Creative Application of Godox Flashes: Freezing and Revealing fun for the holidays

#TheShutterbug

Overview

As photographers we work to communicate and document moments in time. By using compositional and technical techniques, we can convey a greater narrative with a frame, than a memory can do justice.

This technique that’ll have you telling a story with long exposure light trails and frozen motion. This technique is accomplished with a flash and a long shutter speed.

Your flash will serve as your initial exposure, freezing whatever hits in your image. Everything else picked up by your long shutter speed will generate the trail movement.

This example photo above was taken at the Washington State Fair in Puyallup, but feel free to incorporate these techniques into any setting with interesting lighting to freeze subjects and reveal motion.

For ISO 800 – F/11 – 2/3th sec. the Prerequisites are:

• A DSLR or Mirrorless Camera
• Godox V1 Flash
• Lights that contrast your scene
• Subject within your flash range

ISO 640 – F/7.1 – 1/2 sec.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed and overexpose shots when trying new techniques, so be sure to familiarize yourself with this type of double exposure before getting too concerned with framing or directing your subjects.

ISO 2500 – F/4 – 1/2 sec.

1. Start by identifying your illuminated moving scene and subject.
2. Set your flash strength to the appropriate strength to reach the subject. I typically set mine around 1/16 or 1/8th of the maximum power output.
3. Set your aperture for the depth of field of your subject. I typically set mine between f/4 and f/18 for these kinds of shots.
4. Now set your shutter speed to 1/3rd of a second.
5. Adjust ISO to your preference.
6. Taking the picture, you should have something like the above photo.

ISO 8000 – F/18 – 1/3 sec.

If you want a more frozen subject, increase your flash strength and lower your shutter speed.

If you want more revealed light motion, increase your shutter speed.

And that’s it!

Be sure to show us your results by posting them to Instagram and tagging us via story or post. @shutterbugoregon

Have fun freezing and revealing over the holidays!

Have more questions? Schedule a 1-on-1 in-person photo class at the Shutterbug (1 hr for $45) online or in-store! Need to rent a camera? Give us a call for availability at (503) 639-5088.