Thanks for sharing. [Edit] Finally (FINALLY) got around to doing this today (8 months later) and my first shot came out perfect. Your method works great, very easy to remember.
Thanks for the easy to understand instructions. Wondering if one can use electronic shutter with flash in HSS mode in a mirrorless camera. That would allow an even faster shutter speed.
Great video! Subscribed. The suggestion about preference for distance between subject and background is very helpful. (I use a wireless flash setup and a remote shutter release, letting me move freely around the mounted camera and subject.)
@@JasonFriendPhotography I do but you also have to put them up close to your face. I don’t shoot flowers. I shoot promo band shots because I’m a musician.
Funnily enough I had the idea when watching someone use a similar technique for low key portraits in a studio. (I imagine there were plenty of people doing it before me!)
Thank you for this video, I'll give this a try. By the way, if you have a Botanical garden near by, you can find lots of flowers and other plants to photograph. I like to go to the San Francisco Botanical garden in Golden Gate Park to photograph flowers. 55 acres with flowers and plants from around the world.
Pleased you enjoyed it! Yes, I’ve tried it at a local botanical garden and it was great fun. I was very conscious about the strobe light firing all of the time though!
I do flower photography. I recently got a Neewer V1 flash and it has remote triggering built in but I cant figure out how to use it. I want to try this😊 😊😊😊
Hi Jason. I have just come across this video. I understand getting the black background. I do it all the time in my Still Life Studio. By taking several shots is that so you have choice which one to use or are you combining all the images into one image.
I'm not a "flower photography" guy and I've always wondered how this effect was created. Thanks for the very informative video on this simple technique. You've inspired me to go out and try it!
I’m really pleased you enjoyed it Shawn. It’s a great technique for a number of subjects - not just flowers! I particularly like it for mushroom ands toadstools in autumn (I did mean to include some examples in the video but unfortunately forgot!).
Thanks for this suggestions. Just a question you use multiple shots? Take the black one as first and then made the others with different flash position?
Hi. Yes… but basically lots of different shots so I can experiment with the angle and position of the flash gun. I would normally review them as i take each shot and when I think I have found my preferred direction, then take the final image. So essentially you may take 20 shots but there will only be one keeper.
@@JasonFriendPhotography Just to be clear - Massimo asked, "Just a question you use multiple shots?" and you said yes. Does that mean you take a shot that is "pure" black, then your flower shots and then merge them in software? It doesn't seem like that's what you did in the video. That's an extra step from the way it looks in the video.
I take a few different lighting angles and then choose my favourite. So it is a pure single shot….no images are combined. This article may help… www.jasonfriendphotography.com/photography-tutorials/how-to-shoot-low-key-close-up-photos/
Thanks a lot for that amazing video, I managed to get good results with your instructions, what lens do you suggest for this? I did have decent results with my nikon d7100 and a sigma 17-55 2.8, but I tried with my all day camera fuji xt1 and 18-55 2.8 ans flowers ended up somewhat blurry...
@@JasonFriendPhotography I tried manually focusing, but with mirrorles viewfinder is kind of a double edge sword... Is a bit cumbersome and unreliable, I think I'll be sticking to my old trusty Nikon and let fuji for other things, I am having really hard times getting use to EVF....
i've been doing this for years with natural lighting, olympus on camera flash & x-sync which allows you to control how much power to the flash, it's not difficult and you don't need to carry around all that kit , just saying 🤷🏻♂️ 📸
Problem with using on camera flash is that you only have one available light option (full frontal flash)… also if you have foliage close behind the subject there is a chance that will be illuminated as well. So, your method will work absolutely fine (as you know) but it’s not very flexible. And to be honest all I cared extra was an off camera flash and extension lead. But of course it’s always about what works best for you.
I like/love this technique but wow, talk about black ink usage for a single print. I would be depressed each time I printed a 97% black background. Ouch!
I had some cards made a few years ago and they looked really nice… but yep… if printing at home then it will be a lot of black ink… You need to watch the video where I photograph flowers on a white backdrop!
Yes, I've just printed a similar image (three tulip buds, not open, but showing colour) that I shot three years ago - used up an awful lot of the black. I love the result!
Always has to be high (f20 upwards - I did mention the aperture I used in the video). The reason for being so high is that you need to block out as much light as possible to create the black background (so low iso, shutter speed set at fastest for syncing (1/250 in my case) and high f-stop)
I'm sure this was a great presentation, but I found myself drawn in by the music instead of his voice. Would be better without the music for me. The music is nice by itself, just not while trying to learn a new technique.
Generally it’s quite a low setting (1/8 or maybe 1/4 power) … and then have the flash quite close to the subject… check your histogram to see if it’s bright enough. If it isn’t, slowly increase the flash power.
