Outdoor action shots with flash

[AZ Mikey]

So, I was having a conversation with Photo-John yesterday that started when he posted this photo at MTBR. I had sent him a follow up private message about shooting outdoor action with my G2 and a 420EX flash and he suggested that I take it here to the new message boards.

Since I live in Arizona and we almost always have bright sunny conditions, my initial thought is that the 420EX could best be used to help reduce shadows on people's faces. Any other benefit to using this flash unit outside in sunny conditions?

Mike

[Photo-John]

Mikey-
You got it. You know how harsh the shadows are at mid-day? If you use your flash you'll be able to shoot in bright light, and open up shadows on a rider's face, at any time of day. And you can also start to get creative by using backlighting and flash at the same time. You could shoot a rider coming at you, with the sun behind him, letting the background overexpose, and use the power of the 420EX to get light on your rider, even from a fair distance. You'll also have more light to work with in early morning and the evening. And I know you guys ride at dawn in the summer. That flash will come in handy during those summer rides.

John

[AZ Mikey]

You could shoot a rider coming at you, with the sun behind him, letting the background overexpose, and use the power of the 420EX to get light on your rider, even from a fair distance. You'll also have more light to work with in early morning and the evening. And I know you guys ride at dawn in the summer. That flash will come in handy during those summer rides.

John

Thanks John. In the "sun behind the rider scenario" would I try to meter the area that a rider will pass through in order to get the overexposed background? That always seems to be a challenge when doing any mountain biking shots, more often than not you only get that one chance to make the picture.

I'm going to practice action shots during some local jumping sessions when I get the chance.

Summer rides here in Phoenix are hard to photograph, we usually start riding by 5:30 and want to get off the trail before the major heat starts. Flagstaff in the summer is another story though, the flash will be a big help in the shadows of the pine forests.

Mike

[Photo-John]

Meter whatever you want. Think about what you want the background to look like. Using flash creatively is almost like making two exposures at the same time. You set up your main exposure for the background, and you use the flash to expose your subject. Start thinking like that and a whole new world of possibility will open up to you.

[Ouvinen]

First of all let me welcome myself to this forum. So, you've got yet another bike photographer participating in the discussion. I always felt there was demand for a sports photography forum. A big thumbs up for John and everyone involved in setting this up.

Flash is one thing I'm just learning. One thing is for sure, I need a proper flash, I'm totally fed up with my Metz. I want fast sync and strobe flash, so I guess I've gotta buy e 550EX or something. (Also my Metz doesn't swivel, not that it matters in bike shots, but otherwise...)

Second curtain flash is one thing I should master. Here's one I tried actually quite a long time ago. It seems it should be darker for the flash to properly expose the subject and the background not to shine through, am I right?

[another view]

"It seems it should be darker for the flash to properly expose the subject and the background not to shine through, am I right?"

That would work, but it's not the only way. If the flash had more output that could do it to, but on-camera flashes will be limited to about what you see. Another option would be to use a slave trigger so the flash would be away from the camera but closer to the subject (more light on subject). Cool shot!

[FREELANCE2004]

First of all let me welcome myself to this forum. So, you've got yet another bike photographer participating in the discussion. I always felt there was demand for a sports photography forum. A big thumbs up for John and everyone involved in setting this up.

Flash is one thing I'm just learning. One thing is for sure, I need a proper flash, I'm totally fed up with my Metz. I want fast sync and strobe flash, so I guess I've gotta buy e 550EX or something. (Also my Metz doesn't swivel, not that it matters in bike shots, but otherwise...)

Second curtain flash is one thing I should master. Here's one I tried actually quite a long time ago. It seems it should be darker for the flash to properly expose the subject and the background not to shine through, am I right?

YOU NEED TO BUY YOU A SUNPAK 544,A HOT SHO ADAPTER,AND RECHARGEABLE AA BATTERIES FOR FLASH.YOUR FLASH IS WHAT STOPS YOUR ACTION,YOU CAN SHOOT AT SHUTTER PRIORITY AND FIX YOUR BLUR.
SHOOT AT SYNC SPEED AND LET CAMERA PICK APERATURE.THIS WILL WORK EVERYTIME,I PROMISE.YOU DONT HAVE TO SHOOT VERY FAST SHUTTER SPEEDS JUST BECAUSE ITS A ACTION SHOT.NORMALLY BACKGROUND DEPTH DOESNT MATTER AS MUCH IN ACTION SHOTS,AS LONG AS YOU GET YOUR SUBJECT.SHOOT AUTO FOCUS AND SHOOT FLASH ON AUTO AT FULL POWER SETTINGON THE 544.ITS A PRO FLASH I USE FOR BASKETBALL TO WEDDINGS.
CALL IF YOU NEED
FREELANCE1031@AOL.COM