Slow Shutter + Flash

for DSLRs
Very slow shutter speeds can be mixed with the high speed of flash to produce an interesting mix of blur and sharpness. You need to read the manual that comes with your flash in order to make this work, and since I have yet to find a flash (or camera) manual that I can easily absorb, so good luck. But it can be done.

Depending on your make and model of camera and flash, set the shutter speed manually, and perhaps even the f-stop. Then let the flash figure out what exposure to use for the nearby image, and don't worry about the background. This only works when the background is very far away, so the flash has little effect, and the background also needs to have its own light source. This is why this shot is done in a doorway. I lit Nicole with the flash, and our friend the sun lit the trees.

Bottom Line: Expect interesting results and many bad images when you shoot at slow shutter speed with a flash.

half second, with intentional camera movement, flash
half second, flash
quarter second, with intentional camera movement, flash
quarter second, flash
1/8 second, flash
1/15 second, flash
1/30 second, flash
1/60 second, flash
half second, with intentional camera movement, flash
half second, flash
quarter second, with intentional camera movement, flash
quarter second, flash
1/8 second, flash
1/15 second, flash
1/30 second, flash
1/60 second, flash
half second, with intentional camera movement, flash
half second, flash
quarter second, with intentional camera movement, flash
quarter second, flash
1/8 second, flash
1/15 second, flash
1/30 second, flash
1/60 second, flash
Left
Right

Half-second exposure with intentional camera movement to emphasize blur in background. Note that when you move the camera when there are light areas in the background they will "eat in" to the foreground image. So subject and background can interact in interesting ways. Compare this to panel 2, where the camera was held steadier.

80mm, f4.5, .5 second, ISO 200

Same settings as first image, but without intentional camera movement, to downplay background blur. Compare to panel one where camera was moved on purpose.

80mm, f4.5, .5 second, ISO 200

As shutter speed drops, background sends less light to the sensor, but the face still gets a full dose from the flash. I moved the camera intentionally to increase the background blur, compare to panel 4, where I held it more still.

80mm, f4.5, 1/4 second, ISO 200

As shutter speed drops, background sends less light to the sensor, but the face still gets a full dose from the flash. I held the camera fairly still to decrease the background blur, compare to panel 4, where I moved it on purpose.

80mm, f4.5, 1/4 second, ISO 200

At 1/8 second the background is dropping further down in exposure. And the fuzzy edges around Nicole from slow exposure are less obvious. But you can see how a dark shadow from her right shoulder makes it look like a shadow from Nicole is lying ON the background, which is an interesting effect.

80mm, f4.5, 1/8 second, ISO 200

At 1/15 second the background is dropping way down in exposure.

80mm, f4.5, 1/15 second, ISO 200

At 1/30 second the background is mostly gone, except for the sky coming through the trees. And Nicole's dark hair is fading into the dark trees.

80mm, f4.5, 1/15 second, ISO 200

At 1/60 second the background is mostly gone, except for a hint of light from the sky through the trees. But Nicole's hair is lost in the dark trees, so the image suffers from that.

80mm, f4.5, 1/15 second, ISO 200

Half-second exposure with intentional camera movement to emphasize blur in background. Note that when you move the camera when there are light areas in the background they will "eat in" to the foreground image. So subject and background can interact in interesting ways. Compare this to panel 2, where the camera was held steadier.

80mm, f4.5, .5 second, ISO 200

Same settings as first image, but without intentional camera movement, to downplay background blur. Compare to panel one where camera was moved on purpose.

80mm, f4.5, .5 second, ISO 200

As shutter speed drops, background sends less light to the sensor, but the face still gets a full dose from the flash. I moved the camera intentionally to increase the background blur, compare to panel 4, where I held it more still.

80mm, f4.5, 1/4 second, ISO 200

As shutter speed drops, background sends less light to the sensor, but the face still gets a full dose from the flash. I held the camera fairly still to decrease the background blur, compare to panel 4, where I moved it on purpose.

80mm, f4.5, 1/4 second, ISO 200

At 1/8 second the background is dropping further down in exposure. And the fuzzy edges around Nicole from slow exposure are less obvious. But you can see how a dark shadow from her right shoulder makes it look like a shadow from Nicole is lying ON the background, which is an interesting effect.

80mm, f4.5, 1/8 second, ISO 200

At 1/15 second the background is dropping way down in exposure.

80mm, f4.5, 1/15 second, ISO 200

At 1/30 second the background is mostly gone, except for the sky coming through the trees. And Nicole's dark hair is fading into the dark trees.

80mm, f4.5, 1/15 second, ISO 200

At 1/60 second the background is mostly gone, except for a hint of light from the sky through the trees. But Nicole's hair is lost in the dark trees, so the image suffers from that.

80mm, f4.5, 1/15 second, ISO 200