Flash with Long Exposure

GENERAL INFO ABOUT FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY

Some examples of flash with long exposure

1 print due May 2
If you are shooting inside or at night, you may want to experiment with slow shutter speeds, also referred to as "dragged shutter." Because your f-stop is correct for your subject, your shutter speed can be lengthened considerably without affecting your exposure. For example, if you are shooting in a darkened bar, your "correct" exposure for the scene might be f2.8 at 2 seconds. With a flash, you might be able to shoot at f8 at 1/60th. Holding your shutter open an additional 4 seconds will not overexpose your background, which at f8 at 4 seconds is still two stops underexposed. But, instead of solid darkness behind your subject, you will see streaks of light, perhaps a glow from a tungsten bulb, and maybe blurred shapes of people. This technique gives depth and detail in spaces which otherwise would be dark.

For this assignment, you may shoot in the studio or on location. If you are shooting on location, choose a darkened atmosphere which is punctuated by lights which will shine through a long exposure and provide depth and space to your photograph. If you are shooting in the studio, make a "drawing with light" by having your subject draw in the air towards a camera with a flashlight. If you are shooting outside of the studio with a modified studio setup, you may find that a candle or sparkler will work quite well for this kind of photograph.

If you are working with pyrotechnics, be sure to have a bucket of water on hand.
This is a fun assignment. Moving lights are playful, and you may find some astounding results. Embrace the unexpected. Do not turn in a dull photograph.

In the above two photographs, the flash provides the primary illumination of the subject. Moving lights are apparent in the background because of the long exposure. Because the room was dark (with the exception of the light sources) the long exposure did not affect the exposure of the main subjects.

In this photograph of Picasso, the exposure was long enough to allow Picasso to paint a picture with light (using a flashlight or candle). During the exposure a flash was used to light the primary subject. Since the room was darkened, Picasso only registered on film during the flash.