On camera rear curtain flash - or another way?

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I`ve been asked to do some dance shots in a local venue. There will be a lot of people doing salsa etc within a paid for class so no room to put up umbrellas etc. been asked for "inventive" on camera flash stuff moving around people and catching them from all angles. I am not sure yet how much facility there is for bouncing but have a few on camera flash modifiers such as a velcro on bounce, a couple of snoots. Don`t do much on camera stuff and have only really used balanced fil (Nikon) and bounced off in built card ( Nikon SB800 and SB600s available)

Never used rear curtain flash but is this the way to go and what will the outcome of that approach be. No time to get a practice shot as they want them asap and at next session. I don`t mind experimenting as it is just a favour for fun - any other suggestions?
 
CT has written a tutorial here that might be worth a read to you.
 
Thanks for that - looks useful. I can see how it helps when trailing a sparkler - what about in a disco lit type scenario like dance / wedding reception. I`m finding it hard to envisage wht they look like as shots - anybody got any examples?
 
Second curtain sync is only useful in a few particular situations, and it can be a disadvantage.

Such as, a) there is movement in the ambient part of a long exposure, and b) it is important for that movement to blur behind the flash image, rather than in front of it, eg child running with a sparkler, as in CT's link.

With salsa dancers it's unlikely that the movement will be anything but random, unpredictable, and I don't think it would matter in which direction the ambient blur was to go anyway.

The donwside of second curtain sync is that, with a longish exposure, it's hard to judge the best moment. It's much easier to capture the best expression/movement when the flash fires the instant you hit the shutter.

Basically, unless you specifically need second curtain sync, first curtain is better.
 
Ah - OK. Was reading somewhere last week that I should always select rear curtain. Will go back and have another look. Might have been in the Joe Mcnally book I started. Thanks - makes sense that you might not get the movement you want.
 
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