2nd curtain? Help? - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 28-135mm F/3.5-5.6 IS USM

09/13/2006 05:02:00 PM · #1

Ok, for an assignment for my study I want to portrait my sister, living her busy life as a (now) fulltime mum from 3 wonderful daughters.

Here's the deal. I want to use flashes (150 or 300 w/s) with a softbox or umbrella, and use the 2nd curtain to get that beautiful motion-blur.

How do I do that? Is this even possible with my camera and with flashes (I think they're called strobes?)

How can I focus on her face, when the focuspoint isn't known in the beginning? Does it have to be dark inside the room in the first time of the exposure? How long does the exposure have to take, any ideas?

Or am I thinking way too hard and there's another EASY solution?

Help?

Message edited by author 2006-09-13 17:03:25.

mist

Canon EOS-60D

09/13/2006 05:13:27 PM · #2

Do you have an off-camera flash? The 430 has an option for when it will fire.

Canon EF 28-135mm F/3.5-5.6 IS USM

09/13/2006 05:15:39 PM · #3

well, the strobes (?) are off camera ofcourse, but I don't have an assistent flashing them at the right time.

I do have a wireless flash-thing to put on my camera, with a test-button on it, would that work?

mist

Canon EOS-60D

09/13/2006 05:21:46 PM · #4

A useful little link

That website lists cameras and flashes that give 2nd curtain sync. It looks like's it's a custom function on the 20D, so I'd imagine you can set it in the 30D too.

Your flash unit(s) would also need to support it.

Otherwise you'd have to have an assistant with split-second timing who could release them just before the shutter closes ;)

Message edited by author 2006-09-13 17:22:10.

Canon EF 28-135mm F/3.5-5.6 IS USM

09/13/2006 05:28:19 PM · #5

Originally posted by mist:

Your flash unit(s) would also need to support it.

I have no idea. Gonna try and find that out soon!

Originally posted by mist:

Otherwise you'd have to have an assistant with split-second timing who could release them just before the shutter closes ;)

lol!

mist

Canon EOS-60D

09/13/2006 05:40:40 PM · #6

For the focus, you could use AI-Servo focus to track the subject, and pan across with their movement towards where you release the trigger. Or just pre-focus manually.

09/13/2006 05:52:34 PM · #7

AI-Servo is completely new for me, and so is panning.

This is gonna be a hard shoot!

J_Ehrat

Canon EOS-5D