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Is a flash useful in the park?

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Math37
Posts: 24 - Karma: 48

sorry for the second thread on flashes but i have this last question..

Woul d a flash setup would be really useful in the park on a sunny day when your subjects are 30ft away from the camera??

Jul 6 2009 6:04PM
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FMeissner
Posts: 490 - Karma: 85
No.
Jul 6 2009 6:09PM
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neutralzombie
Posts: 8629 - Karma: 606
flashes are useless in the sunlight.
Jul 6 2009 6:13PM
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1080ski
Posts: 4424 - Karma: 191
if your using it as a fill flash to get rid of shadows or something, then yes it is
Jul 6 2009 6:42PM
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charmander
Posts: 10636 - Karma: 372
could be, i wouldnt bother myself though.
Jul 6 2009 6:55PM
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followCam
Posts: 1907 - Karma: 446
i wouldnt say useless, there is a few ski pictures iv seen tht use flash on a sunny day, just, as some said, adds a fill flash maybe makes the skier stand out a bit more
Jul 6 2009 7:16PM
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cab509
Posts: 806 - Karma: 34
you can use a flash when shooting into direct sunlight to properly expose the background and fill your subjects face with fill light so they are not in shadow.

I'm not sure what use a flash would have in a park because of the distance you would be standing at but if you got a flash extender (like the better beamer I think it's called) it might give you some fill and light the rider better.
Jul 6 2009 7:26PM
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davedinuzzo
Posts: 232 - Karma: 36
your opinion on this topic is 100000000% useless


flashes are almost necessity for bright days and action shots IMO. They get rid of shadows caused by the sun so you can actually see the skier/rider and balance everything out in the shot. Without it you will either have a blown out sky/snow or an underexposed skier.


Examples below show how flashes help the subject pop and stand out from the background as well as even out shadows caused by the sun

Click for larger image
Jul 6 2009 7:46PM
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davedinuzzo
Posts: 232 - Karma: 36
check my flickr for more examples, but yea... flashes are super important especially when its sunny
Jul 6 2009 7:48PM
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freezed
Posts: 12973 - Karma: 500
hahah
Jul 6 2009 8:17PM
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blackoutbill
Posts: 2918 - Karma: 282
Mmmmmmm. Yummy
Jul 7 2009 12:53AM
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Pippin
Posts: 4846 - Karma: 661
No tomatoes, what!!!

Flashes can be very useful- and can be very resourceful in the sun. You said that you would have it 30ft away, and thus that point makes the flash useless as you will be hardpressed to find a flash on the market that can overpower a full blown sun from 30ft away.

However if say conditions are cloudy and you are able to get you lightsource 5-10 ft away it can make the difference in a shot. Hopefully you have some sort of remote trigger for your flash - which helps gain that much more creative potential.
Jul 7 2009 1:01AM
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Pippin
Posts: 4846 - Karma: 661
"A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins." - thats what i like to hear
Jul 7 2009 1:20AM
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mmallender.
Posts: 5805 - Karma: 936
i live for posts like this.... made me laugh pretty hard
Jul 7 2009 1:30AM
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sirskizalot
Posts: 4370 - Karma: 161
hahahahaha. pwnd
Jul 7 2009 4:05AM
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chipkalback
Posts: 2255 - Karma: 30
like some other people in here have already said, people who say flashes won't work in the park on a sunny day are just wrong.

it also depends what kind of 'flash' you're talking about too. are you talking about a flash in terms of one shoe mounted canon 420EX or a multi strobe wireless setup?

i'm don't really dig this photo of mine as much as i used to but to illustrate a point, this was taken on a bright blue sunny day in the pipe at keystone 2 years ago

Click for larger image

Jul 7 2009 10:06AM
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Alex=God
Posts: 2422 - Karma: 139
shutup
Jul 7 2009 11:52AM
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Pippin
Posts: 4846 - Karma: 661
Coooool, what was your setup for that shot?
Jul 7 2009 11:53AM
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Alex=God
Posts: 2422 - Karma: 139
Click for larger image


Click for larger image

Jul 7 2009 11:55AM
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chipkalback
Posts: 2255 - Karma: 30
thanks, i'd have to go into the metadata in aperture to see what shutter speed/aper./iso i was shooting at which can't happen until i get back from vacation and i can get to my imac in denver, but i can tell you i was shooting with a canon 40D , one alienbees b1600 strobe, p.w. plus II's, and at the time i was just using the standard 7" reflector that comes with the a.b. strobes, but i now use the bigger 11" reflector and it definitely makes a difference! i'd be happy to post the metadata after i get back if anyone really cares that much?
Jul 7 2009 12:19PM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,270
flashes are useful in sun but i haven't brought myself around to buying one yet, too expensive and i don't use one enough to merit getting it over a lens
Jul 7 2009 12:19PM
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chipkalback
Posts: 2255 - Karma: 30
very true, go for the good glass first IMO

and if you watch the sun and pay attention to which direction you're shooting, the deck of a jump essentially becomes a giant reflector by a certain time of day

"you" as in anyone, not you directly no_steeze :)
Jul 7 2009 12:26PM
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davedinuzzo
Posts: 232 - Karma: 36
flashes can be fairly reasonably priced and are just as/if not more important that good glass when getting action shots



Jul 7 2009 12:50PM
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