Fill Flash like David Alan Harvey

wilonstott

wilonstott

Wil O.
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Alright, this question may be a bit involved, but I think it could be a useful technique.

I just watched this youtube video on Harvey in Cuba and Trinidad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_1NbA4JtQM

I noticed that he is using a flash indoors quite a bit.
Now I know he uses a flash (vivitar 2800 specifically) with a warming gel for a lot of his nighttime street stuff--look no further than his work in Bahia, Brazil on Magnum.

However, I didn't know that he also used it as a fill flash for partially-lit lighting situations.
Here is a photo he did in Cuba, and you can see that session in the video and he is using a flash:

http://www.magnumphotos.com/Archive/C.aspx?VP3=ViewBox_VPage&VBID=2K1HZOWSXATBQ&IT=ZoomImage01_VForm&IID=2S5RYD10P2V6&PN=43&CT=Search

When I look at this photo, it is not obvious that he used a warmed-up fill flash.

Anyone got any info on this technique.
Currently I'm using a similar setup--Leica (m2, m4-p) and a vivitar 2800 with a stophen omni-bounce diffuser, and some CTO gels i got from a lighting company--Rosco I think.

What tips do you guys have about this technique?
Don't be afraid to be specific--I want all the info you have.

Thanks in advance.


EDIT: Oh yea--show examples--I love examples. :)
 
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These photos are not from Trinidad AND Cuba. None of these photos are taken in Trinidad, the country (Republic of Trinidad and Tobago) - all photos taken in Trinidad, the city in Cuba. Sorry, I am very particular about this since I do a lot of work in the Caribbean.

Fill flash is especially difficult with the Leica given very slow flash synch speed. Not so much of problem indoors...
 
Sorry for the mix up about the location--I was mistaken.

Also, I realize that outdoor fill flash is hard with Leica due to the slow sync speed.
However, my initial question is not concerned with outdoor fill flash--it is concerned with indoor fill flash.

If it "isn't much of a problem indoors," then fill me in on your technique.
 
Do you know if he is firing the flash mounted on or off camera?
You may already know of this site, but it's a great resource for flash users.

http://strobist.blogspot.com/

I'm not an expert in this area. But I do know that one of the common mistakes is relying too heavily on the flash. Generally, you don't want there to be more than 1 or 2 stops difference between the room's ambient light and the flash output.

When I'm shooting in that situation, I leave the flash off until I find a starting point exposure with the camera. Shooting digital, I'll use the histogram to help set the exposure.
Once I've done that, I'll add in the flash (on manual) and find a power setting that kicks in just enough light to create the look I'm going for. Using a SB800, that might only be 1/64 power. (i generally use a small shoot-through umbrella)

Depending on the light in the room, you may need to toy with the ratios, but you'll be able to preserve the look of the ambient light.
 
Fill flash indoors is not difficult- you simply set the flash at a low power setting (or a wide-ish aperture with an auto aperture thyristor flash like the 2800) and a slow-ish shutter speed (1/30th works great, and is a personal favorite; 1/15th and 1/50th are good too- though don't be afraid to go slower!). The slow shutter speeds bring in more available light- this is called "dragging" the shutter. The wider apertures or f2, 2.8 or 4 help bring in more available light, too. Using as much of the available light as you can helps mitigate the ugly flash look so many people think of with flash. It also helps open up the backgrounds. Remember that the flash will freeze the subject motion, so shutter speed isn't as much of a concern here. Slow speeds will really just mean blurred backgrounds- though very slow speeds will show some subject blur too.

It's using fill flash OUTDOORS , where you need faster shutter speeds to balance with the available light that is difficult to do with a Leica.

Sorry I don't have examples to post right now.
 
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The big question is; does he use auto or manual flash. I have one of these flashes and it has 2 auto settings and manual. He also has it cocked to kind of a half bounce and half direct. If he has it on a auto setting (which he might), he just sets the aperture picks an approximate shutter speed (but not too slow) and shoots. If he uses manual he knows the GN and set the aperture and try to be close to the right distance.

He did do one (and I've seen others) outdoor flash but is was a dusk, I would think he used manual and didn't have the flash angle cocked. Did he mention the film he uses? Some of them looked like slides.

Here is outdoor fill flash or maybe just flash taken in the shade. I used the flash the brighten up the subjects:

3871912671_519d2aaf2f.jpg
 
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I have one of those Leica flashes, but have not used it yet. Is there a cord available to make the flash off-camera?
 
Thardy said:
I have one of those Leica flashes, but have not used it yet. Is there a cord available to make the flash off-camera?
Click to expand...

If you've got a Leica flash (such as the SF20) and TTL on your Leica you can use either the Nikon SC-17 cord or the current Nikon SC-28 cord.

John
 
I am no expert but have had good luck bouncing the flash backwards off the ceiling. Exposure is a bit of trial and error with the flash on manual, full power. Often this allows me to obtain nice DOF shooting at f8-f16.
 
