The Holy Grail of Photography
What my friends and I call the holy grail of flash photography is actually known as High Speed Synch [HSS]. It’s a technique used to take pictures under very fast shutter speed. I won’t bother you with the technical details; there are plenty of great tutorials on-line that will explain all the innuendos. I’ll just say that this has been something that I wanted to do for a very long time [3+ years] and it took a while to get all the little pieces in place [mostly related to me acquiring the right equipment].
Over time my collection of gadgets grew. Earlier this year I’ve acquired the right set of components that would make HSS a reality; but as it often happens life got busy and my attention was elsewhere.
Three weeks ago I got an idea to photograph some local talent. My plan included a football superstar, a field, a beautiful rosy horizon [sunset] and an extremely competent photographer [that would be me] = in my mind all of this would have contributed to something resembling a Sports Illustrated cover page.
While prepping for the shoot [which I often do a few days in advance] I came across a tutorial that discussed the benefits of shooting fast moving subject matter utilizing HSS flash. Suddenly I got very excited: my creative idea just turned in to something more. I had the opportunity to step outside of my comfort zone, learn a new technique and fulfill my long time photographic goal.
Eating your cake: Preparation, luck and opportunity are often not enough to achieve something great. As it often happens not everything went according to plan; the weather was not cooperating, it was a cold October evening, getting to the location took extra time and when we finally pulled up to the football field it started to rain. Yes, things were not looking great at that point but I didn’t give up; I had hope and I wasn’t about to let our spirits dwindle. So, we took our time, stayed warm, joked and waited. Before long the weather took a turn for the better, the rain stopped and we stepped on to the football field: me with my sacks of photo equipment and the superstar with his football gear [queue slow motion with epic motivational music].
The progress was slow but gradually we found our rhythm. As the shutter clicked, the flash spilled burst of continuous light on to the scene and as the superstar got more comfortable with me and the camera: magic started to happen.
There’s still room for improvement but the core foundation is there.
Luck is not enough: it takes determination, optimism, a vision and hard work.
Overall I am quite happy with the results.
Until next time.
Max
