Slow shutter speed with flash (London and Toronto)
Posted by razzbuffnik on April 30th, 2007
Both photographs were taken using slow shutter speeds (about 0.25 seconds) with flash. This technique gives a great sense of movement.
Panning during the exposure gives the streaks and the short flash duration of the flash stops the action. When using this technique, it’s important to pan in the opposite direction of the moving object, otherwise the “streaks” will appear to be going forward (in front of the subject’s direction of movement), rather than backwards, which will make the subject look like it’s reversing.
Toronto 1984
Piccadilly Circus, London 1982
The Bus photo was also take with a gradated red filter. Back in the early 80’s Cokin gradated filters were the “new thing” in photography. One doesn’t see gradated filters being used so much now-a-days, except in TV commercials, where they are used to colour in dull overcast skies. You can usually tell when they are being used because the bottom half of the photo doesn’t have the same colour in its reflections as the predominant colour of the sky as would happen naturally.
April 30th, 2007 at 10:40 pm
I love the cab photo. In order to do that, do you need to set your camera to set off the flash at the end of the exposure? Or is that why you pan the opposite way, because the flash is at the beginning of the exposure? I’ve always wanted to try that with my climbing photography.
April 30th, 2007 at 11:02 pm
Just plug in the flash (or the flash sync cord) into your camera and shoot (the camera sets off the flash when you push the exposure button) whilst panning in the opposite direction of the subject movement.
Good luck.
October 1st, 2007 at 3:09 pm
Hey…I took a lucky, random stumble to your site!
Was looking for some slow shutter & flash shots. Your Toronto pic is incredible, you captured the cop brilliantly. It looks as if he’s being whipped into a Ghostbusters-style melee!
I’m just beginning to mess with the flash and shutter, you were doing it in 1984…it still looks so fresh
Take it easy, thanks for sharing
October 15th, 2007 at 2:02 am
Thanks Luncheonroll. Sorry about not putting your comments up sooner but I’ve been overseas on holidays.
If you’d like to see another slow shutter speed with flash shot I did years ago check out this link:
http://blog.allthedumbthings.com/2007/05/16/how-i-won-a-trip-to-mexico-vancover-bc-canada/
June 3rd, 2008 at 7:44 pm
Great pictures