Flowers Flashed

Just messing around with the flash gear, I found the only worthy subject at hand on the table, a bunch of flowers. I set up a 60x60cm softbox just out of the scene to the right, another bare flash on the table behind the flowers to the left (this gave a harsher 'kick' sort of backlight).

I used the K7 and SMC F35-70mm, and it was amazing to be able to shoot close-up at f8 or f10, ISO 100 at 180th sec !! Felt like superman

I know the results won't appeal to all, it is quite sharp lighting, but I find it an interesting representation of what flowers can look like indoors .....

The flash in the softbox was the Pentax AF-540FGZ working in wireless P-TTL mode, and the bare flash was a Cactus RF60 manual flash controlled from the V6 transmitter on the camera. The P-TTL control flash on top of the V6 on the hotshoe was the Pentax AF-540FGZII (Wireless P-TTL 'Control' mode).
































All comments and feedback of course most welcome

Well I like them, they certainly appeal to me.
Indoor flash is something I need to really work on, I normally try and do the shots with no flash with obviously bad results from very high ISO or long hand held exposures.
I have a sigma flash unit which barely sees the light of day,maybe now is a good time to play....

Thanks Bruce! At least I've got one person who likes them already .

Definitely its time to get the flash out of its bag, batteries in and switched on .....my moto, 'everyday can be a flash day' . But, make sure you get the flash off the camera, or if not then bounced at a nice angle.

Well Nigel, you can make that two! I like them, really like them.
Similar to Bruce, i have a Metz 50AF1, that sits in my cupboard.....i think its about time i got it back out.

Make that a hat trick - I really like them as well.
I've never really used flash much - perhaps it's time I started experimenting.

A hat trick ... I'm on a roll . Come on now, SOMEone has to come along and spoil the party !

And yes Simon & Percy as well .... you really must get out those flashguns. Now, wasn't that actually top of your New Year Resolution list??

Very nicely balanced lighting - not at all too harsh IMO! Nice set. For me it would be more an issue to reduce the DoF on no 1 to further blur the background flowers

I really like them Nigel...No.3 if I had to pick, but they all look good against the grey background or natural foliage. I've not used a flashgun since my 35mm days about a decade ago! I did read somewhere that flashguns designed for film cameras were apt to damage digital cameras due to high voltages? Don't know whether this is true or not but luckily I was never tempted to use one of my older flashes as the high ISO performance of modern cameras made them unnecessary.

Still life though is an area that they still excel in...so I might be tempted to try a basic flash sometime.

Karlo

Thanks very much Andy and Karlo as well! A straight run so far , didn't expect that . Fair point on the DOF Andy, I think I was so excited at being able to rattle off sharp steady handheld shots so close at f9.0 that I couldn't stop to think.

Karlo, I tried an old AF280T model (from the film era), and it worked for a little while, although exposure control was hit and miss, but then it suddenly started to emit a sparking sound from the hotshoe on each shot!! Needless to say I took it off straight away and it hasn't come out again. So I couldn't really personally recommend an older flash on the modern DSLRs ... I'd stick with modern units.

I take a different attitude to the need for flash, and see it as a kind of 're-lighting', a way of controlling exposure balance and contrast, as well as improving on existing light where that might have poor colour or be of poor quality in other ways (eg the only light on these flowers was some weak tungsten bulbs directly above, and no amount of high ISO performance would have improved the rubbish effect from that !).

So I don't see high ISO performance as an alternative to flash generally. In fact, when I do finally upgrade from the K7 I'll be looking for a camera with higher dynamic range and high ISO performance specifically in order to be able to use better flash with it ! For example, if you can shoot indoors at ISO 3200 in a large room you will be able to bounce flash without getting through your batteries so fast, or reach further or wider. Plus I could have higher contrast without having noise appear in the deep shadow areas as I do see now with the K7 .....

Look good! Lovely even light and great colours

Now just to sort your composition Joke

I just knew it! There HAD to be one Cheers Gareth

You know it's tongue in cheek!

My information (I can't remember the source now I'm afraid) is that all Pentax flashes are safe on all Pentax bodies. Certainly, I've used AF200T, AF280T and AF330FTZ on digital bodies without any ill effects.
However, I have heard of Canon digital bodies being fried by older flashes.

Love em, excellent use of lighting

Thankyou! It was a bit experimental really, but I'm glad that the results are well liked by others. I'm sure this will spur me on to try many more flowers indoors now .... Might even keep my wife happy with all the new flowers! .......

....ah, no, I've spotted a flaw in that already she's just going to think I'm buying the flowers only in order to use my flashes again ... How COULD I convince her that's simply not true. ??