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Workshop at the Ranch – August 2005 – Fill Flash….It’s not Just For Portraits

2005AugWATR-iconHi and welcome to this edition of Workshop at the Ranch. By now you may have read the current issue of On The Road and have seen the image of Trapeze. The director of the Trapeze program is Bobby Penotti who encouraged the participants at both International Gymnastics Camp and International Sports Training Camp to experience this terrific blend of physical and mental training. The brochure would need a strong Trapeze image because of its popularity each year with students. Many of the Trapeze training sessions occurred when the sun was directly overhead. This “Top Lit” situation can be very difficult to photograph if I need to see my subjects face and hold the sky exposure to a deep blue. The use of strobes to “Fill Flash” the shadowed subject is the solution and the Nikon SB800 Speedlight System with iTTL would be my choice of equipment…….Let’s take a look.

Hi and welcome to this edition of Workshop at the Ranch. By now you may have read the current issue of On The Road and have seen the image of Trapeze. The director of the Trapeze program is Bobby Penotti who encouraged the participants at both International Gymnastics Camp and International Sports Training Camp to experience this terrific blend of physical and mental training. The brochure would need a strong Trapeze image because of its popularity each year with students. Many of the Trapeze training sessions occurred when the sun was directly overhead. This “Top Lit” situation can be very difficult to photograph if I need to see my subjects face and hold the sky exposure to a deep blue. The use of strobes to “Fill Flash” the shadowed subject is the solution and the Nikon SB800 Speedlight System with iTTL would be my choice of equipment…….Let’s take a look.

Image#1      Here is an example of the problem at hand… I have set my exposure for a deep blue sky ISO100, 1/1250 at f5.6. I arrived at this setting manually using the Nikon D2X in camera meter and the Flashing Highlights on the LCD screen. I have stopped the action and have a nice deep blue sky, but my subject is in shadow because the sun is directly overhead. Well,… I have some choices to make if I am to reveal my subject from the shadow. Usually photographers choose to expose for the shadow by under exposing the entire image…OK, let’s try that.

Image#2      There, ….ISO100, 1/500 at f2.8. I have exposed for the shadow but now my sky is all washed out (over exposed). I solved one problem but created another. We as photographers must not be satisfied with this kind of image. I must GO THE EXTRA MILE for my client and for myself.
Image#3      I want the well exposed, deep blue sky AND I want to see my subject too …..I WANT IT ALL ! ….And to have it all I will need to FILL in the shadowed area with some light. I have gone back to my original idea of exposing for the sky, but with a change….ISO100, 1/5000 at f2.8. This setting gives me the same sky exposure as image#1 (ISO100, 1/1250 at f5.6) but with a wide open aperture. The SB800 Speedlights will sync at shutter speeds up to 1/8000 so I can shoot wide open apertures, perfect for outdoor fill flash work.

Image#4      I used a total of 7 SB800 Speedlights. One as the Master located on the hot shoe of my Nikon D2X and 6 as remotes. The 6 remote SB800s were divided into 2 groups of 3 and clamped to Bogen lightstands with Bogen 175F Clamps (Justin Clamp). The group A SB800s were at a power output of +1 while the group B SB800s were at a power output of -1. The power output difference of the groups would give a more modeled lighting look instead of a flat blast of light. I zoomed all 6 units to 105mm so as to concentrate the light on my subject. I arrived at the power outputs by what I call “take a shot, take a look” method. I started with both A and B groups of SB800s at a power output of 0.0 and “take a shot, take a look.” I will power up or down according to how I want the light to look. This is how I set power outputs on the SB800s for any situation.

Image#5      I placed the A group of 3 SB800s to my left and angled the units at the area were the “catch” would take place. I positioned the B group of 3 SB800s on the other side of the Trapeze net directly across from the A group position. All 6 SB800s fired wirelessly from the Master on my D2X and lit the Trapeze artists easily.

Image#6      This final image captures a flying split from the bar to the catcher. My exposure is for the sky and my SB800s fill in the shadowed subject approximately 60 feet away. The area I lit is large enough to fill in the shadow on both the flyer and the catcher with room to spare should they swing higher or lower than I predicted. Perfect fill exposure was maintained with each image thanks to the wireless iTTL technology of the Nikon SB800. My set up time was about 20 minutes and as you may have already guessed….this is all battery powered, no AC in the area. (I use the Energizer E2 Lithium Batteries to power my SB800s.)

The Trapeze program at both camps are under the directorship of Bobby Penotti. His group of talented and skillful artists of the air work with many different groups during the year. For additional information about Trapeze contact Bobby Penotti through his email address [email protected]

Well, I hope you have enjoyed this edition of Workshop at the Ranch. The need to reveal my subject from a shadow is very common and can be easily done with fill flash…..even on a big scale like this. See you next time here at the Workshop at the Ranch……………………..Adios, Dave