Flash In The Garden

I very rarely use flash. In fact, the only flash unit I've got is the AF160FC ring flash, and that's for tiny things of course. But with daylight hours becoming fewer, and evenings darker, I wondered whether it would be useful for evening photography during the darker months. Of course, straight-on flash can produce flat pictures with glaring reflections. So an arm was knocked up from an L-bracket, a mini- ball head and a clamp and, hey presto!, the ring flash could be securely held to the side of the K3 + Irix 150mm. Here are some of the pictures from an hour or so going up the learning curve at dusk. The 1st is with flash above, the 2nd with flash on the lens, the 3rd is with flash to the left.

The only problem is that it produced a desire to get a standard flash unit to experiment with ring flash and/or 2nd flash. So guess what arrived yesterday...

Thoughts, comments etc. welcome as usual.

1. Flash above



2. Flash on lens



3. Flash to left



Steve

....and so a great adventure begins

That last shot stands out for me as being that little bit different , I suspect you're going to be having some fun with this

Nice going Steve, I like that last one too, it does have something special. I've never used a flash... hmmm...

Interesting set and another for No 3 👌

No. 3 for me also - artistic and mysterious.

Thanks folks, most encouraging!
That's the intention . With flash for dim light outside and macro in the kitchen for when I want the comforts of being indoors, there should be plenty to get my teeth into during the darker months.

Go on, Serge, you know you want to. It will take your creativity into new dimensions .

Steve

Well done Serge, with the images. But I think your already starting to answer your own questions. Ring flash will illuminate your subject matter. But always give you a flat ish, light. Even when on a bracket. It will struggle to provide enough power outdoors to light your subject. Especially if sometimes your at 150mm with your lens. And standing back from your subject. Try going off camera. and get yourself a flash unit. You dont need to spend a lot. Not even Pentax branded. Any manual flash unit will do. Though you need it to be able to zoom the beam. Plenty fit this bill for under a tenner on the second hand sites. Obviously then a pair of wireless manual triggers to fire the remote flash. again can be bought cheaply. And lastly some kind of support stand and bracket. This will be enough to set you on the road. It's great fun for not alot of outlay..

Thanks, stub. My natural inclination is to go in close, so the ring flash has plenty enough power for that. All three pictures were less that full power. However...
Done it already - flash unit plus wireless trigger. A whole new world is opening up!

Steve
PS: I'm Steve, not Serge - but our tastes do seem to overlap at times!

Sorry Steve.. My apologies.

...and I'll pop in to add: no offence taken on my side either!

Indeed they do!

Works well.... you have opened a whole new world for yourself. Flash is fascinating

Three is very interesting

The start of a new project?!

Next you will be wanting a diffuser or bounce card, a reflector…….!