Just wondering if people use a proper flash to get really good biking pics. If so what kind of flash and how do you use it.

Please post any pics of the results

Always looks staged and cheesy IME. Think of all those WhatMB / MBR cover shots.

sheldon would beg to differ, i expect

Seb Rogers

Handy when it is dark:

Shot with an SB-800. First time I’d used an off-camera flash (it was a mates) and I was a bit pished (it was SITS).

Ive been playing around with an external flash as, like the others have said, i find onboard flash shots ‘cheesy’

This is what i bought LINK as well as a nissin remote wire thing.

Here is a shot without it…

Here is a shot with the Flash…

Tho you can get it wrong and end up with it a bit bright…

(i take no responsability for the riders choice of socks)

heres mine. I uses a variety of flash setups (upto 4) all with remote triggers. If you need more info or help then please feel free to drop me an email

more here

[/url]http://www.flickr.com/photos/snapper036/sets/72157609485980486/[/url]

1 off camera, bish bash bosh

trailmonkey – Member
Always looks staged and cheesy IME. Think of all those WhatMB / MBR cover shots.

Posted 1 hour ago #
sockpuppet – Member
sheldon would beg to differ, i expect

Posted 1 hour ago #

Yeah, in fairness, that was a bit of a sweeping statement and not everyone’s shots come out looking like MBR cover shots. Some do though and I don’t like them.

Snapper – That bottom shot is awesome

Snapper – That bottom shot is awesome

Why, thank you (goes away blushing) ;0)

there’s alot more here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/snapper036/sets/72157615263140174/

and here….

http://www.flickr.com/photos/snapper036/sets/72157609485980486/

On a bright sunny day they are useful for removing or lightening the shadows from faces. Both these were using a speedlite on camera.

Flash, when used well (not saying I necessarily can!), is an amazing tool that open up lots of possibilities, especially when shooting fast paced action in poor light.

You can add a sense of motion and speed, freeze the action, fill in shadows when backlit or pull the subject out of the background.

Or, it can look rubbish.

Of course, it’s all down to personal opinion at the end of the day!

Here’s one with the flash zoomed in, full power, to pull the rider out of the background:

Some more flash shots from my
Flickr photostream that I quite like!

Check out strobist.com for endless tips and advice.

That top one is insane!

Thanks for all the replys, looks like flashes can really enhance some mtb photos. Will send you an email snapper.

I can’t tell that a flash was used in the Atherton’s gap shot. Maybe that’s a good thing, but I’d imagine a fast prime would have captured the same image.

click here no1

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vt2giant/3493114575/in/photostream/

Some great photos. Have to say if I could arrange a shot JUST as well as a WBM cover shot I’d be well happy!

I’ve got a Nikon and a sb800 flash so have been playing around with using it off camera. I also found playing around with slow shutter speeds with a rear synced flash(I think that’s what its called – when the flash goes off at the end of the exposure) gave some really nice effects.

I have some nice studio lights at work and a powerful inverter. When I can be bothered I’d like to take them out and set up and see what I could manage. You just have to either find a lot of riders prepared to do the same thing over and over, or one very vain bloke!

I’m not doing very well here.
Trying to post up an image, but thus far I have a link and then the full URL.

Last try!
[/url]
AAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

^^

OK cleaver-clogs
😉
What’s the correct link / method ?
D700. Always an f2.8 zoom or a 1.4 prime. SB800. 1x Wizard. Dalby Forest.
Tim

I can’t tell that a flash was used in the Atherton’s gap shot. Maybe that’s a good thing, but I’d imagine a fast prime would have captured the same image.

A fast lens would have got the light in for sure, but I used a big flash, manually zoomed to full, to highlight Sam and help ‘lift’ him out of the background. I reckon a bigger aperture would have given a lighter background and darker rider so less ‘pop’. It also let me drop the aperture a bit for more latitude on focal depth. I wasn’t about to ask him to go again!

On the original you can see the flash has hit him nicely! Full story of the shot here for anyone interested.

What’s the correct link / method ?

Use the ‘img’ tags either side of the link to your photo.

[ img ] yoursitedotcom/yourphoto.jpg [ /img ]

but without spaces.