Dragging the shutter

Using a slow shutter speed, (often with flash) to bring up the ambiant light in say the background. Also used to get motion in the long exposure.
 
its basically shooting a relatively long exposure with a burst of flash to freeze the main subject... so for example if you have a bride dancing at a wedding , rather than shooting at a fast speed and freezing all the action you shoot a slow speed and put a blip of flash in to freeze her sufficiently to show her face etc
 
Not really 'basic', but here goes:

It's the use of a slow shutter speed to balance ambient exposure with flash. The flash will light the nearby subject and freeze motion, the slow shutter speed will expose the ambient, usually slightly underexposed to make the subject 'pop'. It's to avoid your photo's having the 'shot in a cave' look you get when you use just the flash in a large room.

However it does get more complicated, using gels on the flash to balance the colour, using movement or zoom of the camera to produce interesting backgrounds (nightclub photography or dancing at a party).

edit: see above - I took too long to write it out.
 
Will read the above later. Does this correspond to rear-curtain flash?

I recall Syl Arena stating that shutter speed controls the ambient exposure and aperture controls the flash exposure.
 
omens said:
Does this correspond to rear-curtain flash?
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Yeah, but no, but...

Rear-curtain flash is a technique you might want to employ in conjunction with dragging the shutter, but it's not the same thing. To use rear-curtain flash, you set up your camera so that the flash fires just before the shutter closes, rather than just after it opens (which would be more normal.) This creates a pleasing effect if the subject is moving, because it is the subject's last position which is "frozen" by the flash rather than the first position.

omens said:
I recall Syl Arena stating that shutter speed controls the ambient exposure and aperture controls the flash exposure.
Click to expand...

That doesn't sound right. Both the shutter speed and the aperture control the ambient exposure, and there are many ways to control the flash exposure.
 
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So I can use the 'Dragging the shutter technique' using either manual or TTL flash according to Mr Neil Van Niekirk, Would that be correct?
 
Dragging the shutter just means using a deliberately longer shutter speed than normal, in various circumstances. It's commonly used with flash, to bring up the ambient light level so it balances with the flash exposure. Could be TTL or manual, could be first or second curtain sync.

Dragging the shutter could also apply to long landscape exposure techniques, with an ND filter for example, to get silky/milky water. I've also heard the term 'drag landscape' used to describe dropping the shutter speed to blur movement in leaves, branches, tall grass etc.
 
-Paul- said:
So I can use the 'Dragging the shutter technique' using either manual or TTL flash according to Mr Neil Van Niekirk, Would that be correct?
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Yes.

If you start by thinking that your flash exposure and ambient exposure are 2 separate things that combine to create one image it helps you get your head round what you can and can't do with flash.
 
Phil V said:
Yes.

If you start by thinking that your flash exposure and ambient exposure are 2 separate things that combine to create one image it helps you get your head round what you can and can't do with flash.
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:agree:

Phil once again you've hit the nail on the head! Thats where the problem lies I'am not sure what I can and cant do with flash!
Are there any decent books/websites out there that could help me?
 
-Paul- said:
:agree:

Phil once again you've hit the nail on the head! Thats where the problem lies I'am not sure what I can and cant do with flash!
Are there any decent books/websites out there that could help me?
Click to expand...

Really recommend the Speedlighters Handbook by Syl Arena. Half an hour with that will have you sitting there saying 'Course it is, why couldn't I work that out'.

Then there's the Strobist blog too on the net (lot's swear by it but I've never been.
 
I'd also recommend youtubing Syl Arena. There's a talk he does that gets replicated in different videos but all have the same info.
 
Phil V said:
It's the use of a slow shutter speed to balance ambient exposure with flash.
Click to expand...

So really, it just means using the correct shutter speed.

I have never understood why it is referred to as dragging.


Steve.
 
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Speedlighters Handbook[/URL] by Syl Arena. Half an hour with that will have you sitting there saying 'Course it is, why couldn't I work that out'.

Thank you, It's a pity it's predominently/exclusively about canon speedlites!
Anything about nikon
 
-Paul- said:
Speedlighters Handbook[/URL] by Syl Arena. Half an hour with that will have you sitting there saying 'Course it is, why couldn't I work that out'.

Thank you, It's a pity it's predominently/exclusively about canon speedlites!
Anything about nikon
Click to expand...

The only part that's specific to Canon is about the controls on the flashguns, most of the book is about the nature of light, and how flashguns can be used to create great light.

There is no Nikon equivalent, and the only books that come close to being as good without the Canon bit inside aren't as good.
Try this, but it's not just speedlights.
 
Steve Smith said:
So really, it just means using the correct shutter speed.

I have never understood why it is referred to as dragging.


Steve.
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There's no such thing as the 'correct' shutter speed Steve;)

Like Richard said earlier, 'dragging' is used for other long shutter speed techniques too.
 
Phil V said:
There's no such thing as the 'correct' shutter speed Steve
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O.K. then. Correct for what you want to achieve.

But to balance ambient with flash then I think correct is the appropriate term. If you have set the aperture to suit the flash then the shutter speed is the only thing left to control ambient exposure.

However, one person's correct might be another person's too dark or too bright.


Steve.
 
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