Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/10/07

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Subject: [Leica] Snow storm flash 3 from The Rabs
From: mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)
Date: Thu, 07 Oct 2010 20:40:02 -0400

Somebody once showed me their stack of 4x6 snaps of the snow storm we'd just
had in Portland Oregon we'd get them once every 4 or 5 years and they were
one of the many people who with their tiny cameras let the flash fire
automatically when it feels like it which ends up being most the time.



I vowed to try it some time. Though that was 5 or 10 years ago.
I know I've popped up the flash and shot the rain once or twice.

The problem with shooting weather is you don't capture the precipitation
like you see it because rain and snow and ice falling from the sky fall a
lot faster then you think it does and the camera is only going to get it at
the highest shudder speed where you get now depth of field. I read that in a
Pop Photo in the 60's.

Flash photography of landscapes and cityscapes is almost in general
laughingly non recommended. To use one in such a case is breaking a basic
rule of technique and common sense and taste.
All the more reason....

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/100210_171449.jpg.html
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/100210_171142b.jpg.html
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/100210_171123.jpg.html
Or just look at the first one and hit the arrow to see the next two


I vowed as I came to NY for the snow that next snow storm I'd be out with my
camera gear including my take no prisoners Nikon Speedlight SB-800 which
weighs a full pound almost.
This made is so I could blast the heck out of trees across the street
capturing the snow falling with an effective 20,000th of a second capturing
(not shutter) speed as the shutter speed becomes in effect the flash
duration.
So my pix look like the big boy version of my friends snapshots in the 90's.
I set the flash after a while at f5 as I was starting to overheat. That was
the reason. But it got what I needed anyway.  Lots of snow in the air.
Before that I was shooting at f 8 or 11.

The 24.0-85.0 mm f/3.5-4.5 Nikkor was used with a D200 body.
ISO's were kept low at 250 or 350.

Oh they were shot at dusk or night.

My flash and camera were soaked and I was soaked down to my underwear when I
got home I was quite a sight coming into this building. Next day we got more
snow and I did it again.
And DID NOT CATCH A COLD.
And my gear when my camera, lens and flash dried off still worked.



--------------------
Mark William Rabiner
Photography
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/
mark at rabinergroup.com




Replies: Reply from lluisripollquerol at gmail.com (Lluis Ripoll) ([Leica] Snow storm flash 3 from The Rabs)
Reply from scoutfinch at chartermi.net (Susan Ryan) ([Leica] Snow storm flash 3 from The Rabs)