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Lighting comparison

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RichDitch

RichDitch

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I was just playing around with lighting options the other day, using a V1 with 18.5 as the subject.

The first shot was without flash - just the ambient light from windows.
The first shot was without flash - just the ambient light from windows.

Second shot - direct flash from the J5.
Second shot - direct flash from the J5.

Third shot - tilted the J5 flash up at 45 degrees for some bounce.
Third shot - tilted the J5 flash up at 45 degrees for some bounce.

--
You can see a lot just by looking.
And you can learn a lot by reading the manual.
WSSA #449
 
RichDitch said:
I was just playing around with lighting options the other day, using a V1 with 18.5 as the subject.

The first shot was without flash - just the ambient light from windows.
The first shot was without flash - just the ambient light from windows.

Second shot - direct flash from the J5.
Second shot - direct flash from the J5.

Third shot - tilted the J5 flash up at 45 degrees for some bounce.
Third shot - tilted the J5 flash up at 45 degrees for some bounce.
Click to expand...
I think that the differences between the photos are so small that a better forum to discuss the Lighting would be Studio and Lighting Technique Forum: Digital Photography Review

When I look at these images my first impression is that they were taken by a Medium Format Hasselblad and not a tiny sensor Nikon1 camera.

Another forum that your shots are definitely good enough to post on is Macro and Still Life Photography Forum: Digital Photography Review They would definitely have SME's (Subject-Matter-Experts) that could better advise.

I'm really wondering how you manage to get such a high level of dynamic range with just lighting technique as the Nikon1's aren't really known for being able to do that (tiny sensor = low dynamic range) without a lot of adjustment with Ai.
 
RichDitch said:
I was just playing around with lighting options the other day, using a V1 with 18.5 as the subject.

The first shot was without flash - just the ambient light from windows.
The first shot was without flash - just the ambient light from windows.

Second shot - direct flash from the J5.
Second shot - direct flash from the J5.

Third shot - tilted the J5 flash up at 45 degrees for some bounce.
Third shot - tilted the J5 flash up at 45 degrees for some bounce.
Click to expand...
Nice simple illustration of lighting differences that can be achieved with a little ingenuity and what's at hand. The third one is best in my opinion as the background is sufficiently lit while bringing out dtails in the subject that were hidden in the first shot.

--
Regards, Paul
Lili's Dad
WSSA Member #450
 
Paul Pasco said:
RichDitch said:
I was just playing around with lighting options the other day, using a V1 with 18.5 as the subject.

The first shot was without flash - just the ambient light from windows.
The first shot was without flash - just the ambient light from windows.

Second shot - direct flash from the J5.
Second shot - direct flash from the J5.

Third shot - tilted the J5 flash up at 45 degrees for some bounce.
Third shot - tilted the J5 flash up at 45 degrees for some bounce.
Click to expand...
Nice simple illustration of lighting differences that can be achieved with a little ingenuity and what's at hand. The third one is best in my opinion as the background is sufficiently lit while bringing out dtails in the subject that were hidden in the first shot.
Click to expand...
Thanks Paul. I agree that the bounced fill shop is the best her and for the reasons you mention. The no flash shot is just too bland, and I don’t like the lens being in that shadow. The direct flash shot is better than I expected and a little more dramatic than the others, if that’s what anyone wanted.

I’ve never been a fan of on camera flash, but I did start using it with my DX cameras and 600mm optics for fill on close birds, And at times with my film cameras and DX bodies I would use flash on a remote cord. I’ve been surprised at how well the tiny built in flashes on many o the N1 cameras work and how much of a difference they can make.

--
You can see a lot just by looking.
And you can learn a lot by reading the manual.
WSSA #449
 
RichDitch said:
I was just playing around with lighting options the other day, using a V1 with 18.5 as the subject.

The first shot was without flash - just the ambient light from windows.
The first shot was without flash - just the ambient light from windows.

Second shot - direct flash from the J5.
Second shot - direct flash from the J5.

Third shot - tilted the J5 flash up at 45 degrees for some bounce.
Third shot - tilted the J5 flash up at 45 degrees for some bounce.
Click to expand...
I like to do that with my V1 and the J5: directing the flash towards the ceiling!

Excellent shot, by the way!

--
tordseriksson (at) gmail.....
Owner of a handful of Nikon cameras. And a few lenses. DxO PhotoLab 8 user.
WSSA #456
 
An interesting exercise Richard. I too find the bounce flash image the most balanced in terms of of overall lighting - highlights & shadows. I am intrigued at the high ISO on the first image and probably why the highlight blew out (top right of door in background). In terms of conveying atmosphere, I find there is something mysterious about the second shot. Were these manual or auto or inbetween?
 
RichDitch said:
Paul Pasco said:
RichDitch said:
I was just playing around with lighting options the other day, using a V1 with 18.5 as the subject.

The first shot was without flash - just the ambient light from windows.
The first shot was without flash - just the ambient light from windows.

Second shot - direct flash from the J5.
Second shot - direct flash from the J5.

Third shot - tilted the J5 flash up at 45 degrees for some bounce.
Third shot - tilted the J5 flash up at 45 degrees for some bounce.
Click to expand...
Nice simple illustration of lighting differences that can be achieved with a little ingenuity and what's at hand. The third one is best in my opinion as the background is sufficiently lit while bringing out dtails in the subject that were hidden in the first shot.
Click to expand...
Thanks Paul. I agree that the bounced fill shop is the best her and for the reasons you mention. The no flash shot is just too bland, and I don’t like the lens being in that shadow. The direct flash shot is better than I expected and a little more dramatic than the others, if that’s what anyone wanted.

