My First Time Capturing Motion

[aommaster]

Hi there!

Here's a shot I managed to take with my Micro Nikkor 40mm that I would like some critique on. I got really lucky taking this shot, got it perfectly on the first try. Any subsequent tries didn't look as good.

I do have a question on implementation though. I took this shot with my on-camera flash (no speedlight), in a dark room with a slightly long exposure (1/5 sec). But I'm starting to question why I did that in the first place. I could have easily taken the shot which a higher shutter speed and not have to take it in the dark at all. Combined with the flash and a bright room, I could have reduced the aperture down from the f/5.6 I was using (I picked this aperture because it sits roughly in the middle between the max and the minimum, something which I understand results in the best image quality from a lens) and gotten an even bigger depth of field.

Any suggestions (particularly on technique) as to how this can be improved? How would you have taken this shot, given very limited gear? I'm fairly new and just trying to take different types of photos to hone my skills. Any advice from experts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[goooner]

Not bad for on camera flash. The reason to darken the room imo is to freeze your motion regardless of shutter-speed. This means that the sensor will record the image only for the brief time the flash lights up the scene (the time depends on the flash, and the power it is set to).

 

[aommaster]

Hi!

Thanks for your reply! Are there any advantages to using a dark room + flash as opposed to a really high shutter speed? Or is it simply a matter of choice?

The only reason I can think of is to control the lighting. Would that be a valid reason? Maybe if I had some external flashes and I wanted to control where the lights actually hit the subject.

 

[goooner]

Normally you can't go faster than 1/200 while using a flash-the flash sync speed. This differs from camera to camera, but rarely exceed 1/320. Another option is HSS flash, or whatever your camera make calls it, but I don't think your pop up flash will be able to do that.

I did this when I had a canon flash and a nikon body, and no compatible triggers. Focused in the bright room. Switched my lens to MF after focusing. Set a 1 second exposure, switch off the lights, and use the test button on the flash to light up the subject. Was quite fun, and you can get multiple flashes if you increase your shutter speed more.

 

[aommaster]

Hi!

That's very interesting indeed. Something I might try if I ever end up buying a speedlight. For the setup, I did something very similar. I focused in normal lighting, switched to manual and then turned off the lights. But the idea with the longer shutter speed and multiple flashes is something I never considered. I might try it later, once I'm more comfortable with my camera.

Thanks for the information! It's very useful for me as I'm just starting out.

 

[Braineack]

Some of the newer flashes on the market can do strobe lighting for that.

Even my $40 VK750 unit does that.

 

[aommaster]

That seems like a great price Braineack. I was a bit reluctant on buying a flash as I am still fairly new and just trying to learn the basic techniques required for photography. But for such a low price, I think the learning experience might be worth it.

Would you happen to know how well this flash would work with a D5300? And as someone that has experience with this, would you recommend such a flash for a beginner?