change places.

Now - the most main question. Which synchronization option - first or second curtain - is the best, the most professional? Oddly enough, both of these options are approximately equally applicable. It is only important to understand in which case, when synchronizing using the first or second curtain, the transmission of movement in the picture will be the most natural.

Sergey Dubilier (c) 2012

Options for shooting in low light conditions

When shooting in low light conditions, you usually have two options to choose from - either shoot with flash or shoot with a long shutter speed.

1. Flash– When shooting in low light conditions in auto flash mode, your camera will select a relatively short shutter speed. This means that the subject will be well lit and if he moved, the photo will appear frozen and clear. The problem may be that when shooting this way, the subject will receive a lot of light, and the background will be very dark due to the fact that the camera will not have time to capture the general lighting.
2. Long exposure– Another option is to turn off the flash and shoot at slower shutter speeds so that the camera can capture more ambient light and produce a well-exposed photo. This technique is effective for shooting landscapes and nature where everything is calm and motionless - however, if you are shooting a moving object, the photo may turn out fuzzy and blurry.

Each of these options has a right to exist, but also has its own disadvantages. However, there is another option - slow flash sync mode.

Slow sync flash mode– this function is present on many cameras. She gives the command to the camera to shoot at a long shutter speed. and use flash. This means that you get the best of the above options - both the subject comes out quite sharp and the camera captures enough general lighting across all fronts, both in the background and in the foreground.

Some cameras allow you to manually set the slow sync mode with flash: set the shutter speed and flash power you need, but most compact digital cameras only have automatic control regime, it is also often called 'night mode' or ‘party mode’, where the camera itself sets the shutter speed and flash power.

Front and rear curtain sync
If your camera allows you to manually set the slow sync mode, then, as a rule, there are two options - 'rear curtain sync' and 'front curtain sync'.

Although the names sound too technical, but simply put, these options are responsible for When The flash should fire during the long exposure.

Rear curtain sync– this function commands the flash to fire at the end of the shutter speed (just before the curtain closes). That is, when you press the shutter release, the curtain rises and the camera begins to collect light onto the sensor through the lens; Before the curtain closes, the flash fires to illuminate and freeze your main subject.

Front curtain sync– This function commands the flash to fire at the beginning of the shutter speed (immediately after the curtain opens). That is, when you press the shutter button, the flash will fire immediately, but the curtain will remain open and continue to collect ambient light.
You might think there is no difference between the modes, but when photographing a moving subject, it can make a big difference. Many sports photographers use rear curtain sync in conjunction with .

With or without a tripod?
When shooting in slow sync mode, the question arises: should you use a tripod? Usually, when photographing with a long shutter speed, a tripod is used to prevent blurring when the camera is shaken. Even the steadiest and strongest hands will not be able to keep the camera from microshocks even at shutter speeds of 1 or 2 seconds. So if you want to avoid blur from camera shake, definitely use a tripod (and maybe even a remote control shutter button).

However, under some circumstances, holding the camera in your hands while using slow sync mode can give the photo a certain positive effect. For example, if you are filming a dance floor at a wedding or party, the result can be excellent - the mood on the dance floor is conveyed - the dancing people are captured and “frozen” by the flash, and the light of the dance floor is “blurred” by the shaking of the camera in the hands.

Cameras have a great feature that is not enabled by default. You need to do this yourself. The function we're talking about we're talking about, called “second curtain synchronization” (Rear Sync). When you turn it on and notice a serious improvement in the quality of your photos, you will be very perplexed why it is disabled by default. Usually the flash fires the moment you press the shutter button, right? And the flash captures all movements on this moment. The result is a photo where the entire background of the image appears completely black. Enabling the second curtain sync function allows you to delay flash firing by a fraction of a second. As a result, the camera has time to adjust, assessing the lighting in the background, and only at this last moment The flash goes off, illuminating the scene. As a result, the background in the photo will not turn out black. It will be properly lit and you will be able to appreciate its colors and details. Overall, your photo will look more professional. In the picture, the shot on the left was taken with standard camera settings (note how dark and blurry her background turned out). In order to get the photo shown on the right, I changed only one parameter - I turned on the second curtain sync function. Try taking a few pictures in this mode and you will feel the difference. (Remember to hold the camera securely, because when shooting with a second curtain sync, the second curtain remains open a little longer to assess the lighting in the background. So you can end up with a very interesting or annoying photo, depending on whether you intended it to be that way or not. or not - blur effect as a result of the movement of the subject or camera).

