I Need Help on Flash Gun Technique for Shooting Interiors

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James Sparham

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James
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Hi all

I photograph office interiors for my company and need some help regarding my technique. On one of our project shoots I was asked to shadow a pro photographer and noticed he was using flash guns pointed at the ceiling/wall.

The closest example I can find is this video:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkYgEqcLCsU


This is a technique I would like to try, but have no idea where to start. Can anyone shed some light regarding the questions below?

What is this technique called?
Can anyone recommend a flash gun?
What stand/tripod do I need for the flash gun?
How does the guy in the video take the photograph at the same time as the flash guns going off?

I'm as intrigued as I am clueless!

Any help or links to blogs/vids would be much appreciated

James
 
James Sparham said:
What is this technique called?
Click to expand...
Bounce flash
James Sparham said:
Can anyone recommend a flash gun?
Click to expand...
anything compatible with your camera and within your budget
James Sparham said:
What stand/tripod do I need for the flash gun?
Click to expand...
anything light that goes up around 2,7+ m
James Sparham said:
How does the guy in the video take the photograph at the same time as the flash guns going off?
Click to expand...
they are remotely radio triggered.
 
What is this technique called?
Bouncing the flash
Can anyone recommend a flash gun?
It’s budget dependent and will vary with whatever else you shoot (see below*)
What stand/tripod do I need for the flash gun?
Any flash stand will do, but if you’ve an old tripod knocking about it’ll work, but with either a tripod or stand, you’ll need a flash bracket
How does the guy in the video take the photograph at the same time as the flash guns going off?
Using a remote trigger to fire the flashes (probably radio)

* the cheapest convenient flashes are probably Manual Yongnuo 560 (III or IV) at £50 or £55 ish each and a 560tx transmitter, this set up will allow setting flash power from the camera position, and you can buy a bundle from Amazon.

If you need a convenient on camera flash, and you might want to buy bigger better flashes later, the better option is to buy into Godox. Start with TT600 Manual flashguns, TT685 for full-size speedlights, x1t or x-pro transmitter. Actually forget the Yongnuo advice, just go for the Godox.

Oops, cross posted with Kodiak.
 
Kodiak Qc said:
Two are better than one, Phil! :D

Bounce flash is not the right way to say that? :confused:
Click to expand...
Bounce flash is correct so is bouncing the flash.
The more flashes you have available the better. then you can use as many or few as needed.

However sometimes you can shoot available light, to better match the designers intention.
I took this three shot stitched pan last weekend. on my little X30 hand held.
satalite center pan WEB by Terry Andrews, on Flickr
 
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Beware of colour cast caused by existing lights due to their colour temperature, maybe read up on mixed light source and its effects and beware of "shadows"/banding of light caused by the flickering of flourescent light at certain frequencies that might be seen by your camera but not by you.
 
Thank you all for commenting. You've given me some great info here. No doubt I'll have more questions on this in the future!

Happy Easter :)
 
Try following searches on You Tube, they look repetitive but you will get different results come up for each.

- Photographing interiors with flash
- Photographing interiors with bounce flash
- Using bounce flash
- Photographing interiors
- Architectural photography
- How do radio triggers work
- Off camera flash

You could do the same searches on Google too, if you are more a reader than a watcher. You will find tons of info. Lots of USA photographers put up real estate photography videos and info too, as decent room photography is a much bigger thing there.
 
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soeren said:
Ive tried bouncing my flash, it broke on impact.
Click to expand...
I bounced a canon one, it still worked but smashed the red cover. Bought a spare and all was well.

I once exploded a large capacitor in a professioal highspeed Braun flash during a service at a Catholic wedding. The priest had agreed to the Brides wish to have flash photography throghout the service, something I had never done previously. It seems someone with greater authority objected.
In the 70's the repair cost was over £60. A great deal of money then. It was a great powerful flash as it could cover a large group at F8 400Asa with a 2 second recycle time.
 
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