How to take pictures with a flash in the afternoon and why in general a flash in the afternoon?
High speed sync. Using flash during the day.
The question seems pointless, but when it comes to practice, it turns out that a flash even on the sunniest day can be an indispensable tool in the hands of the photographer.
In general, it is generally accepted that a flash helps when there is little light, i.e. serves as an additional light source in poor light - in the evening, at night, in the house, in the shade of trees, in cloudy weather. But when there is a lot of light - it can and should be used too. As they say - there is never much good light.
High speed sync. The flash added contrast and highlighted the subject.
So during the day, a flash is needed as soften shadows from the sun or other strong and harsh light sources. Mostly flash during the day use for photographing portraits. The harsh light of the sun can make very strong shadows on people's faces. A flash can soften these shadows.
Shadow suppression on people's faces in high speed sync mode
True, there are day flash restrictions. For photographing portraits, it is recommended to use fast fixed lenses. For example, a lens with an aperture of F2.8 and a set value of ISO 200 will require on a sunny day excerpts about 1 / 2000s-1 / 4000s. But there is flash sync concept with a camera shutter and often this synchronization rests against a certain limit. Basically, built-in flashes can work with shutter speeds of at least 1/200, 1 / 250s, or 1 / 320s, of course there are exceptions - this Nikon D40, D70, D70s, D1h etc. which can use shutter speeds up to 1/500 s, but still, they are too long excerptsto take pictures in daylight. But even if you have external flashYou can take pictures at shorter shutter speeds only if your camera allows it.
Attention: None of the built-in flash on any of the central controllers can work normally with shutter speeds shorter than 1 \ 500s. The built-in flash does not have a single CZK quick sync mode.
Attention: High-speed sync mode is available on many cameras only in P, A, S, M mode.
An example of a portrait in the afternoon. Flash on camera with a diffuser card. The flash reduces the volume of the picture, but adds contrast and color.
In order to be able to use a flash with very short shutter speeds, was created quick sync mode, which is called differently for different cameras of different manufacturers. For Nikon, this is FP (fast pulse, fast sync), it allows you to use flashes and synchronize them with shutter speeds up to 1 / 8000s.
In order to be able to use this mode - need:
- For the camera to support fast sync mode
- For the flash to support fast sync
Not all cameras can use this mode - they mainly include advanced amateur cameras and all full-frame digital mirrors.
Here is the exact list of CZK Nikon that support mode FP:
D2h, D2x, D2hs, D2xs, D3, D3s, D3x, D4, D5, D200, D300, D300s, D500, D700, D800,D800E, D810, D850, D750, D80, D90, D7000, D7100, D7200, D7500, D600, D610,Df
Flash in the afternoon. Shot with a flash in FP mode, mounted to the top left of the model to create the desired lighting.
As you can see, the choice among Nikon cameras is small. Younger cameras of this mode do not have, which will not allow taking photos with a flash and a small shutter speed. But this is not a problem, since you can use neutral filters for decreasing excerpts. Polarizing filters also reduce shutter speed. Usually the need for flash during the day is very small.
Flash during the day allows you to get a portrait in high key.
Not all flash units support this mode. – small external flashes SB-300, SB-400 do not know how to work in this mode. Nikon's FP mode works fine SB-500, SB-600, SB-700, SB-800, SB-900, SB-910, SB-5000. These flashes can shoot shutter speeds up to 1/8000. Many third party flashes also support FP mode, but it is often referred to by a different name such as flash Metz Mecablitz 48AF-1 for Nikon has an HSS mode that is completely similar to FP mode.
When photographing during the day with a flash, you need to remember that short excerpts and bright lighting requires a lot of flash energy. Funnily enough, high-speed sync flash recharges faster than normal flash, due to the unusual firing system in FP mode.
Portrait in the afternoon. The flash sometimes gives extra glare and may itself give extra shadows.
If you have an advanced camera with fast sync mode, then most likely there command mode for the built-in flash. This will allow you to use your external flash in remote control mode using the protocol Nikon CLS. That is, it will be possible to give light at the right angle and thereby create an excellent art photo. I advise you to experiment with photos with a flash against the sun to understand how effective the flash is in the daytime. For example, in the photo below, the girl lights up with a back (strong side) light, if I did not use the flash, I would get a dark face. The flash turned out quite differently. True, using the flash on the camera can lead to a loss of volume in the photograph.
A flash in the afternoon in the strong side light of the sun.
