Help with picture taken with a flash and bouncing the light

Spoony

Spoony

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Nick
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Hello Folks

I was playing with my brother-in-laws flash (first time i had used one)

I was trying to bounce the flash off the ceiling but managed to get this line.

Is it down to the setting on the flash, camera or both?

Do i need to read a book to be able to use a flash properly?

My thoughts are its something to do with the shutter speed (but i know nothing) :thinking:

DSC_2327_019_800x531_.jpg


any advice will be greatly received :)

Ta
 
Looks like something got in the way of the (flash) light. A lightshade or fitting on the ceiling perhaps?
 
Could also be you had the shutter speed to high to syc with the flash. I know that with mine anything over 1/160 sec then I get a solid line halfway through my image.
 
wontolla said:
Looks like something got in the way of the (flash) light. A lightshade or fitting on the ceiling perhaps?
Click to expand...

if i was laying on the floor very close to the dining room table (ok under the table a bit)

do you think the light could have hit the table edge and caused this effect?
 
Jujitsu1 said:
Could also be you had the shutter speed to high to syc with the flash. I know that with mine anything over 1/160 sec then I get a solid line halfway through my image.
Click to expand...

fabs said:
I'd say the shutter speed was too fast. The max sync speed of your flash is probably around 1/200th to 1/250th, at 1/500th, your shutter wouldn't have been open long enough for the curtain which is what you're seeing at the bottom of the image.
Click to expand...

I did have the SS high as he kept moving. some of the shots are ok, but i kept playing with camera and flash settings and direction. so i was not sure what i did to correct the light!
 
I'd say fabs in spot on, looks like the shutter curtain due to shooting faster than your max sync speed... Just get your speed below 1/200 or 1/250 depending on your camera
 
looks like shutter speed was 1/500th
the flash will freeze the motion so no real need to go beyond 1/100th IMHO
 
Shutter speed is 1/500sec on the Exif, and it should be no higher than 1/200sec on a D5000. Depending on the gun/camera, you are often prevented from going above the max x-sync speed unless you have high speed sync capability on the gun.

The ambient is also quite high (taken at f/1.8) so the daylight has semi-burned through on the bottom half.
 
the d5000 has a maximum flash sync speed of 1/200 - which will explain the light. as said above dont go over 1/200 shutter speed if using flash and you should be alright.
 
I had the same happen to me on Saturday night. Was taking pictures in a pub/resturant and noticed a small black band at the bottom. Then I relised I'd knocked the selector from P to Tv and the shutter speed was 1/250.... D'oh!
 
It's how the camera works with flash, at speeds under the maximum flash sync speed (which seems to be 1/200 sec on your camera) the shutter which has two blinds (shutter curtains) one blind opens, the flash fires and the other blind closes.
At speeds over the flash sync the two blinds are not fully open but move as a slit across the sensor, the slit narrows as the speed increases, this means depending on speed when the flash fires only part of the sensor is uncovered while the flash goes off, so only part of it is lit by the flash.
 
It’s great what you can learn from this forum, being a total beginner it’s hard to know where to start! :eek:

Now i know i have a maxim shutter speed when using the flash ;)

Inadvertently i have also learnt a bit more about apertures and how it can affect light.

Thanks for the help and advice it really is appreciated. :)

I might be bothered to read a book at some point, but i rather enjoy trial and error.
 
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