Overpowering the sun effect

SethAlbritton · Mar 5, 2010

I want to accomplish the overpowering the sun effect. Which type of lights would I need to do this. Will a sb900 be sufficient for this or can I buy a type of studio lights to accomplish this. I would rather buy studio lights if that is possible, because I'm going to buy some anyway. Thanks in advance.

Big Mike · Mar 5, 2010

You could do it with either.

One advantage of using the SB900 is that is has a feature called Auto FP High Speed Sync. It allows you to use any shutter speed on your camera, which is a big advantage when you want to overpower the sun. The problem with this though, is that it really limits your working range.

With a studio light, you will be limited to the max sync speed of the camera, so you would need to close down the aperture to keep the sunlight in check...and as you close down the aperture, you need more and more light power. The SB900 is pretty powerful as far as Speedlights go, so depending on the situation, you may be be able to avoid Auto FP and stick to the max sync speed, but a good studio light (with an appropriate modifier) will give you more light to help overpower the sun.

Derrel · Mar 5, 2010

Seth, here are a couple of threads here on TPF that deal with the overpowering the sun effect http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...st-process-like-sports-illustrated-cover.html

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...to-gallery/126101-flash-bright-sunny-day.html

As far as studio lights and overpowering the sun, two things help tremenodosuly: the first thing is a camera with a hybrid CCD/mechanical shutter, and that means a Nikon D40 or D1x, or a low-end Sony 200 series camera, and 2: a sync cord or trigger and an Alien Bee monolight or two. Alien Bee manufacturer Paul C. Buff has a lighting forum as part of his web site, and in there he details how to shoot flash at ridiculously high speeds, with almost full power, using the Nikon D40 and its hybrid CCD/mechanical shutter. CCD sensors behave differently than CMOS or nMOS sensors, and Sony and Nikon ere the last two camera makers to use CCD sensors AND a mechanical shutter,so those cameras have shutter and sensor systems that, in convert, allow yo to jack the shutter speeds up really,really high, like 1/4000 second, which at let;'s say f/8, will make the naturally-lighted areas lit by the sun go exceedingly dark, but the foreground, lighted by flash, will have beautiful lighting.