PORTRAITS: EXPERIMENTING WITH FLASH AND TRIPODS
To experiment using a flash attachment to our camera, I chose an indoor location that had a variety of backdrops to allow the flash to work as effectively as possible.
I also practised using a standing tripod attached to my camera, adding stability to my photographs allowing the shots to be taken with ease and to easily judge the distance between camera and subject, which is important when adjusting the flash settings.
I also practised using a standing tripod attached to my camera, adding stability to my photographs allowing the shots to be taken with ease and to easily judge the distance between camera and subject, which is important when adjusting the flash settings.
Using the same Nikon D7000 DSLR camera that I have become familiar with, I attached a Nikon SB800 Flashgun to the camera.
The above images show my exploration with different flash settings, the intensity of the flash dependant on the distance settings that I manually adjust on the flash (the distance between the subject and the camera/flash).
At first, the flash was much more intense and bright that anticipated, so I adjusted the settings to allow for a subject that was closer to the camera.
The above photographs are taken with flash settings adjusted for a subject 1.5 meters and 2 meters from the camera, proving a normal-bright flash.
The above images show my exploration with different flash settings, the intensity of the flash dependant on the distance settings that I manually adjust on the flash (the distance between the subject and the camera/flash).
At first, the flash was much more intense and bright that anticipated, so I adjusted the settings to allow for a subject that was closer to the camera.
The above photographs are taken with flash settings adjusted for a subject 1.5 meters and 2 meters from the camera, proving a normal-bright flash.
With the three photographs above, I remembered what I had discovered when experimenting with shutter speed and aperture settings in the other PRACTICE: PORTRAITS post - using the settings artistically and unconventionally to see what the result is.
I used a flash setting that was adjusted to a subject that was around 5 meters from the camera, yet positioned myself closer to the subject, around 2 meters. This created a very bright-extremely bright, white-washed effect. Reflecting off the plain white wall that was behind the subject, the flash created a pure, studio-white feel, allowing a high-contrast with the subjects dark hair, highlighting its form and shape.
The plain, fiercely white background is inspired by the photograph Ronald Fischer, Beekeeper 1981 by Richard Avedon, analysed in separate blog post INSPIRATIONAL IMAGES.
These are my favourite images produced using the flash. It creates a more artistic, clinical and professional effect, which I think is more interesting and different to what I have seen before in standard flash photography.
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