Here are a couple nice tutorials from Strobist about balancing a flash with ambient light.

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101-balancing-flash-and.html

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101balancing-flash-with.html

The key to this is having a flash with the ability to operate on manual mode with varying power levels. The SB800, for example, allows you to shoot anywhere from full power to 1/128 power.
The Vivitar 285 is a cheap option that's very popular and very good for this sort of thing.
 
This is a single exposure. I used a slow shutter speed and fired the flash at the end of the exposure. Is this the effect you are talking about?

slowdance.jpg
 
@charjohncarter--I'd be surprised if he's using manual. From the look of the video (a limited analysis if may yield), he works very fast. In manual he would have to check distance for every frame and adjust aperture--I don't think he's doing that. Also, Harvey uses (used--I think he's gone digital now) saturated slide film (velvia mostly) for the cuba stuff.

@Thardy--yes, I have a pigtail cord for mine and use it off-camera often. Just get one with a vivitar sync plug on one end (for the flash) and a pc (for camera--assuming leica) on the other. Cheap at B and H

@tbarker13--Thanks. Great links. Am still trying to digest it and transcribe for single-flash, on-camera, for film (as opposed to digital)

@Pickett Wilson--While that photo is very cool, it's not what I'm talking about. I've done this (flash and slow shutter speed) type of thing before. Although, none of my cameras have a second-curtain release (flash comes at the end of the exposure, as opposed to the begining). I suppose I want to be able to balance my diffused fill flash with ambient light--the point being that it looks like natural or ambient light, and the use of the flash is not readily apparent.

Great stuff so far--I want to hear more.
 
Just use an automatic flash, and set the flash to put out a stop or two less light than cameras exposure. If you are shooting ISO 400 film at f/8, lie to the flash and tell it you are shooting ISO 800 film at f/8. It will give you one stop less flash exposure than than the camera regardless of the distance.
 
Harvey uses all kinds of odd stuff as a diffuser (and to add color to flash). Beer bottles, nacho chips, flowers, band aids...you name it. There's a reason he's a "famous photographer." :)
 
wilonstott said:
@charjohncarter--I'd be surprised if he's using manual. From the look of the video (a limited analysis if may yield), he works very fast. In manual he would have to check distance for every frame and adjust aperture--I don't think he's doing that. Also, Harvey uses (used--I think he's gone digital now) saturated slide film (velvia mostly) for the cuba stuff.
Click to expand...

You are probably right (auto setting), especially if he is using slide film. Like I said I have this flash and it drops off quickly even on auto so he may adjust aperture to reach some of his outdoor subjects. If he has gone digital now, is that why nobody has seen his stuff lately? I haven't seen any.
 
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Harvey has just completed two stories for Natgeo, and is working on a book project, in addition to Burn. I'm not sure "semi-retired" is a good description for Harvey. lol
 
charjohncarter said:
The big question is; does he use auto or manual flash. I have one of these flashes and it has 2 auto settings and manual. He also has it cocked to kind of a half bounce and half direct. If he has it on a auto setting (which he might), he just sets the aperture picks an approximate shutter speed (but not too slow) and shoots. If he uses manual he knows the GN and set the aperture and try to be close to the right distance.
Click to expand...

Okay--here's what I think goes on with the Vivitar 2800.
I've been wondering how Harvey sets the flash:
(2 power modes--Red and Blue--)
The Red is 7 to 40 feet, and if set to 100iso (which is a velvia speed, although me may use 50) then the corresponding aperture is f/2.
The Blue is 3-6 feet, and at 100iso it should be f/4.

Alright, so I got the diffuser (omni-bounce) on the camera and set a 45 degree angle. When I test it, the blue only shows adequate coverage on the test light at like 5 feet (maybe less depending on reflectance). So there is some cut there.

This leads me to believe that the Red setting gets a substantial cut as well. Lets say 4-5 feet is safe (plenty of room judging from Harvey's photos where I assume he used this technique).

Okay, I bet he's shooting 100iso velvia (could be 50-but I bet 100) for the interior shots, and sets the flash on RED. Then, I bet he uses either f/2.8 or f/4 aperture with the Red flash setting. Thus, 1-2 stop drop on the flash.

Then I bet he takes his shutter speed right off the meter--and makes sure it corresponds with either f/2.8 or f/4 on the lens (which the meter would do automatically if the lens is set to either).


Essentially this is what Pickett said, but I had to work it out for myself, and I had to figure out how Harvey did it within the limitations of the Vivitar 2800.


EDIT: Also! He seems to be using the 28mm (in the video) with the flash most of the time. Which means, more depth of field at wider apertures compared to the 35mm. This falls in line with my previous line of reasoning---2.8 on 28mm has approx 3.43 ft DOF at 6ft (thank you online DOF calculator).
 
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