Is it worth using flash diffusers, reflective cards - you need to look at the circumstances. As practice shows, sometimes very effective flash on the forehead in daylight, which is unacceptable when photographing people, for example, at night. When using a diffuser, the leading number of the flash is lost, which, even with fast synchronization, is less than usual. With fast synchronization, the flash makes a series of pulses with a huge frequency (of the order of 50 KHz), the human eye does not see this, but it decreases the distance from which the flash can illuminate the subject. You can read how to increase the flash range in the section Tricks 7.
High speed sync. The flash highlighted the subject and added contrast.
Conclusions:
Flash during the day is just as useful as a flash at night, the main thing is to set it up correctly and remember that to get good shots it would be nice to have a quick sync mode between flash and camera.
Help to the project. Thanks for attention. Arkady Shapoval.
I understand that everything that you discussed here with Orward is about a flash dressed in ph. And if I have a D80, a Youngnuo flash and Youngnuo 602 synchronizers, can I remotely work with short shutter speeds in M flash mode?
Youngnuo 60 does not support fast shutter speeds in FP modes.
What do you think is the way out? There is no native Nikon flash and PocketWizard synchronizers! Although …… Can I fire remotely Youngnuo with D80 built-in flash supporting FP with weak pulse?
If your Youngnuo model supports the NIKON CLS system, you can set it on fire with the built-in flash on the Nikon D80; to achieve fast synchronization, you need to turn off the built-in flash (in mode C set a dash “-” to it). Then the built-in flash will only command the slave and will not send a backlight pulse.
I ordered a 50mm 1.8D and I will get it only the day after tomorrow, and therefore without a lens I can’t try and apply everything I learned. And the day after tomorrow I will find out what my Youngnuo supports and what not :( Thank you, Arkady!
I don’t understand…. I put Youngnuo on phot, shutter priority, 1 / 320s - no parasitic line appears on the frame. Ditto with Youngnuo 602 synchronizers. Does the absence of stripes (curtain movement) indicate that FP is supported? Or am I misunderstanding something?
When FP mode is on, the camera should work like that. Check on 1 \ 4000.
Thank you for the article!! )))
But how then is it correct to use the flash if the camera (Nikon D5100) does not support the FP mode (Nikon SB-800 puff)?
Likewise, just consider the cut-out restriction. You can shoot, for example, in S mode at 1/200
Checked! Everything is working. And the Metz 48 also works at slow shutter speeds;)
The last focus is cool !!! Super. But I still can’t do it (
Outside, shooting a flash “in the forehead” on a bright sunny day to lightly illuminate the shadows with the D7000 camera, as a rule, the face is overexposed. When you start experimenting with downward flash power compensation, as a rule, nothing works, since there is no time for experiments. I tried the dome attachment that comes with Nikon's SB-700 flash with high-speed sync (all settings are correct) - there is little effect if the object is more than 2 meters away. I never learned how to shoot with the SB-700 in conjunction with the D7000 camera outdoors. Indoors - no problem, bouncing light off the ceiling and walls, the pictures are great.
try BL mode + different exposure metering
Good day!
There is a question similar to the last one. If I photograph with an external flash and place people not in the center of the photo, but to the side, the faces are strongly exposed. Those. the flash shines in full. If I aim the center on a person and fix the exposure for the flash, it shines weaker and the picture comes out normal. But it is very inconvenient to use this fixation all the time.
Can you recommend something?
PS: I have a Canon, but I think there is no fundamental difference ...
Thank you,
Alexander
There really is no difference. This is the specificity of the work of metering, maybe you shoot in a centrally-weighted, or spot, then everything should be so. Try the matrix metering mode, and also, in the flash options (if any), set the diffuser mode (increase the flash zoom angle).
Good afternoon, Arkady. Yesterday I became the happy owner of the Speedline sb-700, I am very pleased with the purchase, But I can’t set the shutter speed shorter than 1/200 in the mode with the video priority not in “M” mode. Maybe the camera itself does not support FP ?. Nikon D5100 camera. thanks
Yes, Nikon D5100 does not support FP mode. 1 \ 200 with flash is the limit.
My camera does not support high speed sync. Does it make sense to use a neutral filter with a flash during the day and how to correlate the filter density with flash power?
It makes sense. One step of the filter is equivalent to halving the shutter speed.
Hi!
I’ll ask a simple question - what modes and settings do I need to do on the D 90 in order to take photos during the day with the flash (so that it always works) and is there a quick synchronization mode in this camera on the native flash?
I didn't find it in the manual ...
