taken by my mate sam, trying a remote flash. i think he needs another one or 2

PICS HERE

He’s got enough flashes. Just not aimed correctly. Light is washing over the woodwork not the ride.

they seem too shadowy

I’m not sure the flash under the rider thing is working

No experience of off csmera flash but I know a forum where a couple of people with decent MTB picks lurk, including use of off amera flash. Let me know if you/Sam are interested

It’s a nice effect, but agree that the flash needs focused more. Pretty cool photo however.

Can I politely suggest your mate Sam has a look at, assuming he has not already, takes a look at http://www.strobist.com as a fantastic resource for off camera flash tips.

Kev

cheers guys for the input . i’ll point him to this thread too 🙂

Im no expert but from the few times ive tried it i found you need to pull the light further forward or you cant see any detail in the rider. Unless he was going for one of those fancy BMX mag type shoots, in which case i think lifting the flash closer to the rider or zooming it in (if it has that function) might help.

Here is one of mine…

Flash on the floor, out of LOS of the rider, just enough power to match ambient light.

093 by dickyelsdon, on Flickr

A more arty shot, rider is my cousin shot by one of his mates (who is pretty good shooter from what ive seen). Good example of a powerful flash positioned well.

aidan table by JohnnyYFE, on Flickr

I’d agree that the flash should perhaps have been a bit higher up. It appears to be firing under the rider a bit too much.

Do you know where it was positioned? It looks like it was pointing up at the rider, behind that landing ramp??

I would perhaps have tried on the left hand side (in the pic) of the North Shore stuff that carries on round from where the rider is exiting it.
Might have needed one underneath too, though?

cant remmeber where the flash was. we were just riding and he took pics when he wanted

I’d love to come up and take some pics of you riding there Jedi… 🙂

bring your bike too peter! 🙂

Send him on the Seb Rogers photo course.

He’d learn a lot. He also covers off camera flash.

Seb Rogers photo course 2009

I’d love to come up and take some pics of you riding there Jedi…

Same here.. 😀

I agree needed to be on the right of the ride pointing to highlight his face and body more. It’s tricky to get right but done well looks good.

Stato is righ there’s a fine balance between getting to fill light and OTT to bright MBR cover shot look. Or you an do the arty effect like in his second example.

Not used my remote for some time now so probably way out of practice myself.

Jedi, I might do that at some point. I’m a bit bored of snapping riders on woody singletrack (Been there, done that) I reckon I could get some decent shots round your way…. That’s what I was thinking at the weekend anyway!

Thanks for the comments guys, this was literally the first time Ive tried using a remote flash at the shore, The positioning of the flash isnt great as the shadows being cast cover so much of the rider. But part of the reason for the position was to try and hide it in the scene rather than having to shop out the flash afterwards.

Ill keep using it and the results should improve, it took a little while just to get my settings right on the camera, so its definitely going to take a while to get used to it.

[SRP}

Try getting some “ball bungies”. I use them to mount the flash to trees or even upside down bikes to lift the light source off the ground.

Like this
When there isn’t a tree to use as a lightstand… by andymatthewsphotography.com, on Flickr

Link to ball bungees here

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/10-x-BALL-BUNGEES-TARPAULIN-TARP-BUNGEE-CORD-TRAMPOLINE-/200553133063?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2eb1e5f407#ht_1686wt_1199