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Yup... that's what beer feels like...

This evening: the mud of Morecambe Bay...

snnr.jpg
 
I wonder if ducking out of the frame as soon as the flash had fired would have helped.

I thought about that, but wouldn't that just cause me to ghost with the long exposure (I suppose if the flash exposes it enough you might not be able to see anything through). Next time I go out it's something I may experiment with.

Here's a general landscape shot I did the same night:


Kansas Sunset by SnickerSnackClick, on Flickr
 
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Here's a self portrait that I took last night. Holding still for the 15s exposure (after the flash) was a bit tricky and caused a weird shadow with my hat, but I still like it

Have you tried setting your flash in "second curtain" mode? Intead of firing at the beginning of the exposure, it would fire at the end of the exposure.
 
Have you tried setting your flash in "second curtain" mode? Intead of firing at the beginning of the exposure, it would fire at the end of the exposure.

I have not yet. I've had my first speed light for about 6 days, but I know it can do rear curtain sync. I'll try that next time and see what happens.
 
Rear curtain fires the flash at the end of the exposure instead of at the start.

It wouldn't make a difference in this case. The shadow is because there is light behind you. When you move slightly you block that light and under expose that portion of the image. The flash freezes you so there isn't blur but the background is what's throwing off the image. This is why there isn't a shadow in the lower portion of the image where there isn't a light source behind you.
 
Rear curtain fires the flash at the end of the exposure instead of at the start.

It wouldn't make a difference in this case. The shadow is because there is light behind you. When you move slightly you block that light and under expose that portion of the image. The flash freezes you so there isn't blur but the background is what's throwing off the image. This is why there isn't a shadow in the lower portion of the image where there isn't a light source behind you.

Thanks for clarifying. So would there be a way to get a similar image without the shadow by doing anything other than "hold VERY VERY still"? I'd be curious to know what the best workaround is (if it exists).
 
I thought about that, but wouldn't that just cause me to ghost with the long exposure (I suppose if the flash exposes it enough you might not be able to see anything through). Next time I go out it's something I may experiment with.

The ghosting only really occurs because your head is every so slightly moving during the exposure with such a relatively bright background. If the flash fired and you ducked I think you would get away with minimal ghosting especially since I assume there is little or no illumination on the hedge due to it being backlit.

Have you tried setting your flash in "second curtain" mode? Intead of firing at the beginning of the exposure, it would fire at the end of the exposure.

In this instance this would actually hamper the image as you would have to guess when the 15" is up. At least with the flash going off at the start the self timer lamp will guide you as to when the photo is about to be taken.
 
Thanks for clarifying. So would there be a way to get a similar image without the shadow by doing anything other than "hold VERY VERY still"? I'd be curious to know what the best workaround is (if it exists).

The ghosting only really occurs because your head is every so slightly moving during the exposure with such a relatively bright background. If the flash fired and you ducked I think you would get away with minimal ghosting especially since I assume there is little or no illumination on the hedge due to it being backlit.
Acearchie is on the right track.

This key is the bright horizon. If you were to move completely out of the frame the horizon would start to burn in on the top of your head. It all depends on how bright the background is.

Let us say you can properly expose the sky in 10 seconds. If you take the picture without a flash the result will be black silhouette. The flash fires in a fraction of a second and fills that silhouette with light. It doesn't matter if the flash is at the beginning, end or somewhere in between. The resulting image will be the same (assuming a stationary subject).

Now if you fire the strobe when the shutter opens and move out of frame at the nine second mark you will only get 1/10 of the light from the sky as you were blocking it for 9/10 of the exposure. Again, assuming proper exposure for the sky and the strobe that means that strobe will pretty much overpower the sky.

On the other hand, if you move at the 1 second mark then you are getting 9/10 of the light from the sky. The light from the sky will be recorded at nearly the same level as the light from the strobe. This will cause the sky and your head to blend together - making you seem transparent.

So it all depends on how bright the light behind the moving subject is.

Another use for this principle is taking a picture on a crowded street. If you use a 10-stop neutral density filter during the day and a long shutter speed you can make it look like the street is deserted. As the people move through the frame they won't stay in any one spot long enough to block the background and get recorded.
 
A view from our local park


Easy Riders by Scphoto_uk, on Flickr

It's a noisy place as it's at the end of a runway, however lots of kids and dog walkers are about so no one like the idiots that decide to visit on mopeds.

Fortunately I had my camera and the local Police now have this image!
 
Rainbow Bridge ... note the people by the left end of the arch , this thing is BIG! It's also in the middle of nowhere , either a 2 day round trip hiking through an area with little or no water or a 3 hour boat ride, and short walk , each way . I sailed .

rb6c.jpg


5d2 , 24-105@ 45mm , f8@1/180 , iso 100
 
Nice one! Colours look fine, a fine effort especially considering you have no ND filters.
What are your impressions of Australia? - how are you coping with everything being backwards and opposite? :p

Not really C&C but a few more ideas for while you're here:

Sunrises beach shots (the sun rises over the ocean on the east coast).
It's a great time this time of year, sun rise is around 7am, with all these clouds around you could get some good colours if it's patchy.

Pretty wet weather with massive swells at the moment, could get some good wave shots from a distance (not long exposures), just be careful.

Ocean rock pools. There are heaps scattered along the east coast, the hand rails often provide good leading lines.
Bonus if they have hanging moss lit up in the sun.

Light houses, jetties, boat ramps, etc.. are a few more ideas.

Hope you're enjoying your holiday!

Thanks for the tips, I will keep it in mind! I will be on a ship in the middle of the ocean for the next month so there won't be very many photo ops, unfortunately.

Cheers!
 
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