When asked how he felt about missing photographs while he reloaded his camera with film, he replied "There are no photographs while I'm reloading'" - Gary Winogrand
"A Notebook. No photographer should be without one!" - Ansel Adams
Next week please bring your digital cameras in case we have an in-class project. Also bring your final project imagery for a work-in-progress critique. And please be aware that you should have the following when submitting your final project:
Model and Property Releases
Lighting Diagrams / Data Sheets
Equipment Lists
Call Sheets
Optional Shooting Permit (possible bonus points for this!)
"What happens inside your mind can happen inside a camera!" - Anonymous - advertising slogan for Minolta SRT-101/102 [Popular Photography 5/1974, p. 229]
* Lecture on Permitting is moved to Wednesday, April 18th 2pm to 3pm *
guest speaker Jennifer Lanihan will talk about the New York City still photogra
Jennifer Lanihan will talk about the New York City still photography permit process in C414
Ed Sullivan Theatre Building 1697 Broadway - Suite 602 (6th Floor) New York, NY 10019 Entrance on 53rd Street
Office is located just around the corner
from the "Late Show With David Letterman" marquee. You will need to
bring picture ID to gain access to the building. telephone: 212-489-6710
fax: 212-307-6237
web: www.nyc.gov/film
Office HoursPermits are issued between the hours of 9:00am and 4:00pm. On Fridays, permits must be submitted by 3:00 pm.
Your camera's maximum flash sync speed will be an important factor in
mixing ambient light with flash. Consider changing your ISO to achieve
the maximum sync speed if necessary.
Shutter speed controls the ambient light and has no effect on your flash exposure.
4 Factors that do control flash exposure:
Power setting on flash
Distance to subject
ISO
Aperture
Where to start:
Find an interesting composition and try to place your model in fairly even light if possible as this will make your foreground lighting much easier. Use your in-camera light meter to determine proper exposure for the entire scene. From here, you have a few options that mainly have to due with what tonality you would like the background.
Option 1: Fill Flash with Normal BG= If you are happy with the foreground and background exposure, you can then add a fill-flash if you would like to enhance mainly the shadows of your model without effecting much of the background. Try your flash 1.5 to 3 stops under the ambient exposure (use manual mode flash setting and using a light meter read 1.5 to 3 stops more open from ambient exposure, or use -1.5 to -3 EV setting in TTL mode).
Option 2: Brighter BG= If you want the background brighter, then over-expose the ambient light by purposely shooting +1 or +2 with your in-camera light meter. Obviously your foreground subject will then be too bright. You must then diffuse or block the light from your foreground subject using something like a light panel or flex fill.
Option 3: Darker BG= This option is fairly common. If you want the background darker, then under-expose the ambient light
by purposely shooting -1 or -2 with your in-camera light meter. Obviously your foreground subject will then be too dark, but you can then easily use flash to give correct exposure for your foreground subject.
Here's a tip - If you are shooting in bright conditions (outside during the day):
Immediately go to max sync speed (usually 1/125, 1/180, or 1/250 depending on your camera)
Use ISO 100
Find your aperture for the amount of ambient exposure you want (see the above 3 options)
Find your correct flash exposure for the foreground subject (manual or TTL mode)
Further consideration is Dragging Your Shutter for brighter backgrounds (especially shot at night), or... High Speed Sync (which allows for shutter speeds faster than max sync speed, but drastically reduces flash output)
