My kid in his Christmas jammies

Sweetsomedays · Dec 1, 2007

He's was really being a ham.

Taken with D300 SOOC, resized and sharpened for web, flash used.
ISO 400, f/2, ss 60

I am trying to learn how to do the shutter drag thingy...did I do it??

Sw1tchFX · Dec 1, 2007

good shots, but bad example of the shutter drag. The flash was bounced, so nobody has any idea what the ambient lighting was like. That's the whole point on dragging it.

Sweetsomedays · Dec 1, 2007

There was one lamp on in the room with one of the power saver bulbs and the tree. I took a pic of the room with no flash and all I could see was an orange glow to the right and the tree lights.

So there is no point in dragging the shutter if you bounce it??

Sideburns · Dec 2, 2007

what is dragging shutter?

Sweetsomedays · Dec 2, 2007

Wait...stupid moment. I think I get it.
It's a well lit shot BUT not if I was trying to preserve the natural state of the room. I should of bounced my flash from the same direction of as the lamp that was in the room and not allow the light of my flash to overpower the ambient light from the tree and lam. Yes? It's not just about trying to get a well lit photo it's about creating a mood. I feel like an idiot.

Here ya go sideburns.
http://planetneil.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/3-dragging-the-shutter/

eravedesigns · Dec 2, 2007

or you could do a rear shutter flash so hit your shutter release and its gonna take in all the natural light and then the strobe goes off when the shutters closing so you get the sharpenss but also the natural light. I think that woudl work.

Sweetsomedays · Dec 2, 2007

I don't know how to do that...but I will learn. It would still pickup light from the flash right? Cuz the room was totally dark aside from the lil lights on the tree and lamp(which is very very dim) and it was pitch black outside so there was no "natural" light.

eravedesigns · Dec 2, 2007

yes you would still get the light from the flash because what its doing is exposing with the natural light first for a bit and then bam it puts in the flash light after it does that.

Sweetsomedays · Dec 2, 2007

AAH! Thank you! I will be trying that very soon

Trenton Romulox · Dec 2, 2007

Good shots. Quick question for the OP, 80-200mm, how is that? I might be picking one up this week for a concert. Is it a good low-light performer?

Sweetsomedays · Dec 3, 2007

Yup! I shot a horse show at night with overhead stadium lights (that didn't put off good light). I was impressed with the results

Trenton Romulox · Dec 3, 2007

Sweetsomedays said:
Yup! I shot a horse show at night with overhead stadium lights (that didn't put off good light). I was impressed with the results

Nice! Do you find yourself wanting VR (70-200 f/2.8 VR)? Because I'm looking at getting one of the two, the 80-200, or the 70-200, and there is a pretty large cost gap, like $600 at least.

Sweetsomedays · Dec 3, 2007

Looked at the VR before I got the 80-200. Feel no need to get it. The 80-200 performs wonderfully and is super sharp. If my arms get tired I have a monopod but honestly don't use it very often, only if I know I am gonna need to use a slower shutter speed.

Lorielle99 · Dec 4, 2007

so cute he could be a model cuz i want whatever hes selling. i want a kid just to take pictures of it. i love kid pictures

bullshark · Dec 5, 2007

Expose for the ambient lighting to be maybe two stops under exposed with no flash. Then set up the flash on manual and adjust the aperture and the flash intensity to get the right exposure for your son. Once you have him exposing properly you can adjust the ambient lighiting very freely with the shutter speed. This works VERY well. read more about it on strobist.blogspot.com .. It has all the explanation you are looking for...