The fourth secret of professional flash work

I left the most interesting (the fourth secret) for last. Using this technique, you can ensure that the light from the flash is as similar as possible to daylight. If you do everything right, almost no one will be able to guess that you used a flash. Everyone will think that you always find the softest and most favorable lighting conditions everywhere. Our task is to ensure that the light from the flash blends seamlessly with natural light (diffuse light) and harmoniously complements it. The secret in this case is not at all in changing the shutter speed or aperture values. You just need to adjust the flash brightness to match the brightness of natural light. To do this, first remove the flash from the camera to create directional lighting and diffuse the light. Then take a test shot. Most likely, the light from the flash will be much brighter than natural light. If this is indeed the case, lower the flash brightness by one notch and take another test shot. Look at the LCD screen on your camera and see if the flash light looks too bright. If this is the case, reduce the flash brightness another half stop and take a new photo. Continue doing the same steps until the light from the flash no longer stands out and just complements the natural light. As a result, the flash light will be almost invisible. You'll need five or six test shots to get the lighting just right. But this is the beauty of digital photography - you won’t spend a penny on all these tests. Feel free to experiment until you achieve the perfect balance of ambient light and external flash.

Gel filters (and their areas of application)

The color of the light emanating from the flash is always the same - white. Excellent bright white light suitable for almost all situations. But what if you need to take a portrait in the office or take a picture in a locker room or conference room, where the color of the lighting does not match the color of the flash light? It's pretty serious problem, and therefore some flashes (for example, Nikon SB-800) are equipped with sets of gel filters. They fit directly into the flash head, covering a clear reflector, and allow you to change the color of the flash light to match the color of the room lighting. (Note: If you use a Canon flash, you can purchase a set of Rosco STO gel filters. You will have to cut filters of the appropriate size for your flash from the gel plates yourself. But in this case, you will get a whole set of filters, whereas if you buy a Nikon flash, the filters You will have a single copy of different colors.) Amateur photographers usually do not pay attention to such small nuances. But you already know the basic secrets of the professionals and understand that you need to complement the lighting available in the room where the shooting is taking place as harmoniously as possible with the flash. Installing a gel filter on the flash will take no more than 20 seconds. Believe me, these filters are worth the time spent on installing them. A yellow gel filter will help balance the lighting received from tungsten bulbs (which are most often found in houses and apartments), and a green one will help achieve good light in fluorescent lighting, which is found in almost all office spaces (Rosco produces filters in these colors). Simply insert the gel filter into the diffuser attachment and you're ready to shoot!

Using gel filters to create stylish photos

Using a simple yellow gel filter you can achieve a very interesting effect. You have often seen a similar effect in photographs in sports magazines taken outdoors. To get a portrait like this, you need to do two things. First, in the camera menu, select the Tungsten white balance option (one of standard options white balance settings, where shooting outdoors produces images with a strong blue tint.) Second, insert a yellow gel filter into the flash. That's all. When shooting at sunset, the horizon line will appear dark and gloomy. The Tungsten (Fluorescent) white balance mode will make the sky at the top of the image just as dark, but very blue. And thanks to the yellow filter on the flash, the human body is illuminated with soft and warm light. This combination is very impressive and very easy to achieve. Therefore, many professional photographers use this technique in their daily work. The effect is really quite impressive

If you have to use the built-in flash, do the following:

If you find yourself in a hopeless situation and using the built-in flash cannot be avoided, then do at least the following two things.

1. Set your flash to second-curtain sync to take advantage of at least some of the natural light.

2. Try to soften and diffuse the light from the flash. To do this, you can cover it with a thin napkin or a piece of translucent plastic from a milk bottle (or something else). Shine light from a flash through such material.

If you know in advance that you will have to use the built-in flash, you can purchase a Soft Screen diffuser that fits over the built-in flash, significantly softening and diffusing the light coming from it. And if you have no other choice, the photo quality when shooting using the built-in flash will be at least passable.

To improve the quality of photographs taken with the built-in flash, you can reduce the flash's brightness (its power) and use exposure compensation. Most digital SLR cameras have a function that allows you to reduce the brightness of the flash and thereby avoid exposing the photographed subject to harsh white light. You can also attach a yellow gel filter (such as a STO quarter filter) to the built-in flash and never remove it. This will cause the cool flash light to become slightly warmer.