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flower shots with off camera flash

Started Nov 14, 2021 | Photos
chiti106 Forum Member • Posts: 71
flower shots with off camera flash
14

I've recently picked up a Godox trigger and flash.  I also have a few cut flowers/plants around the house to practice some off camera hand held flash shots. I hope you enjoy. Comments welcome

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Comment & critique:
Please provide me constructive critique and criticism.
Sue Anne Rush
Sue Anne Rush Senior Member • Posts: 6,285
Re: flower shots with off camera flash
1

Hello...

Beautiful photographs - thank you for sharing. 

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Sue Anne Rush

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Marco Nero
Marco Nero Veteran Member • Posts: 7,582
Re: flower shots with off camera flash
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Very nice results!

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Regards,
Marco Nero.

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Larawanista
Larawanista Veteran Member • Posts: 4,736
Re: flower shots with off camera flash
1

Nicely done!

My own preference for flowers and plants is using a combination of natural sunlight and a bit of strobe. They look more natural that way. I'd place them near a window that allows direct sunlight then balance lighting by positioning the flash accordingly. But your images aren't bad at all, thanks for sharing.

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OP chiti106 Forum Member • Posts: 71
Re: flower shots with off camera flash
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Thanks for your reply. Would you use the strobe as the fill light or key light if you mix it with sun light? I'm still learning and experimenting with flash photography. Tia

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Larawanista
Larawanista Veteran Member • Posts: 4,736
Re: flower shots with off camera flash
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chiti106 wrote:

Thanks for your reply. Would you use the strobe as the fill light or key light if you mix it with sun light? I'm still learning and experimenting with flash photography. Tia

No easy answer to these questions. I'd start with:

  • Depending on the overall "theme" or your shoot, you may use sunlight for background lighting and your flash for both key and fill.
  • If the subject for example is a pot of flowers by the window using the morning Sun, I'd use the flash to produce shadows and maximize sunshine as my main light hitting the petals and leaves, especially if the sunlight comes from a spot that's higher than where the pot of flowers are.
  • I do this "balancing" a lot on food photography as well and in photographing flowers, of course). Let me share examples below of how I blend sunlight with artificial light sources (fixed LED on top, angled at around 45 degrees and two strobes bounced to light up grains in the bottle without producing glare).

Hope this helps.

A few samples from my online portfolio (the last one was by the porch, which is almost always perfect for mixing sunlight and artificial light):

https://500px.com/photo/311702305/Youre-Blooming-by-Josh-Cruz/

https://500px.com/photo/1031705110/Nourished-by-Rain-by-Josh-Cruz/

https://500px.com/photo/1036553261/A-New-Day-by-Josh-Cruz/

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R2D2 Forum Pro • Posts: 26,529
Re: flower shots with off camera flash
1

Nicely done.  Keep the light as diffused as possible!

R2

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J Peters Contributing Member • Posts: 759
Re: flower shots with off camera flash
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Very good shots! Don't overlook that with off-camera flash, you can place the flash behind the subject pointing back into the lens (although usually indirectly). I got some very interesting shots of leaves lit from behind so you can see the internal structure.

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