PHOTOGRAPHY-30
Slave lights
BY 1980s there was a spurt in use and
demand for Slave units to trigger independent flash guns especially in Wedding
halls and Auditoria accommodating 400 or more guests. The popularity for pictures lit by flash guns
from more than one side generated a huge fan following who felt ‘something new’
not knowing what that ‘new’ was . When some social contacts offered me the
assignment of ‘Photographing’ Wedding / Upanayanam or similar events , I faced
some embarrassing moments . Sir “will you use extra light ? “ Me Yes. The new comer: I mean flash light. Me: Sure
The new comer: Extra flash without wire? Me: Certainly . The new comer: You
have that special flash with you ? Me: Yes
I have . The new comer:Can you
show me now? Me: It is not for showing to X / Y/ Z. Will you engage the cook
only after seeing his vessels ? If you do not believe me , please go to some one
who will show his gadgets to you. If you want to see such flash while working
you can stand near those flash points and see they how they work by signal
triggering during the wedding or any other function . Such customers try to
tell the photographer that they know such lighting systems and that they are
well –informed. Poor men they do not even know their names . But they have seen
the picture done with slaves and the moulding effect .
POSITIONING OF SLAVE UNITS
It is customary to place at least one
slave to the right or left of the camera
, but closer to the main object while
the flash ‘on camea’ is away at 7 ft or 8 ft to iclude more members involved in
the rituals / customs. Generally the slave flash is just 4 ft away from the
central scene. SO, THE SLAVE WOULD HAVE A STRONGER /BRIGHT LIGHT [appearing to
be a key light] and the main light appears as a Weak ‘FILL-IN’. Such a lighting
can cause a celestial feel by ‘cross-play’ of lights differing in intensity. It
can be accentuated by holding the slave about 2 1/2 to 3 ft ABOVE SHOULDER
HEIGHT. This causes a cinema like effect with a strong top light and a weaker frontal ‘Eye level’ light from
the camera position.
Using 2 independent slaves. greater effect can be had by making
simultaneous shadows and light trying to dominate the light effect among them.
The trick is to arrange slaves in
different planes by height and ONE kept
at 3 ft and another at 5 ft both at an
approximate height of 6 ft or a little more
while the camera operates at eyelevel from 7
or 8 ft from the place of action. Yet anoither startegy in light
arrangement is to make use of BOUNCE
lighting provided the place of work offers certain conducive structural
facilities.
More to follow
K.RAMAN
In US the neighbour of my daughter’s house , came and took photographs of my grand daughter on his birthday. When he click the button in his camera it took more than 10 frames in a second.
ReplyDeleteDo we have such cameras here?
Venkataraman
Dear Dr K.V
ReplyDeleteObviously what you refer to is an extra fitting named 'MOTOR DRIVE' that pulls the film by an electrically /electronically driven motor permitting a flow of 10 frames per second. Earliest ones had ability to draw 7 frames a second. The first such gadget was developed by NIKON and soon followed suit by Canon subsequently every camera had its dedicated drive.. Only gadgets meant for a particular Brand and model are compatible. So, your US neighbour seems to have used a Drive and not any special camera. This history dates back to 1970 and it became a near craze and quickly graduated to perfection by 1980. Now the whole thing is dead with no film and camera to hold the forte. Cell phone photographers flock on either side of the stage making a pandemonium of every occasion. Thanks for the opportunity.
Regards K. Raman