Originally posted by stub There is a lot more to using flash than using it for fill purposes. Why walk past a pretty flower because its in the sun..? Use your flash and get creative and overpower the sun.. Change the direction of the shadows. Create mood. Sorry I'm a very strong flash supporter..!! Though primarily monolights... But lets not get into that conversation.
I mean I don't all the time, I'm just meaning to say, when on a walk or in a garden etc, there will be plenty of other times to snap that flower in better lighting conditions etc, you can wait or visit the spot at a better hour etc. For me I just prefer that contrasty look where possible to the point I
think about whether the shot is gonna be worth my time vs taking it regardless.
And I don't always ferry flashes about with me, or reflectors, because I think my flower portfolio speaks for itself, if you take time choosing the right flower in the right light you can work wonders, the types of shot that look like flash was involved but wasn't (not to mention by doing this it's plain simpler, quicker and you travel lighter!). There are always exceptions to the rule, I will still snap that flower regardless, even if it's not falling into my category of what I really want, but you know... I'm just saying generally how I approach flower fotos. I have absolutely nothing against flash, just thus far I typically limit it to portrait work and some product photography.
Originally posted by BrianR Not that I think everything you walk by needs to be photographed, but consider how the above quotes relate to one another. While I'm also a fan of keeping your eyes open for subjects already in flattering light, to me the point of artificial lights and modifiers is that you can make the light whatever you want (with small subjects). This can range from just 'correcting' tonal issues with the natural light or creating your own stylized lighting, but it especially means an interesting subject in unfortunate natural lighting doesn't
need to be passed by.
Re: a mirror (or reflector/diffuser/etc), it's a tripod for the win here, with the camera on the tripod and the modifier(s) in my hand(s)/teeth/feet. Or (if your shutter speed can supoort one hand shooting) learn to focus manually with one hand...I can work the dfa100mm's ring with my right pinky for fine adjustments
. Great thing about flowers is they can't run away from you, so you can take your time...
You're not wrong, it's just I have found there is an abundance of beauty all around and I find myself saying "I'll snap you tomorrow in the morning when there will be better natural light" etc, or I'll turn my attention to another flower that is in more favourable conditions, or perhaps you come up to a cluster of flowers then I quickly scan for the flower that is showing the greatest amount of light with darkness around etc. Basically I'm just saying I think a bit more before the shot, and I travel lighter by doing that (no flashes/softbox with me etc), and I have learned not to be in a rush, that there are always other days and a billion more flowers to snap
Originally posted by mcgregni Good one Bruce, you got me there! You're right, that isolated bit of sunlight brushing over just a part of a plant can produce that flash look with the background cut right down (by your expose for the highlights method). And that can produce images that we could say "don't need flash".
Now the thing is, the non flash approach restricts the images under these lighting circumstances, by the direction of the light and the total contrast in the whole frame.
So Bruce .... You can't get away with posting a bunch of non flash photos in the Flash Forum here without some consequences! So here's your challenge .... Go back to the start of this thread, look through the techniques described, the settings etc, and get out with your Cactus gear and a softbox (or something) and bring us back some flash lit flower or plant shots that really take control of the light and contrast. ....and that allows some smaller apertures to really make the detail and depth on those flowers stand out.
Haha, I will do that for sure!
Probably the wrong to place to dump this, but recently I was commissioned to do a garden in the Blue Mountains. The weather was dull that morning, slightly drizzly and I was going around the garden with two tripods, one for the camera, the other to hold my brolly lol. I didn't have any WR lenses so was using my FA77, Lensbaby Velvet 56 and A24/2.8. I just wanted to emphasis that perhaps flash on that morning might have helped 'isolate' some of the flowers I was snapping, however a cloudy day does diffuse the light nicely and evenly, and I really quite enjoyed the 'dreich' weather.
Images are here;
Rustlings Garden | Flickr