Available Light

TechPan · Mar 22, 2007

How many of you only shoot available light? I have never gotten around to get a flash for my D200 or my F4s and use what light there is to get all my shots. The flower tests shots I did are all shot without a flash. I am always thinking of different ways to use available light to get the shot I want.

I can't tell if I do it to be creative or because I am Scottish and too cheap to buy one.

ForeverUnknown · Mar 22, 2007

I shoot nothing but available light. I did own a SB800 for a couple weeks, and while I did love the results, I sold it to fund my Leica. I'll eventually get a few SB800 down the road again, but I've always loved trying to work with what's available at the moment. Of course the fast lenses and fast film help.

I doesn't hurt to buy a cheaper flash to play with though. There are some results you can't get without one.

rodneyAB · Mar 22, 2007

last summer i was to buy several flash units and some RRS flash brackets to use with a 200mmf4Macro....got side tracked.
available light is my preference, and i'm trying to steer my way over to available dark...with Black and White film.

Chris101 · Mar 22, 2007

rodneyAB said:
... available dark ...

I was wondering when that venerable term would get resurrected.

rodneyAB · Mar 22, 2007

Chris101 said:
I was wondering when that venerable term would get resurrected.

i'm not with-it enough to know that as a venerable term, only recently came across it and thought it was pretty cool, this is the first time i've used it..wow:smile:

Frits · Mar 22, 2007

Well, I don't shoot in available light exclusively, but it certainly is my favorite.

p3200TMZ · Mar 23, 2007

Dave,

I never use flash or strobes unless I am doing product shots. I shooting entirely with available light(or darkness). That is why I have a bulging bag of fast glass and shoot very high-speed film even faster. This is a good example of my preferred method of photography.

Not that using flashes and strobes is bad, just not my style of photography.

TechPan · Mar 23, 2007

p3200TMZ said:
Dave,

I never use flash or strobes unless I am doing product shots. I shooting entirely with available light(or darkness). That is why I have a bulging bag of fast glass and shoot very high-speed film even faster. This is a good example of my preferred method of photography.

Not that using flashes and strobes is bad, just not my style of photography.

That's a nice image you linked to. What is you favorite high speed film atm? I used to use T-Max 3200 and Kodak High Speed Recording Film

p3200TMZ · Mar 27, 2007

TechPan said:
That's a nice image you linked to. What is you favorite high speed film atm? I used to use T-Max 3200 and Kodak High Speed Recording Film

Dave,

My favorite high-speed B&W is T-Max 3200 aka p3200TMZ, I used this film exclusively for many years. On the recommendation of several members here, I have started shooting Delta 3200. The verdict for me is still out, so T-Max 3200 is still my first choice. I have another roll of Delta 3200 ready to go into the camera this weekend, so I will know more soon.

lowlight_junkie · Mar 27, 2007

Buy an £8 reflector off Ebay, really helps if you have no flash!

p3200TMZ · Mar 27, 2007

lowlight_junkie said:
Buy an £8 reflector off Ebay, really helps if you have no flash!

Chris,

A reflector is handy, but I do most of shooting on the sly. Deploying a reflector out would certainly blow my cover. So the faster the film and the larger the aperture the better for me.