# how she got this look/light to work above sync speed



## robinsaini (Oct 23, 2012)

Hi,

I wish to shoot in day light at wide open with my 85mm 1.2 by using strobes and not speed lights.

With speed light's its very easy, just use PW mini and flex and shoot wide aperture ...with high sync...camera will do all the trick..

But i recently purchased E.quadra 400w units and wants to use them to achieve shallow depth of field look, but as my sync speed is 250/sec so everything is getting over exposed, Have also tried putting Lee 03,06,09 glass graduated filters but they make the scene dark..but also soft the image ..

pzl help how can I achieve the look of shallow depth of field, with a punch on model face as looking for beauty shot outdoors..similar kind of look below.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/emsoto/8103050992/#in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/emsoto/8092528601/#in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/emsoto/8082653831/#in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/emsoto/8069315701/#in/photostream

What I have seen on You tube, that she uses a 1300watt lights, but how did she manage to pass thru 250/sec speed...as exif data shows that..

her You tube link , where you can see using strobes :- 
http://www.youtube.com/user/EmilySotoPhotography 

can someone help pplz...

www.Robin Saini.com
www.Facebook.com/RobinSainiPhotography


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## Studio1930 (Oct 23, 2012)

I use my 85L at around f/2 in bright sunlight with the use of an ND filter (not grads). A proper ND filter will not soften your image. This allows me to use big studio strobes (3200 ws) to overpower the sun but balance the ambient light and stay under 250/s. Also, radio poppers will allow high speed sync with some studio strobes like white lightnings/alien bees.


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## Viggo (Oct 23, 2012)

I've shot Elinchrom's at 1/8000s with the Phottix Odin. ND is the way to go though...


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## Studio1930 (Oct 23, 2012)

Also note that you can cheat the shutter a bit. One of her shots was at 320/s and didn't appear to have much light from the flash and was mostly in the upper part of the image. Shooting manual with off camera strobe and shooting above the sync speed would work in this case (without the need for a high speed sync trigger/rec). I have cheated the shutter many times when the sun was providing most of the light. Some cameras just need to be turned upside down or vertical grip down depending on the way your shutter moves and where you need to cheat the light. Also, some 1 series Canon cameras can actually sync above their rated value without the shutter showing in the shot. Not sure about the 5DM3.

Edit: Also note that the 85L and a strong ND = not so fast focus. It will hunt more.


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## Plato the Wise (Oct 23, 2012)

Use an ND filter or forget about the strobes and use a scrim and reflectors.


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## RLPhoto (Oct 23, 2012)

A large scrim and post-processing can achieve a similar look. I tend to use flash for drama and Under-exposing the ambient light.


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## unfocused (Oct 23, 2012)

I assume you did also notice that that the site references Photoshop plug-ins for sale: www.fashionactions.com


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## kbmelb (Oct 23, 2012)

Russell James, the photographer that shoots all the Victoria Secrets catalogues and ads, shoots mostly with the 85L and 50L fairly wide open. I have seen him using florescent panels for outside shoots.

A good strobe solution is a PCB Einstein. It will power down to 2.5ws. You can always put a large scrim in front of a soft/brolly box to cut down on its intensity also.


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## Studio1930 (Oct 23, 2012)

Plato the Wise said:


> Use an ND filter or forget about the strobes and use a scrim and reflectors.



I presume the OP wants to use the strobes but you are correct that you can sometimes achieve a similar look with reflectors and an ND filter when light is available to reflect.

Sometimes you won't even need an ND if you shoot a fast shutter with a reflector.


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## PavelR (Oct 23, 2012)

Viggo said:


> I've shot Elinchrom's at 1/8000s with the Phottix Odin. ND is the way to go though...


Which Elinchrom line (models) are able to HSS with Odin?
(I'm looking for some mobile / outdoor solution and 1/8000 looks great...)


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## Ryan708 (Oct 23, 2012)

Just FYI, My T1i rebel had a max synch speed of 1/200th and I could get 1/250th with no shutter showing in the shot in Maunual mode. My 60D has a 250th max synch, and I know I have gone above that, but forget how far above so you can cheat a tad ;-)


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## Viggo (Oct 23, 2012)

PavelR said:


> Viggo said:
> 
> 
> > I've shot Elinchrom's at 1/8000s with the Phottix Odin. ND is the way to go though...
> ...



It was only a D-lite4 kit, so it should work with most of them. It was excellent with that power at fast speeds.


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## Ryan708 (Oct 24, 2012)

Did a quick test from my desk in manual mode on my 60D. heres the results

the shutter speeds were:
1/320
1/400
1/500
1/640


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## risc32 (Oct 24, 2012)

You are getting good advise here. not sure if you are doing it, but during your cheating tests you need to be shooting at your max flash power. that's where the duration is the longest. lower power will get you a bit more speed due to the faster duration, but then that would defeat the purpose. two other things though. from the look of the pics he is using the http://www.ryanbrenizer.com/category/brenizer-method/ to get that small DOF. personally, i like to refer to it as "my" method, as i thought it up a few years ago, long before i ever heard of anyone actually doing it, and that a dude has his name attached to it. in the end, i don't think it's all that great anyway, but that's another story. last thing- to help eek a bit more speed there is one other trick i know. now this is yoda stuff, so don't go around telling anyone, but since it's just you and me, here you go. sometimes you can hold your camera upside down. the black shutter will be on the top of the frame, and it won't see the flash. BUT it will see ambient, and many times the area above the subject is the sky, so flash wasn't going to do anything there anyway.


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## wickidwombat (Oct 24, 2012)

Viggo said:


> I've shot Elinchrom's at 1/8000s with the Phottix Odin.



Ditto, it works well


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## joshmurrah (Nov 9, 2012)

I have seen local photogs that do similar type of work, and they are using scrims and more commonly, reflectors.

I agree that a ND filter would be the way to go if you need strobes/flashes w/out HSS.


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## Plato the Wise (Nov 9, 2012)

You have to check the flash duration...if you have good lights/strobes, they will power up to max power very quickly. Cheap ones, not so much. 

Think of it like a huge burst of electricity powering the light. The higher quality lights can reach max power and react faster and allow higher shutter syncs.


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## wickidwombat (Nov 9, 2012)

PavelR said:


> Viggo said:
> 
> 
> > I've shot Elinchrom's at 1/8000s with the Phottix Odin. ND is the way to go though...
> ...


I use the d-lite 4 IT ones they are 400w heads and great value work great with odins


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