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10/12/2007 01:36:50 PM · #1 |
Hi, i'm faily new to photography and don't own an out of camera flash unit. I was wondering if using a lights and a longer exposure times would give the same results as using a flash (or a couple of them set in the same positions as the lights)? Would the amount of detail be captured be similar?
thanks for your input
Message edited by author 2007-10-12 13:38:16. |
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10/12/2007 01:38:03 PM · #2 |
| it all depends in what you subjetct is |
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10/12/2007 01:39:20 PM · #3 |
| Hmmm... Weird question... What are you trying to take a picture of? Personnaly I find that flash destroys pictures quite a bit. You lose all emotion with it... Unless you combine it with a long exposure. |
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10/12/2007 01:39:20 PM · #4 |
| you would have to use a tripod becasue using ambient light(natural light) takes a little longer to capture if you are doing this on a not so sunny day. if you dont have a flash and you move the camera the image will become distorted and blurred |
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10/12/2007 01:54:50 PM · #5 |
| what i'm trying to photograph is indoors or in a studio type setting |
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10/12/2007 02:01:03 PM · #6 |
| Lights and reflectors, man... |
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10/12/2007 02:04:00 PM · #7 |
flash does not destroy pictures, you just need to control ambient light. On camera flash isn't that appealing because its very harsh and you don't have much control other than flash compensation.
If you had an external flash, you could control the natural light and balance that with some fill flash.
With a long exporsure indoors, you will need to probably do some WB adjustments after to remove unwanted color casts. Shoot in RAW and you will be all set. |
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10/12/2007 02:05:02 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by keibo84:
Hi, i'm faily new to photography and don't own an out of camera flash unit. I was wondering if using a lights and a longer exposure times would give the same results as using a flash (or a couple of them set in the same positions as the lights)? Would the amount of detail be captured be similar?
thanks for your input |
No, it wouldn't be the same thing. A long exposure would simply capture more of the ambient light, and would light the subject (and the scene) from wherever that light happens to be coming from (e.g. the sky). Flash, on the other hand, would create light in the form you set it up as (hard, soft, etc.) from wherever you set it up to come from (e.g. from behind, from off to one side, from multiple angles, etc.).
Also, a long exposure doesn't allow for action to freeze; this seems obvious, but really restricts you in what you're shooting. Flash allows you to shoot at much quicker shutter speeds, with the downside being that flash has a certain range.
If you think about it, some scenes allow for only one or the other, while others could allow for either. You can't shoot a night shot of downtown with flash (although you could light paint, but that's a different story), just as you can't shoot a quick-moving bug in a dark room with ambient light. A portrait in a dim room could call for either, based on the mood you're looking for.
Hope this helps. |
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10/12/2007 02:05:38 PM · #9 |
Flash while dragging the shutter can give great results depending on your intent.
The flash would freeze a moving subject and the long shutter could provide enough ambient light to take the edge off of the subject that got blasted w/ flash in a somewhat dark environment.
Club/DJ shots are often done with this technique.
If sharpness is of concern then this technique won't give you what you are after.
But try it and see for yourself! |
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