lydiabpinkham Loc: Arlington, Tx

i recently received some strobe lights, never used them prior. only used continuous lights. Everything i read or video i have watched says setting the shutter speed to 125 or 250 and leaving it there is the way to go. adjusting the aperature is all that is needed
in doing that , my pictures are all blown out, to further confuse me, if i lower the shutter speed to 1/80, i may get an image at f9, but if i change it again to 1/60, the image is blown out. What am i missing

BebuLamar

It may help if you let us know the make and model of your camera and flash unit.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Are they new strobe lights or old strobe lights? Very old strobe lights may use moderately high voltage in the trigger circuitry, which has the capacity to damage solid state devices such as digital cameras. Newer strobe lights are built to use voltages that are compatible with digital cameras.

If your pictures are blown out you probably don't have a strobe that is controlled by your camera in the same way modern strobes are (or maybe you just don't have it set up that way). Older strobes just dump all the charge through the flash tube when they are triggered. Modern strobes can adjust the total energy put out by the strobe, and if compatible with the camera, can produce a pre-flash that enables the camera to determine how much energy is needed for the exposure and adjust the strobe accordingly.

If you can't adjust the strobe energy down enough to keep the images from blowing out, turn the strobe around to face away from the subject and bounce the light off a surface some distance away. The further away, the less energy you will get.

Setting the camera to 1/125 or 1/250 depends on your camera model. Basically you want a shutter speed that will produce a shutter that is completely open when the flash fires. Most cameras' shutter will be completely open when the shutter speed is longer than 1/125 or 1/250. Shorter shutter speeds will produce a narrow gap between the leaves of the shutter which moves across the sensor. If you fired the flash with that shutter speed you would only get a small portion of the sensor exposed and there would be one or two black bands on the image. If you use a longer shutter speed you can get contributions from the ambient light which may produce some motion blur.

twowindsbear

It sounds to me that you're using an automatic exposure mode on your camera. You need to manually set your shutter to the appropriate shutter value to properly sync with the flash. The choose a moderate ISO, perhaps 200. Then vary yhe lens opening to get proper exposure. Good luck

CO

We need more information. Are these studio strobes? If so, you will need to take light readings with an incident light meter unless the strobes are ones that have TTL metering. Put your camera in manual mode and enter the settings. A good starting point is ISO 100, f/8, and 1/125 second shutter speed. Adjust the strobe output level until you hit those numbers.

I use shutter speed priority with my light meter

(Download)

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Here's the best site I've found for learning about strobes.
https://strobist.blogspot.com/
--Bob

Quixdraw Loc: x

Excellent site!

Jay Drew Loc: Boise, Id.

Hi there
Can you answer some specific questions about your set up for us to help you?
What model camera? Not just the brand.
What model flash?
I can tell you this much, to help you get started:
I usually set my Nikon D series or Sony a series using a dedicated flash on program mode. If that doesn't result in a satisfactory exposure, I switch to manual mode w/ both & set the shutter speed to a 1/125 & f8 w/ the flash set to full power (1/1). That will usually give a wildly overexposed image. In which case I'd set the flash power down to ~1/8th & juggle the power ratio from there.
It all depends on what you are trying to accomplish. If I / we knew the model of your camera you are using I / we could possibly recommend a published book. Or you could go to Amazon & read the reviews of various manuals & buy one from there.
One more thing if you are using flash in low light situations, the shutter speed doesn't matter much so long it's, say, >1/60, but if you are trying to balance flash against sun light, then the shutter speed becomes much more important. Balancing daylight w/ flash is a much more complicated matter.
Please update us in your query.
Best wishes, Jay

Jay Drew Loc: Boise, Id.

"Are they new strobe lights or old strobe lights? Very old strobe lights may use moderately high voltage in the trigger circuitry, which has the capacity to damage solid state devices such as digital cameras. Newer strobe lights are built to use voltages that are compatible with digital cameras."

Yes, this is extremely important! Do not use this flash unit you know for sure. Google for it's trigger voltage.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

If you have never used electrionic flash before, you will need to gain a basic understanding of how it works, as to exposure settings, when it is the only light source and NOT being blended with natural light or used to augment natural light as to direction, or as a fill source for natural or existing light.

For the time being, the only important factor where the shutter speed needs consideration is to make sure it is set within your camera's maximum for proper synchronization. When the flash is the only light source, the sensor only "sees" the flash which has a duration, depending on the power setting, at an average of 1/1000 sec. Changing the shutter speed to accommodate ambient light comes later.

The main theory to grasp is that of the inverse square law. The correct exposure depends on the distance between the flash unit and the subject. In manual mode, it can be set by using the guide number supplied by the manufacturer as a starting point, making a test to verify or validate that number or change that number up as indicated by the tests, or by the use of a flash exposure meter.

You divide the guide number by the distance and arrive at eh f/stop. A GN of 100 at 10 feet away would rrequr an aperture setting of f/10, at 5 feet, f/20, etc.

This is extremely basic and unsophisticated. There are TTL automated modes that coordinate with your camera exposure system and many features built into all the modern flash gear, however, many photographers have difficulty in mastering a more sophisticated setup because they have no basic grounding in how flash works

If so far, all your images are washed out, this is likely caused by overexposure, If the images appear "flat" and unnatural, that has to do with the light setup as to the position and angle of the light or lights in relation to the subject.

If you specify the equipment you are using and the kind of work you are doing along and post some images that you are dissatisfied with, you will receive more specific remedial information. Be sure to check if the "(store original)" box next to the "Add Attachment" button.

If you are creating multiple lighting setups, as in portrait work, you will need to establish ratios but first, you need to know how to expose for the individual lights.

uhaas2009

Quick lesson: slower shutter speed means means more light reaches your pics-overexposure. In your case you could increase the shutter speed and/or decrease the output from your flash.
I would to get some basic lessons for understanding shutter speed, aperture, ISO.....if not flash may be frustrating to use

BebuLamar

The OP didn't response back. Without knowing the make and model of the camera and flash we wouldn't know what's wrong.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

You also have to adjust the power output of your strobes based on their distance from the subject and any diffusers. I think. I’m not a strobe user.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Maybe the tough to be a form that folks have to fill in when they ask technical questions or need some problem-solving solution. Stuff lie camera makes and model, flash make of model, other accessories etc.

They get everyone playing guessing games- it's a time-waster.

Without basic information, you have to be a detective rather than a technical advisor. Here's some deductive reasoning; The OP is not familiar with flag usage. He or she watched some tutorials but only extracted some partial information- not the total concepts. My guess is the camera is set for shutter priority or some other programmed settig for ambient light so whe the shutter speed is changed the aperture changes and overexposes for the flash. The camera has triggered the flash but is not calculating it in its automatic settings. Possibly, the cama is set at aperture priority, when the aperture is changed to shutter is so enough to admit too much ambient light and this the overexposure.

If the photographer has no idea of how the flash operates as to manual power output if it integrates with the camera's TTL circuitry, and fols are offering bits and pieces of advice- it's like a dog chasing its tail.

If fols just write exactly what they have and what they intend doing with it, the wood receives more concise information. And since the is a PHOTOGRAPHY forum, what not include pictures- the ones withte issues or pictures or the setup?

The question also mentions "strobes" plural. Are there all different ones? Are they to be used, on camera, individually, and/or in some kind of multiple lighting setups.

It also would be nice if folks responded to the follow-up questions or tell us if they have enough information to solve their problem.

BebuLamar

Sometimes I feel like the folks who asked the question didn't want the answers.