splash images, help needed please

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suggs

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Harry
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Hi, didnt know where to post for advice on this so hope here is ok..

1st go at doing some splash pictures so had a look on youtube for some tutorials, anyway my set up was 2 flash heads ( D-Light 2) one either side of the target pointing down on to it, camera straight in front and raised up on a tripod shooting down. Settings where 1/250th and i tried various apertures between f5.6 and f22, also various power settings on the flash heads. I had the focus set at a specific point where the strawberry would drop, camera is a D300 with a 50mm f1.8..

My problem unless this is normal was that i had huge amounts of OFF strawberry's, i took around 160 shots and out of that about 15-20 where keepers the rest where from slightly OFF to way OFF, nothing i tried made a difference. I was expecting the flashes to freeze the motion and they did on some shots but most as i say where no good, it was as if i needed a faster shutter speed. I dont know if it was a focus issue or if its normal to have a large number of losses with this type of photography ?

heres one of the worse ones

CW8_7500 by harrylessman, on Flickr

and one of the better ones

CW8_7327 by harrylessman, on Flickr
 
Hi Harry,

Sorry - seems like you've been waiting a while for some help here.
I think it may well be because you've posted in one of the photosharing sections rather than one of the talk sections for advice.

I'm just going to move this for you - hopefully you'll get the answers you want :)
 
Can you relink the images so we can help?
 
I have a theory...

How much ambient light was there? If there was even a small amount that can have quite a remarkable impact if you are using flash to freeze the motion (Which as you already know you will need to indoors). Do you know what the durations of your flash heads are?

The top photo is defiantly motion blur on the strawb. If I were attempting this (and now I've seen it, I might!) then I would probably go for about F8 with a low to mid ISO then use my flashguns. I would position the flashguns as close as possible to the subject while still keeping the lighting looking OK - the reason for this is so I can use less power on the flash heads. Less power generally means a shorter flash duration. But the key is do it with no ambient light - I did some water drop stuff a couple of years back and ended up indoors in my dining room with all curtains (they are heavy, with no light on the window from outside) and doors shut, and after dark.

Other experience may be different but no ambient light + short flash duration I think will be your key.
 
Movement blur is caused by quite long flash duration, typical of most studio heads.

1/1200sec is the t.5 time at full power. T.5 is industry standard, but is very flattering. In terms of actual shutter speed equivalents, multiply by roughly 2x or 3x, so 1/1200sec t.5 is going to be around 1/400-1/500sec in real terms, and those times will get longer as power is turned down.

Hot-shoe guns are better for this kind of subject. They work in a completely different way and flash durations are dramatically shorter when the power is turned down a bit.
 
Try flashguns, not studio heads.

I don't think the ambient played too much of a part here. But as Richard said the flash durations of studio lights make them unsuitable for this.
 
Just to clarify, go into a day lit room, set your camera to 100 ISO, 1/250 and any aperture between 5.6 and 22 and you'll get completely black images.

That's how much your ambient light is contributing to the image.
 
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