Flash and Shooting Portrait as Opposed to Landscape?

Those nice to know things about your DSLR will be found here. How to do this, and why you probably should not do that.

Moderators: Greg B, Nnnnsic, Geoff, Glen, gstark, Moderators

Forum rules
Please ensure that you have a meaningful location included in your profile. Please refer to the FAQ for details of what "meaningful" is. Please also check the portal page for more information on this.

Flash and Shooting Portrait as Opposed to Landscape?

Postby Cre8tivepixels on Sun Apr 22, 2007 2:57 pm

Hey Guys,

Does anyone have anytips for shooting with the SB800 (any flash really dont think it matters) and why when shooting landscape i get great exposed pics but when turning the camera to portrait style i lose flash and it under exposses? Is there a tip to get this right?

Ie: head adjustment/postion or increase the output on the flash etc???

I want to shoot more Portrait style event images, but i am never happy with the exposure? And with these things you cant stuff around with the settings.....this type of photography is hit and run!

Dan
User avatar
Cre8tivepixels
Senior Member
 
Posts: 999
Joined: Sat Feb 03, 2007 4:21 pm
Location: Malabar - Sydney

Postby gstark on Sun Apr 22, 2007 3:16 pm

Dan,

Can you please show us some examples of the results that you're seeing.

Pending those ...

Many people, when using something loke the SB800, point the head up to use the ceiling as a diffuser.


And they forget to point it into a more appropriate direction when they switch from landscape to portrait orientation.

:)
g.
Gary Stark
Nikon, Canon, Bronica .... stuff
The people who want English to be the official language of the United States are uncomfortable with their leaders being fluent in it - US Pres. Bartlet
User avatar
gstark
Site Admin
 
Posts: 22896
Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2004 11:41 pm
Location: Bondi, NSW

Postby MarkW on Tue Jul 24, 2007 2:16 pm

I purchase a flash bracket from Joe Demb Products (USA) so that when rotating the camera to portrait format, I can adjust the bracket so that the flash is upright and still use bounce on the ceiling. Also the use of a side flash doesn't always give the lighting direction that I prefere so I can make adjustments using the bracket.

http://www.dembflashproducts.com/bracket/

Remember ceilings are white (mostly) which is a very good reflector for bounce. Trying to bounce from walls will normally underexpose due to wall colour/texture, obstactles in the line of sight etc.
User avatar
MarkW
Member
 
Posts: 51
Joined: Sun May 06, 2007 9:57 pm
Location: Dharruk - Western Sydney

Postby Reschsmooth on Tue Jul 24, 2007 2:30 pm

gstark wrote:And they forget to point it into a more appropriate direction when they switch from landscape to portrait orientation.

:)


and blind the poor person standing to their left! :D
Regards, Patrick

Two or three lights, any lens on a light-tight box are sufficient for the realisation of the most convincing image. Man Ray 1935.
Our mug is smug
User avatar
Reschsmooth
Senior Member
 
Posts: 4164
Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 2:16 pm
Location: Just next to S'nives.

Postby Oz_Beachside on Tue Jul 24, 2007 3:05 pm

Dan, two things come to mind, are you covering any of the red window with your hand? (I know its AF assist, but I'm sure there is a sensor in there for something...).

also, as Gary mentioned, are you bouncing, and not adding enough compensation (such as EV +1.0?)
User avatar
Oz_Beachside
Senior Member
 
Posts: 2227
Joined: Thu May 25, 2006 11:31 pm
Location: Black Rock, Victoria. D200

Postby wendellt on Tue Jul 24, 2007 3:08 pm

dan not sure what you mean

when i use flash for press

it's always on ttl the camera meters the scene via matrix and the flash output is adjusted in most cases the camera gets it right but theres so much leighway with ttl in some cases it blows out images

standard flash work for social has my cam set to 1/250 f4 ISO320 flash on ttl compensation:0
this setting will pretty much kill the background(black)

alternatively on the 17-35 you can go all the way down to 1/50th at 35mm ISO640 tuen down flash compensation -3 and stand away from person about 1.2 metres you can get a balanced exposure with more ambient light in the background showing

the metering can be fooled in thedark when people are wearing all black and theres only a little lighter tones in the scene like the faces the camera will underexpose and the output from the flash will cause a blown result

flash can also underexpose depending on flash output like if its on full power it takes tiem to recycle and if your hammering your shots out then the flash cant keep up

regarding your specific problem i cant really advise im think maybe the angle of light is different when you turn the camera from portrait to landscape or the lighting situation changes between changovers so the meterign changes hence flash output changes
Wendell Levi Teodoro
My Agents
Press - Getty Images
Creative Rep - T.I.D. FashionID, DBP Productions & The Nest Agency
My Book - Zeduce
User avatar
wendellt
Outstanding Member of the year (Don't try this at home.)
 
Posts: 4078
Joined: Sun Feb 20, 2005 10:04 am
Location: Dilettante Outside the City Walls, Sydney

Postby johnd on Tue Jul 24, 2007 4:51 pm

Dan, there is also a RRS Portrait Package that you use to rotate the SB800 around to whatever orientation you want. Check out the RRS site under Portrait Package. Like all RRS gear, it costs heaps but is built like a tank. I have the RRS package and it does a great job. I don't understand though why your SB800 isn't working when the camera is in portrait orientation. You should get the same amount of light on the subject as in landscape, but you will get shadows throwing to the left or right rather than directly behind.

Cheers
John
D3, D300, 14-24/2.8, 24-70/2.8, 85/1.4, 80-400VR, 18-200VR, 105/2.8 VR macro, Sigma 150/2.8 macro
http://www.johndarguephotography.com/
User avatar
johnd
Senior Member
 
Posts: 1342
Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2005 2:14 pm
Location: Sandy Bay, Tas.

Postby MarkW on Tue Jul 24, 2007 7:17 pm

johnd wrote:Dan, there is also a RRS Portrait Package that you use to rotate the SB800 around to whatever orientation you want.


John
These RRS and also the Kirk systems whilst very good (I know cause I have the Kirk system but not the flash rotation product) are horrendously expensive. To start with you need the basic arca plate system to mount everything which means changing tripod and mono QR plates. The kirk system is about $200 US for the flash unit plus all the bits for the plate system which adds another $150 odd. The RRS system is even more expensive as everthing seems to come in 2 parts which have to be ordered seperately.

The Joe Demb product is simple easy to fit and can generally be used with your existing QR systems. Whilst its not as flash :roll: as the RRS or Kirk systems it effectively does the job.
User avatar
MarkW
Member
 
Posts: 51
Joined: Sun May 06, 2007 9:57 pm
Location: Dharruk - Western Sydney

Postby PiroStitch on Tue Jul 24, 2007 10:25 pm

or u could just stick the sb800 onto the sc29 and hold it in one hand and hold the camera in the other hand :)
Hassy, Leica, Nikon, iPhone
Come follow the rabbit hole...
User avatar
PiroStitch
Senior Member
 
Posts: 4669
Joined: Sat Mar 05, 2005 1:08 am
Location: Hong Kong

Postby jethro on Tue Jul 24, 2007 10:37 pm

Flash bracket is the obvious choice! Spin it twist it Ect!
jethro
shoot it real.

look! and see. Shoot and feel
User avatar
jethro
Senior Member
 
Posts: 1006
Joined: Tue Oct 26, 2004 10:03 pm
Location: down south, sydney


Return to Tips and tricks

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 20 guests

cron