I’ve never been a fan of on camera flash, but I did start using it with my DX cameras and 600mm optics for fill on close birds, And at times with my film cameras and DX bodies I would use flash on a remote cord. I’ve been surprised at how well the tiny built in flashes on many o the N1 cameras work and how much of a difference they can make.
Click to expand...
I bought that famous Vivitar 285 HV flash, a true hit in the 70s, and used it with a big white card (came with the kit) at an angle when the flash was set straight up, and used it on my Minox 35 (smaller than the V1) with good effect, not least when shooting crowds. and people on stage (not very popular as the flash was noisy). Then I added a second, smaller, flash tube that pointed straight ahead, a great success, till I overloaded the damned thing, and I lost it all!

Couldn't afford another one, so that was the end of that amazing flash!

--
tordseriksson (at) gmail.....
Owner of a handful of Nikon cameras. And a few lenses. DxO PhotoLab 8 user.
WSSA #456
 
Tord S Eriksson said:
RichDitch said:
I was just playing around with lighting options the other day, using a V1 with 18.5 as the subject.

The first shot was without flash - just the ambient light from windows.
The first shot was without flash - just the ambient light from windows.

Second shot - direct flash from the J5.
Second shot - direct flash from the J5.

Third shot - tilted the J5 flash up at 45 degrees for some bounce.
Third shot - tilted the J5 flash up at 45 degrees for some bounce.
Click to expand...
I like to do that with my V1 and the J5: directing the flash towards the ceiling!

Excellent shot, by the way!
Click to expand...
Thanks Tord. I use this on the built in flash on my V3s as well, and the SB-N5 or N7 shoe mount flashes on the V1 and V2. I usually keep the N5/N7 pointed straight up and have a frosted dome diffuser over the flash head so it spills some soft light directly at the subject. That works better than I ever expected from these tiny flash units.

--
You can see a lot just by looking.
And you can learn a lot by reading the manual.
WSSA #449
 
Kazmarov said:
An interesting exercise Richard. I too find the bounce flash image the most balanced in terms of of overall lighting - highlights & shadows. I am intrigued at the high ISO on the first image and probably why the highlight blew out (top right of door in background). In terms of conveying atmosphere, I find there is something mysterious about the second shot. Were these manual or auto or inbetween?
Click to expand...
The J5 was in A (aperture preferred) mode with auto ISO set - that’s the way I usually shoot with all my N21 cameras. So the camera processor set the shutter speed and the ISO for each of these photos. Matrix metering for all 3.

It is interesting that the camera set the shutter to 1/60th second and ISO to 1600 in the non flash shot, when the VR at 10mm would have been able to handle a lower ISO and a slower shutter speed. For the direct flash shot it was able to use the lowest ISO setting. With the bounce flash fill it picked an intermediate ISO of 640.
 
Tx for the response Richard. I too use auto ISO but the rest manual.

I set auto iso to a max of 800 as I had blowout on BIF images with auto ISO set to 1600 - perhaps I should have tried 1200. (with auto iso @ 800 I then raise shadows in post if needed).
 
DavidZihon said:
I'm really wondering how you manage to get such a high level of dynamic range with just lighting technique as the Nikon1's aren't really known for being able to do that (tiny sensor = low dynamic range) without a lot of adjustment with Ai.
Click to expand...
Well, I think you caught Rich cheating. He is a skilled photographer, has learned to use his equipment to its fullest, is accomplished using image software, and importantly, mostly relies on the image quality of the Nikon 1 lenses.
 
Paul Pasco said:
DavidZihon said:
I'm really wondering how you manage to get such a high level of dynamic range with just lighting technique as the Nikon1's aren't really known for being able to do that (tiny sensor = low dynamic range) without a lot of adjustment with Ai.
Click to expand...
Well, I think you caught Rich cheating. He is a skilled photographer, has learned to use his equipment to its fullest, is accomplished using image software, and importantly, mostly relies on the image quality of the Nikon 1 lenses.
Click to expand...
:-)
 
Paul Pasco said:
DavidZihon said:
I'm really wondering how you manage to get such a high level of dynamic range with just lighting technique as the Nikon1's aren't really known for being able to do that (tiny sensor = low dynamic range) without a lot of adjustment with Ai.
Click to expand...
Well, I think you caught Rich cheating. He is a skilled photographer, has learned to use his equipment to its fullest, is accomplished using image software, and importantly, mostly relies on the image quality of the Nikon 1 lenses.
Click to expand...
Agree 100%!
 
Indeed thank you for the interesting light experiment Rich;)

By the the way I can't help but notice the nice rubber grip! I might be interested, mind if I ask you where did you buy it please;)...

Thanks

Marco
 
PORTRAIT said:
Indeed thank you for the interesting light experiment Rich;)

By the the way I can't help but notice the nice rubber grip! I might be interested, mind if I ask you where did you buy it please;)...

Thanks

Marco
Click to expand...
It is called Flip Bac, and I got it from B&H Photo in New York. There was one on a white V1
that I came from a friend. I got two more of them to put on black V1s I already had. Note
they are available for other small cameras so be careful to get the version made with a
slot in the back to straddle the raised bar on the front of the V1.



d8de2d40187646e495d8590dcdfe4bd3.jpg



--
You can see a lot just by looking.
And you can learn a lot by reading the manual.
WSSA #449
 
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