Ednsb Loc: Santa Barbara

I'm curious too..

canon Lee

Did she at least use a bracket?

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

Because these were staged photos, there were no restrictions. As I said, a good friend and the pro I worked with most always used three studio strobes.

canon Lee

I understood that you were saying that she."used a camera-mounted flash aimed directly at her subjects" for the whole shoot? That is what prompted me to ask about, brackets, red eye, shadows.

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

Nothing. Not even a freebie diffuser. Bare, on-camera flash pointed straight ahead.

Ednsb Loc: Santa Barbara

wow

Bill_de Loc: US

???? When shooting with an external flash, you can set it to fire in AF-assist mode. ????

https://www.photoworkout.com/focusing-in-dark-conditions-using-external-flash/


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crazydaddio Loc: Toronto Ontario Canada

I use on camera speedlight with a Gary Fong and 2 ++ speedlights on stands at 3/4 height to ceiling with bounce cards extended at 45deg to the ceiling. Every photo regardless of where I shoot around the room is shadowless and well exposed with the background 1-2 stops underexposed and some off-camera rim lighting in almost every photo. If you dont have a gary fong or other spreader, even extending a bounce card and angling at 45deg is still preferable.

I cannot imagine what a bare flash pointed directly at the subject will produce. (Well...I can imagine actually...not great :-)

If its just fill flash at low power and 1- 2 stop background underexposure...ok maybe it will be fine. If its a speedlight, then red eye isnt always there as the flash is far enough away from the lens so the bounce angle from the retina misses the lens....depends on the angle of the subject.

In the end, if you have to run and gun, speedlight on top of camera at 45degc with bounce card extended is the limit. I dont think I have ever fired the speedlight raw at the subject.

(Maybe I should try a couple shots direct...find out what I have been missing....hmmm)

Leitz Loc: Solms

Most likely she knows how to use a flash.

papa Loc: Rio Dell, CA

How true. I imagine that she might be the bottom of the barrel BARGAIN. Maybe a lot of people are so acclimated to the flat snap that they don't see the difference. If they do, then it may be a matter of dollars to spend. IMHO a pro is one whose primary income is received from a trade/craft.
To some "pro" means master and that ain't necessarily so, in fact, many masters (still mastering) consider themselves to be advanced amateurs,
but even they know more about lighting than the clown you spoke of here.

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

I’m sure she does. It is still the first time in 25 years that I’ve seen a pro shoot that way.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Yes, but at one time in the not too distant past that was the way they all worked except in studio or an elaborate set up with lights (think movie crew). And news photographers still work that way as well as many bird and wildlife photographers except they often add a "better beamer".

Maybe this photographer learned from one of those old pros who always used on camera flash because that was basically all they had.

Bill_de Loc: US

Canon, unless I missed it you didn't give a name. If you have it, have you checked to see if she has a web page or displays her work on Facebook?

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rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

I don't shoot events like this, but on-camera flash is all that works well for me. Sometimes I bounce, sometimes I use a diffuser. These days, as cameras handle higher ISO settings more gracefully, I don’t carry a flash with me if my bag is full. I would never judge someone else’s work by her/his technique.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

Usually a flash mounted on the hot shoe is far enough away from the lens to not cause red eye. Otherwise, I agree with the harsh lighting and shadows.