Thank you in advance!
> what modes and settings I need to do on the D 90 in order to take pictures during the day with a flash (so that it always works)
Answer: Enable FP mode, setting e5 in your camera, setting works only in P, A, S, M modes. In this case, you need to install an external large flash on the camera and activate FP mode on it too. For native SB flashes (SB-400), simply install the flash on the camera.
> is there a quick sync mode in this camera on my own flash?
Answer: No, there is no FP mode on the built-in flash.
> I did not find in the manual ...
Tip: very poorly searched. Page 195 Instructions tells us: Auto FP high-speed sync is not available when using the built-in flash.
Request: all the information that I wrote in the answer is highlighted in this article, I just needed to read more carefully.
that is, I found that the AF mode is not available when using the built-in flash, which means that we are talking about how to “make” the flash of the device work in the “always fires” mode regardless of the amount of light, as I understand it, use the manual mode? what exposure to exhibit in this case? Aperture from the first shot?
Thank you.
The flash will always fire when raised up in P, A, S, M modes, optionally in other modes. Exposure is very dependent on what you shoot for. My articles will help you with this: Exposure, Shutter Speed, Aperture, ISO.
Not at all.
There is, for what!
Such an elective ... cannot be overemphasized!
I am not interested in other modes, only those listed by you.
And the flash during the day is sorely lacking - especially when shooting a portrait - at one time, when I worked only on film, this mode gave amazing results ... I will be glad if I can recover luck in a digital photo
Then I wish you the best of luck in photo-making :)
Hello, Arkady. If I understood correctly, having a Nikon d5000 and SB-900 to shoot during the day with a flash, it is necessary to master the manual flash control mode, choosing the optimal power at a shutter speed of 1 / 200s, or what other alternatives are there?
Not quite right. You can still S mode, interesting information here https://radojuva.com.ua/2012/08/flesh-distance/
Hello! I would like to know if it makes much sense to buy a large softbox for an external flash? Will the quality of the backlight change or is there no special difference with the bare flash? The softbox is 20 by 28 cm in size. The piece is pretty large to hang around with it. Well, you, as a professional, what can you say?
Yes, sometimes it is very useful.
Hello, Arkady) Is it possible to arrange a meeting with you so that you can set up a camera for me and tell me about it ...
Write to me personally on one of the contacts - https://radojuva.com.ua/contacts-arkadiy-shapoval/
for some reason my pictures are not clear and not bright ... but some dim
The reasons may be different
I have a Nikon D 5100 and I want to buy a flash!
Question: which one should I buy ?, sb 910 or what else?
Do I think that it makes no sense to spend money, because there will be no small excerpts!
Ps: there is money and they do not mind!
SB-700 will be just right for the small D5100, 910-heavy for the D5100.
I’ll also add that in the near future I want to go to the full frame!
Can it really be so bad on my d910 !?
It seems to me that it is better to take one, but a good flash for a long time!, Or is it not in my case?
Now that you have indicated that you will switch to the full frame, there is also a point in acquiring 910, but on the D5100 it will be really very huge and heavy.
I’ll tolerate the difference of 60 grams before buying a full-frame camera!
60 g - after all, this is only half an iPhone: D
Thank you for your advice and for your useful articles! (Yesterday half a night I couldn’t tear myself away from your site, interesting!)
Very interesting articles. And the photos are not impressive at all. This can be done with a soap box. Only the background is difficult to blur and nothing more. Colors are killed, overexposure, there is a phonet, here is a phonit in sections. You seem to be shooting technically. The composition is still nothing. But do not think about light and shadows. You only see at home on a computer. And in the process of shooting only the big picture, without details.
But technically you explain everything very competently, of course. And you have no talent as an artist. Do not be offended.
Thank you, this is a purely technical article without claims to artistry.
Well, these are quite another matter. I take my words back). Sorry, I was wrong).
A very good article, no one writes about this for some reason. I am using Sony a330 and Cactus AF50. There is a control mode using the built-in flash.
Arkady, kind laziness, a question for you or for those who know. I have a Nikon D5100, I regretted a hundred times that I hastened with the purchase. The question is, to get a shutter speed shorter than 1/200, will the Pixel TR-331 radio synchronizer not save? The stated work up to 1/8000, although I understand very well that the limitation on my device is 1/4000. But is it really impossible to increase exposure except by using filters?
We are talking about 1 \ 200 only when using a flash (built-in or external - it does not matter). 1/4000 is the shutter limit, not flash sync.