PHOTOGRAPHY-17

 PHOTOGRAPHY-17                                                                                                                                     

GN /FLASH/ KEY/ FILL IN

It stands to reason to recall that irrespective of the light source the significance of lights [key and fill-in] is eternal and Flash lighting needs to tow the line . If so, how does one go about arranging the fill-in and key or vice-versa? Which light [flash gun] plays which role is just a judicious choice of the worker to play up one of these –at least marginally to enhance that ‘out of the world’ looks in the final picture. What is ‘out of the world’ here? Any light casts a shadow. Nullifying the harsh shadow , even as different facets of the image appear  in different brightness values that blend neat giving the looks of excellent lighting scheme is the trick behind. In the final reckoning the ‘flash-lit’ scene presents the feel of having been shot in broad day light . Let us recognize that light can run or ruin marvels in image formulation. So, a minimum of 2 flash lights ought to be used to help fill-in / key ; which does what is in our hands.

To begin with,  the flash mounted on Camera can be used for key light and the secondary one as the fill-in. Making the fill-in flash work parallel with the key light requires fair planning. In good old times, a cable was connected to camera from the flash guns so that upon triggering the shuttar, all flashlights would go off parallely lighting all objects. Over a time, the physical link by cable proved a menace in that , the continuity [by cable[ may get disrupted by people inadvertently and a few shots may just have had only key light So, flash manufacturers developed a contactless trigger that worked on the principle of photo induction. The light from key light can trigger other lights to instantly go off.This gave immense advantage by making real candid pictures renderered more vibrant through fill-in play. The shadows  from key / fill-in are eliminated mutually ; a shadowless well lit subject differing in light distribution appears pleasant.

SLAVE LIGHTS or SLAVE UNITS

The slave unit is a small device, transparent to receive light in all its surface. It works as a light receptor that accepts light and gets triggered . Once light reaches the slave , it converts light into an electrical impulse which works as  a switch to turn on the second or third flashlight. . The prime light from ‘on camera’ flash lends the command which the other secondary lights  respond to, by throwing their beams of light. As they respond to a master, they are named ‘SLAVE UNITS’. The true benefit of using a slave accrues from placing or holding it at a place   closer to the object at any angle desirable to provide the ‘fill-in’. As it is a cable free gadget , it offers immense freedom in mobilising the subordinate light. If held closer to the object, it may become the key light  and the ‘on camera’flash functionally turns a ‘fill-in ‘ by effect. Always it is sensible to keep all slaves away from picture area as assistants appearing in a frame are irritants by any standards.       

MORE TO FOLLOW             

Prof. K.RAMAN