Calling all skateboard photographers...

[chrisburke]

I've been doing skateboard photos for a while now.. I love it.. its a lot of fun... but I've never really tried night time stuff.. mainly because I havent had the lighting.. I'm sure with the gear I have now I must be able to get some decent looking shots... But I'm actually kind of oblivious as to positioning of the lights and such... could anyone maybe give me some pointers.. even some setup ideas that I can practice with...

heres the gear I have...

Nikon D50
Nikon D40 with Phottix Battery Grip
AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6G ED
AF Nikkor 70-300mm 1:4-5.6G
Merkury Optics 52mm 0.45x Wide Lens w/Macro
SunPak PF30x Speedlight
Nikon SB-50DX Speedlight (this has a built in slave)
Nikon SC-29

I've also got a couple tripods and one of those work lights (the yellow ones..) but no stand for it..

heres a sample of what I really like... i assume most of the crisp look of this photo is because of the lighting...

http://img.skitch.com/20080921-emj8cbgkhb913a5nycxitmpue4.jpg

 

[Bifurcator]

I think you don't need much gear.

Camera on tripod (probably low to the ground!),
Set the aperture for a stop or two below (underexposed) what it would be if the flash were to be used normally in the scene.
Put the shutter on B,
Then with a remote in one hand and the flash in the other position yourself to flash the guy,
Start the camera before he gets into position and just when he gets there pop the flash and release the B - thus closing the shutter,
Check results and adjust as needed.

So, needed equipment is just a pod that can get low, a remote that supports B, and a flash you can fire by hand.

If you have an optical slave you could set up a second or third flash too if you wanted.

This method if done right, will expose the BG like cool night photography and freeze the skateboarder too. Don't go too long on the B or your skateboarder will be a ghost.

 

[chrisburke]

B i assume is bulb>??

 

[Bifurcator]

Yeah... Bulb... you control the shutter manually...

Open about one or two seconds before he gets there and close it fairly soon after you pop the flash. Use a lower ISO if your overexposing or ghosting the rider.

 

[Bifurcator]

Also if your iris is small enough you can step into the frame when you pop the flash and get some wicked flash stars (flares) without leaving any traces of you being in frame.

 

[chrisburke]

so am I firing the flash manually??? just trying to get the idea here...

set up the camera on tripod... use the remote... put it on blub mode... hit the shutter just before he does the trick, then when he's in position, hit the flash (manually??) then hit the shutter again to release it? is that what your saying? sorry i just sometimes need things laid out very plainly..

 

[Bifurcator]

Yup! you got it.

And if you have an optical slave ($10) you can setup a second flash for fill or whatever.

 

[chrisburke]

my second flash has a built in optical flash... so do I want to point the flash right at the skater or like beside him or where?? as i said, i'm new to night time stuff so I'm sorry if i sound like a noob...

 

[Ejazzle]

if you need extra light, car headlights help out alot too,

i wish i knew what an optical slave was...

 

[Bifurcator]

Positioning the second flash is totally up to you and the location you're shooting in. If you want some ideas on that do a search for "two point lighting" and "three point lighting" and that will likely give you some basis from which to get creative. There's probably lots of info at that "strobist" site too.


Ej,
An optical slave:

• http://www.aaroncake.net/circuits/slave.asp <--- Build
• http://www.diyphotography.net/very_cool_optical_slave_unit <--- Build
• http://www.google.com/products?hl=e...optical flash slave&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wf <--- Buy
• http://www.photocentric.net/canon_ettl_slave.htm <--- How To / What is.
• http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=268542 <--- Example

 

[chrisburke]

i wish i knew what an optical slave was...

an optical slave is something that you attach to your flash.. it has a sensor built in.. and when one flash goes off, the senor sees the flash and causes the other flash to go off as well... this is one here.. its bascially the poor mans pocket wizzard.. http://cgi.ebay.ca/Optical-Slave-Tr...7220827QQihZ009QQcategoryZ30084QQcmdZViewItem

but they work great.. my flash has one built in..

 

[goodoneian]

I've been doing skateboard photos for a while now.. I love it.. its a lot of fun... but I've never really tried night time stuff.. mainly because I havent had the lighting.. I'm sure with the gear I have now I must be able to get some decent looking shots... But I'm actually kind of oblivious as to positioning of the lights and such... could anyone maybe give me some pointers.. even some setup ideas that I can practice with...

heres the gear I have...

Nikon D50
Nikon D40 with Phottix Battery Grip
AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6G ED
AF Nikkor 70-300mm 1:4-5.6G
Merkury Optics 52mm 0.45x Wide Lens w/Macro
SunPak PF30x Speedlight
Nikon SB-50DX Speedlight (this has a built in slave)
Nikon SC-29

I've also got a couple tripods and one of those work lights (the yellow ones..) but no stand for it..

heres a sample of what I really like... i assume most of the crisp look of this photo is because of the lighting...

http://img.skitch.com/20080921-emj8cbgkhb913a5nycxitmpue4.jpg

assuming you can fire your flashes off camera you should be set as far as equipment goes. i agree with whoever said using your headlights to light up an area too, that's worked pretty good for me.

as far as that picture goes, i would guess there is just a single flash to the left of the frame about 5 feet up or so

 

[Kegger]

I always stay low with a wide angle and expose for the background. Then use flash to properly fill the skater.

Here's an example, though not a skateboarder.

 

[chrisburke]

you seem to have cut his hand off.. open the lens wider!! looks great though!!

 

[JerryPH]

No he did not, that's a finger sticking out of the guy's mouth... lol

I do agree about a minimum of 2-point lighting. A couple of strobes well placed will give you some awesome results.