Digital Photography 1 on 1: Episode 57: Rear Curtain Sync

In this episode Mark will show how some cameras offer the ability to fire the flash at just before the second curtain closes. This is called rear or second curtain sync and it is used to freeze motion at the end of the exposure. When making long exposures while firing a flash rear curtain sync creates the effect of motion blur trailing the main subject.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Mark Wallace
• snapfactory
• photography
• strobe
• Strobist
• SB800
• SB900
• Nikon
• Canon
• camera
• light
• flash
• model
• outdoors

[jsc974]

Hey Mark, i've tried using second curtain sync, but in Tv mode, but for some reason the flash fires twice, once at the beginning and then at the end.

Am I doing something wrong?

[snapfactory]

@jsc974 You're doing everything right. The first flash happens before the shutter opens. It's called the pre-flash and it's used to meter the light from the flash. It's perfectly normal.

[OnlyGreatness007]

Brenda is majorly hot. I'll take her blurred or frozen! ;-)

[Sveninou]

Thank you Mark !

[TH3POOL1ELAD]

Hi mark, I dont have a on camera flash only the pop up flash built in. My question, in the camera settings i have a setting that is called 2nd flash and when i take a picture it flashes once and then again right at the end..... Does this work the same way as you demonstarted in the video?

[AlejandroPhotography]

Is there a way I can do rear or second curtain sync with strobes?

[MeLinhLam]

i just want to say, i love your channel. Great tips and perfect demonstration.

[cro4ever1]

Hi Mark,

Thanks for these amazing videos, but I wanted to to know what were the camera setings on the pics you took of brenda? also have they in any way been retouched? just because they look too good.

Thanks

[silvertrigga]

Wow I've been learning a lot from your videos. I'm going to be buying a canon 5D Mark ii in like two months

[197278737]

blurred Brenda is hot lol.

[pawan1ly]

you rock!

[mattandhisnikon]

So is it possible to get your model razor sharp, or is there always going to be some element of blur? When I try doing this, the movement that happens before the flash at the rear curtain shows u in the photo, which you mentioned and said we could get away with...

[daverill80]

I dont get how rear c and front c differs when shooting portraait. how is it different placing frozen subject on blurry vs placing blurry subject o nfrozen. frozen one will be the dominant one in either case.