Pick your brains - flash question

weealien

Suspended / Banned
Messages
66
Name
Bill
Edit My Images
No
Kinda new to this flash business - I want to try and take a picture of what happens when a food liquidiser loses it's lid. (Not the bit where "her indoors" finds out what I've done to her kitchen - the bit before that when the contents explode upwards!)

Ideally - lid in mid air with liquid and lumps heading upwards. (I'm considering using a watered down pot or two of yoghurt, or similar, rather than actual fruit and juice which are way too tasty to waste, along with mounting the lid in position on a wire which I can remove in PP)

I have a couple of flashguns to play with (1xMetz AF58 and 2xYN460's), brolly and a softbox along with a couple of stands and wireless triggers.

I'm thinking of using the two YN 460's one either side and the Metz as the key light from the front.

So - questions are, is it doable and what would you suggest as to the best setup to capture the moment ?

PS Yes I know its a mental idea and she will get mad at me :naughty:
 
Mental ideas can be good, especially when someone else has to clear up the mess:)

Don't see why it wouldn't work. The flashes would need to be at very low power, to get the fastest possible flash durations, because my guess is that there will be a lot of subject movement.

There are various triggering sensors that can be set to fire the flash at the right moment, but there's no reason why firing them manually won't give you the same finished result, although possibly with a fairly high failure rate.
I'm thinking of using the two YN 460's one either side and the Metz as the key light from the front.
I'm thinking the opposite. I would have 1 flash each side and slightly in front. I would have the key light behind the subject (at an angle) and fitted with a honeycomb to prevent flare. The results will be far more dramatic and would illuminate transparent/translucent elements of the shot - or at least, that would be my starting point.
 
Many thanks Garry - hadn't thought of lighting it from behind will give it a try and see how it looks. Will stick a honeycomb onto the shopping list - any excuse to buy more gadgets!
 
Last edited:
A darkish room is going to help you freeze the motion. Plus it's a LOT more fun running a blender with the lid off in the dark.

You can lock the shutter open and fire the flash when you think it looks good.
 
Cheers Jonathan - I like the suggestion of doing it in the dark - then I can use the excuse "Honest - I didn't realise the mess I was making!" too ;)
 
Back
Top