Wedding photos - black images - flash interference?

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andya700

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I was talking to a friend at the weekend, and asked her if she had seen her wedding photos yet, and how were they. she said that most of them were really nice, but the tog had some completely black images, which he put down to guests taking shots (with flash) at exactly the same time as him.
I asked a few more questions, and this was the setup on the day:

They had hired a seperate room for the photo session after the ceremony, where all guests and the B&G would be photographed. The tog had a lot of lights and flash, and posed the people against a background.

That is all I have to go on, but apparently a at first lot of guests were taking shots at the same time, although once the tog asked them to wait for him to shoot, everyone calmed down.

So, my question is, would it be possible for the tog to get completely black images as a result of the guests taking shots at the same time.

I know next to nothing about flash photography, but I would have assumed that he would have had slightly overexposed shots if the flash coincided with others - then again, what do I know:shrug:

Andy
 
If the photographer was using flash and relying on optical triggers then other guests flashes would upset his workflow if his flash didn't have time to recharge.

However, it'd ruin all the guest shots too (overexposure), it's a stupid way of working if you're going to be anywhere near any other cameras and flashes.

Worst - why on earth has he told his customers about shots he didn't get :bonk::bonk::bonk:

His missed shots are his issue alone - unless he's missing a large section of the formals - in which case he's doubly stupid.
 
IF he was using optical triggers on studio heads, it is possible that someone else's flash was setting the heads off a fraction before his shutter opened....ergo, his would be underexposed [possibly black] images from the lights having fired too early....

However, not sure why A-he would tell the bride he had some 'black' photos because B-surely he took more than one photo of each group anyway? :shrug:



edit: beaten to it by Phil :lol:
 
Phil V said:
If the photographer was using flash and relying on optical triggers then other guests flashes would upset his workflow if his flash didn't have time to recharge.

However, it'd ruin all the guest shots too (overexposure), it's a stupid way of working if you're going to be anywhere near any other cameras and flashes.

Worst - why on earth has he told his customers about shots he didn't get :bonk::bonk::bonk:

His missed shots are his issue alone - unless he's missing a large section of the formals - in which case he's doubly stupid.
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Exactly that. Pretty idiotic to rely on optical triggers with other flash around.

It might actually cause underexposure rather than overexposure in the guests' pics though. If their pre flash triggered his lights then their cameras would meter a lot of light and hardly fire the flash during the real exposure. Either way, he probably ruined their pics as much as they ruined his :D
 
JonathanRyan said:
... If their pre flash triggered his lights then their cameras would meter a lot of light and hardly fire the flash during the real exposure. Either way, he probably ruined their pics as much as they ruined his :D
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OOPS:$ Yeah that
 
You'd hope that the photographer would check the back of his camera occasionally and would have known at the time that he had black shots so he could have done something about it. Whatever the cause of it, it certainly sounds like a case of severe incompetence on the part of the photographer.

I have a clause in my contract about paparazzi guests interfering with photos but the worst that I would ever let happen is a lack of eye contact because a bridesmaid insists on looking at her Mum instead of me. I've been unfortunate enough to have a guests flash affect the exposure of my photo occasionally but it's a rare event and I just take the photo again if possible or rely on a choice of mny other photos instead. I've never had a whole phase of the wedding ruined because of the guests but if it did happen I'd have known about it at the time and done something about it then, not just tell the B&G weeks later when I deliver the photos.
 
Cheers folks, a lot of informative answers here, and from what the bride told me, most of the guests were "well behaved" after the tog asked them to be a bit patient whilst he got his shots.
I must admit, if I was in that situation, then as Rob has said, I would be constantly "chimping" to make sure that all was well.
 
markmullen said:
Some kit is worse than others too, I was working with another photographer, we agreed radio channels to keep apart from one another but at the first of my flashes triggering off his went too, you couldn't turn the optical slaves off! It caused all kinds of mischief.
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Gaffer tape....

-Rob- said:
Whatever the cause of it, it certainly sounds like a case of severe incompetence on the part of the photographer.
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I think "severe incompetence" is a bit strong. He made a mistake. It cost him a couple of snaps. He fixed it. Rest of the pics were apparently OK.

Everybody makes mistakes. It's what you do next that really matters.
 
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