Submitter's name:	Giles Stewart
Title:	Cacophony
Subject:	Sprogs making noise
Notes:	The T32 with diffusing strip of plastic had the head angled upward and was hot shoe mounted so with the camera angled for a vertical format shot the flash was pointing towards the wall to give bounce flash. I think the aperture was around F8, perhaps smaller.
Equipment:	OM-4, Zuiko 35-80mm F2.8, T32 flash
Film:	Fuji Superia X-Tra 800
Here you can leave some comments about this picture. Please fill out all the fields before submitting the form. Once you're done filling out the form, click the "Leave comments" button, after which you can see your comments down below.
Your name:
Your e-mail:
Comments:

Comment left by: Olaf Greve (no e-mail specified)

I like the expression on their faces, and the moment you captured, also the keyboard's keys nicely go off into the background. Small technical remark: Despite the bouncing, your son's face received a tad too much light which is a bit a pity. Also, why did you use the diffuser filter if you were going to bounce anyway? Either way: these are only very minor things (nitpicking even), for it's a very nice shot!

Comment left by: Mickey Trageser (no e-mail specified)

Perhaps if the flash was less than 90 degrees upward, the bounce would have been more even between the 2 'sprogs'. But as it is, you've captured a magic moment while avoiding the look of a P&S shot. Without the bounce, the near subject would likely be totaly washed out, while the rear would have been much too dark. Good choice!

Comment left by: Steve Goss (no e-mail specified)

Another picture that could be titled "Banging the Keys", but for a totally different reason.

Comment left by: John A. Lind (no e-mail specified)

I had to envision how this was done from the description. Without the diffuser, the light imbalance between the two "sprogs" would probably be noticeably more than it is. Using a diffuser with bounce spreads light everywhere better than without one. Excellent job leveraging the vertical format for composition *and* using it to bounce from the wall to illuminate their faces from the side (versus using the ceiling). Composition notes: Excellent concept and composition. The keyboard pulls the viewer into the image and both "sprogs." The scaling provided by the keys keeps the far child from looking unnaturally small. Position and timing also excellent; the near one helps frame instead of blocking view of the far one (often difficult to achieve). If you anticipate something like this in advance and have time, clean up background to remove distractions along with other preparation. Not always possible if it's spontaneous; a detail to be sacrificed to keep from losing the shot. Using a shallow DOF can aid eliminating it, but in this shot that wouldn't work; the depth is required. This is one in which the thumbnail got my attention. It works well overall at a distance and in detail when viewed closer. Many photographs do one or the other, but not both.

Comment left by: Roger (robinsnestphotography.com)

Nice idea. Need to balance the light. Get the thing off the camera or use two lights, one pointed at each child and set for the same aperture. Manual works better than automatic or TTL for this type of shot. Or, bounce a flash from directly between them and behind them so the wall in front of the piano provides the main exposure...the position of the flash will then give them both a nice hairlight.

Comment left by: Wiliam Wagenaar (wiliam@zeelandnet.nl)

Nice spontaneous shot. The nitpicking has allready been done by others.

Comment left by: Paula P. (no e-mail specified)

Nice lighting effect -- especially for flash.

[Previous]

[Return to index]

[Next]