Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

I was shooting at a slow shutter speed for blurring waterfalls (1/6 second) and using an Ultra 1200 in a 60" umbrella to apply some fill-light to subjects near it.

I got the water blur, but I also got "sharp, bright white fireflies" too from the flash. Guess the flash is too fast. All I can find web-wise is "To NEVER, EVER use flash by waterfalls." Ugh!

Anyone know a way to fix this? Any slower popping flash made anyplace? I know the Nikon speedlights are capable of doing some high-speed continuous flash, but the power (GN) is very weak too. Probably would make even more "flash fireflies" too?

Tia.

Mack

There is no flash made that can flash slow enough to allow the nice sea foam look you want while shooting waterfalls. Flash will always freeze the water drops, as you have seen.

Depending on the relative positions of the water fall and subjects, you can pull the subjects away and place the flash closer. This will let the light fall off to the point it will not light up any of the water.

If the water is spraying around the subject, then you may want to use a continuous source of light. The new VLX is powerful enough to run 2-150W model lights, or 1-250W light (actually about 400W total). You will want to run it for short periods so as to not deplete the battery.

Thanks.

I'll look at the old blue photofloods and see what they work out to be with the VLX as to exposure. Least they still are available.

I did find some old #33 flashbulbs that burn for 1.75 seconds with a .4 second time to full burn. Might be a bit for the newer cameras to use since the old film ones had some sync that triggered quicker than electronic. Allegedly brighter than electronic too. Only one flashbulb company still around making them in Ireland.

That or go back to mixing magnesium powder and ammonia nitrate for an oxidizer like the really old days, or find some old Kodak Flash Powder in a can somewhere. I used to play with that old stuff but it used a fuse (aluminum Xmas tree tensile worked then) that took 120 volts AC via a low-voltage relay off the FP sync socket to fire the powder. Makes a lot of smoke too! Newspaper used it to light train accidents by pouring on the ground and setting it off on Bulb.

Never realized waterfalls were such a mess to shoot and use fill flash around.

Mack

Hi Mack

You will probably still have to deal with the specular highlights in the water due to the small size of the light source.

Tech support has it right, it's best to adjust your lighting and positioning of the subjects if possible. Your photo is actually 2 shots composed in-camera. The 1/6 second photo using the ambient light and the second fill of the strobe. The other option is to shoot an additional image without the strobe and compose the 2 in post with masking.

j