Copyright © 2008

Portrait Evening at Rivington Park Creative Centre - Available Light & Studio Flash(cont’d)

Right, now to test the 135mm prime for its sharpness, I.Q. Etc, this time using the studio flash and also later my Canon EX580Mk1 to assist with fill.

The studio lights? Well I didn’t even look what kind they were, I know one only went to half power so they weren’t top of the range, but does that matter. Personally I don’t think it does, I’m all for using the available light where possible and working with what you have to get the best photos at the time. Which reminds me that I remember reading or being told that Seve Ballesteros learnt to play golf with a low iron (possibly a 3) and lowered his grip etc to use that iron to chip with. ‘Only a poor workman blames his tools.’

Well the 135 f/2 is some tool and comment was made that the photographer wasn’t brill but the lens was making the picture - they were probably right. So here’s the proof.

Well this one is taken without flash at 1/160, f/2.0, iso 400 . Think I focused on Caroline’s right eye (girl on right) so her sister Jemma’s left eye being slightly forward is out of focus (did I not tell you they were sisters-oops I am now). Then when David (Rivington Park owner) decided to place then slightly apart I had to experiment more.

Well I had to alter the white balance, exposure on this one a little, but that’s all, there’s no gaussian blur going on here, I cant specify a distance, but I’d say their respective shoulders were opposite each other. That’s what an f/2.0 setting at 135mm does. (yes ok I’ve a cropped sensor camera so equivalent of 1.6 x 135 and yes I would get more blur in front as I focused on the rear sister, but hey its just as effective the other way - nice! Oh still no flash obviously.

Got it wrong! Well kind of in this case usual settings for an exposure without flash, 1/400, f/2.0 iso 400 and the studio flash has gone off, the main thing to notice is that it shows the shutter isn’t fully open. The 1st curtain was already travelling across the sensor as the right edge shows.

Also of note is the small part of pink visible 1/3rd in and approx. 1/3rd up. I think its part of the ear that’s shaded from the flash to the left, but why the right flash has not illuminated it I’m not sure, its actually squashed hexagonal in shape, though you cant tell at this size.

Having studied this a bit more and compared it to one taken a few seconds later the small pink area is an area nearly completely black being in shade from the hair and ear, thus it has just been exposed with these grossly over exposed settings with studio flash.

Finally here’s one where instead of using a flash trigger, I’ve pointed my Speedlite forward set on manual at 1/8th power to reduce some shadows caused by the studio flashes which at this point were set more to both sides of the model as shown by the light on her hair on both sides. Here we are on 1/200 (synch speed) at f/10.

Wow, need I say more, if you got this far thanks for looking, feel free to comment on my email address phil@(this web site address)

Oh nearly forgot this web site designed in Serif Webplus X2 compresses the photos also so this one above is 10.3Mb as a raw file and on the net about 141Kb. No dodging, burning or cloning, but ½ stop (-) exposure and then converted to jpg.  

                                                                              Next Portrait session Sophie here.

As its quite a long article there’s some embedded piano to listen to, tracks 2 and 9 recommended. Right click on the arrow for options