Using ND Filters with Strobes: Ep 212: Digital Photography 1 on 1

In this episode Mark Wallace shows us how to use ND filters in a studio environment. Mark will demonstrate how you can shoot with wide open apertures even with powerful studio strobes. Then Mark will show us how we can use a similar effect outside and use a studio strobe to overpower the sun.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Mark Wallace
• digital
• photography
• filter
• Canon
• Nikon
• Profoto
• strobe
• studio
• model
• lighting
• metering
• softbox

[Turtlena315]

Hey Mark, how dark is it when you are looking through the viewfinder? Especially with the NDX 400. Is it pretty much a ballpark guess with the composition/focus?

[snapfactory]

@Turtlena315 It was VERY bright outside so I could see and focusing wasn't very difficult. AF behaved pretty well. I did get a couple of soft images, but overall they were great. With the 3-stop ND filter in the studio the Canon autofocus system worked normally and I could see well enough to tell if the focus was soft.

[estudio100rafa]

1/160 sec is the top sync speed on a 5Dmark II? eew

[snapfactory]

@estudio100rafa I think it's technically 1/200 but most 5DM2 users will tell you that 1/200 still shows a bit of the rear curtain. So many (if not most) 5DM2 shooters use 1/160 as their sync speed.

[shaughz]

Another Wicked Sexy Model , Great Tutorial also

[IamAndrewDucker]

I need to know where I can get that background!

[julietteb981]

@julietteb981 Oh my goodness! I'm such a dork....lol I knew it was something silly.... the mm is the size of the lens...wow, I totally had a brain malfunction there...lol anyways thanks Mark, your videos are awesome, I learn more from you than my college courses!

[julietteb981]

I'm about to start a project that takes place completely at night (its a story) but obviously, shooting in the day is much easier, so this works perfectly for me since it darkens the background. When I went to purchase this though, the mm options confused me. I know this might just be a silly question that I am just overlooking but I want to make sure I purchase the correct one. thanks

[lotfihdv]

1 Unhappy Truck Driver thinking this ND stands for NuDe

[snuurtje]

If the light you meter is f8, what should you set the shutter speed and iso to if thats correct? That also affects the brightness right?

[fleacz]

so much i wanna do, too bad everything is expensive!

[gigpic]

Lydia should not own a studio if she cannot figure this out herself.

[cityeighteen]

@snapfactory Perhaps would it be easier to focus without the filter, and then put it on right before you take the shot? It might seem logical in a darker setting such as an indoor studio.

[vincylikes]

The problem you have with nd filters is that u wont see anything thru the viewfinder. I have a 3 stop one and its hard.

[dlarm112]

@sensedh the shutter speed doesn't make a difference since the flash is so short and bright. The camera still only captures the flash no matter how long the exposure.