Night shot, tell me how?

[Murphy]

1st, thanks for taking your time to read this thread and hopefully have some answers for my question.

Allow me to first tell you what equipment I have available to use in trying to accomplish the task at hand.

Canon AE-1 Program
Lens available
25mm 1:2.8
50mm 1:1.4
35-70mm 1:4

The challenge? Take a photo of a person shooting a handgun using nothing but the muzzle flash coming from the handgun at night for illumination. The camera will be placed to the side, and in front of the subject. I know some will consider this extremely dangerous. However, the shootist is a professional and all safety precautions will be taken to avoid any harm to the camera. A shutter release will be used.

Thanks,

Murphy

 

[DeadEye]

Well just hold the shutter open just before the trigger is pulled till after you hear the shot like bulb exposure except this is powder flash:thumbup:

 

[xfloggingkylex]

are you expecting to light the entire scene with the flash? or are you saying that you only want the flash to be visible.

It sounds like you already have everything set up, and you have quality glass so I dont think you're quite a photo noob.

Maybe I misunderstood the question though?

 

[Murphy]

are you expecting to light the entire scene with the flash? or are you saying that you only want the flash to be visible.

It sounds like you already have everything set up, and you have quality glass so I dont think you're quite a photo noob.

Maybe I misunderstood the question though?

Thanks for the reply. While I do have the equipment, I have never truly used it the way I would like too. Actually I just recently aquired the lens other than the 50mm 1:1.4

I've always used my camera in Program mode and am just now venturing out into manual settings and experimenting.

What I hope to accomplish is to get the subjects face, arms and the handgun more than anything, starting from about the waist/chest level up.

What do you advise in the way of F stop settings and film ISO? The open shutter was something I was pretty sure was going to be a neccesity.

Any help at all with which lens and settings would be greatly appreciated. And I don't mind burning a couple of rolls of film in trying something new, which is pretty much a given at this time for me.

Thanks,

Murphy

 

[Patrice]

I think you are going to have to be a bit creative with the set up. You'll have to throw or reflect some light back onto the shooter. Can you have him shoot through a white cardboard? 2' x 2' or 3' x 3' propped up so as to be centred on the barrel will reflect some of the light back on the shooter. I would also use an off camera flash set up near the shooter and aimed at the cardboard and fired with a light sensitive diode device. This would light the shooter just a bit more. Make sure not to flare into your lens with the flash though. Good luck, sounds like fun.

Pat

 

[RedDevilUK]

personally i think the muzzle flash could work....

is the scene in total blackness...no other light at all?

if there is even the slightest light, so you can see with your eyes ok, then i think just the muzzle will work

try f9 on bulb and open shutter, on the count of 3 get him too fire.... you continue your count to 6 or 7 then shut the shutter.

you could try a few shots (no pun intended ) with different f#

the area where you are working is very important... if its totally black then the advice of Patrice could be usefull

maybe the slow exposure combined with someone shining a torch at the subject might work

even better make a camp fire to add a nice touch, and have the subject stood close to the fire....enough to illuminate them slightly

good luck, and show us the pics when youve done, sounds interesing