Thanks for sharing. [Edit] Finally (FINALLY) got around to doing this today (8 months later) and my first shot came out perfect. Your method works great, very easy to remember.
I've always wondered how these pictures were taken.. thanks a lot for teaching us! ❤
Absolute pleasure! Pleased you enjoyed it!
Thanks for the easy to understand instructions. Wondering if one can use electronic shutter with flash in HSS mode in a mirrorless camera. That would allow an even faster shutter speed.
I’ve never considered that tbh… I might have to give it a try 👍
Great video! Subscribed. The suggestion about preference for distance between subject and background is very helpful. (I use a wireless flash setup and a remote shutter release, letting me move freely around the mounted camera and subject.)
I’ve done this and it works great. Only in my studio with studio lights just turned on because I don’t have a flash. Still works the same.
You must have some really bright studio lights! I bet it’s easy to get the lighting angles right with a constant light source?
@@JasonFriendPhotography I do but you also have to put them up close to your face. I don’t shoot flowers. I shoot promo band shots because I’m a musician.
Nice tutorial. Thanks alot. ❤
I always thought flower images with black ground are made in studio! Thanks J!
Funnily enough I had the idea when watching someone use a similar technique for low key portraits in a studio. (I imagine there were plenty of people doing it before me!)
Excellent tutorial. Very helpful. Thanks
I’m pleased you found it helpful. Thanks for the feedback
Sounds simple, will give it a try.
Thank you for the tutorial, will give it a try
It was a pleasure. Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions (but I’m sure you’ll be fine!)
First time watching. Loved it. Want to see more. Including what I missed. Thanks! - Lynda in Florida
Great video. Easy to understand
🙏
Thank you for this video, I'll give this a try. By the way, if you have a Botanical garden near by, you can find lots of flowers and other plants to photograph. I like to go to the San Francisco Botanical garden in Golden Gate Park to photograph flowers. 55 acres with flowers and plants from around the world.
Pleased you enjoyed it! Yes, I’ve tried it at a local botanical garden and it was great fun. I was very conscious about the strobe light firing all of the time though!
Great video and amazing tip. Thank you
Glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent.
Many thanks!
I do flower photography. I recently got a Neewer V1 flash and it has remote triggering built in but I cant figure out how to use it. I want to try this😊 😊😊😊
I love the tripod. I would like to know who makes it and the model number if you don't mind. Thank you
Great Video.
Thank you!🙏
Hi Jason. I have just come across this video. I understand getting the black background. I do it all the time in my Still Life Studio. By taking several shots is that so you have choice which one to use or are you combining all the images into one image.
Hi Kevin. I’m just choosing the one to use
I'm not a "flower photography" guy and I've always wondered how this effect was created. Thanks for the very informative video on this simple technique. You've inspired me to go out and try it!
I’m really pleased you enjoyed it Shawn. It’s a great technique for a number of subjects - not just flowers! I particularly like it for mushroom ands toadstools in autumn (I did mean to include some examples in the video but unfortunately forgot!).
Thanks for this suggestions. Just a question you use multiple shots? Take the black one as first and then made the others with different flash position?
Hi. Yes… but basically lots of different shots so I can experiment with the angle and position of the flash gun. I would normally review them as i take each shot and when I think I have found my preferred direction, then take the final image. So essentially you may take 20 shots but there will only be one keeper.
@@JasonFriendPhotography Just to be clear - Massimo asked, "Just a question you use multiple shots?" and you said yes.
Does that mean you take a shot that is "pure" black, then your flower shots and then merge them in software? It doesn't seem like that's what you did in the video. That's an extra step from the way it looks in the video.
I take a few different lighting angles and then choose my favourite. So it is a pure single shot….no images are combined. This article may help… www.jasonfriendphotography.com/photography-tutorials/how-to-shoot-low-key-close-up-photos/
Hi really good video do you think that cord would work on a Olympus camera 😀
Hi. Thanks! Yes, it would (same pins as Panasonic)
Thank you 😊
Thanks!
Good informative video. Background music distracting.. thanks.
Thanks. Yep… I’ve dropped background music on my videos because of this problem… have to make mistakes to learn!
@JasonFriendPhotography
I make them all the time. We progress and grow by our mistakes, not our successes. I hope your channel does well. 👍
Thanks a lot for that amazing video, I managed to get good results with your instructions, what lens do you suggest for this? I did have decent results with my nikon d7100 and a sigma 17-55 2.8, but I tried with my all day camera fuji xt1 and 18-55 2.8 ans flowers ended up somewhat blurry...
Thanks for the comment... I used to own the XT1 and the focusing could be unreliable... have you tried manually focussing?
@@JasonFriendPhotography I tried manually focusing, but with mirrorles viewfinder is kind of a double edge sword... Is a bit cumbersome and unreliable, I think I'll be sticking to my old trusty Nikon and let fuji for other things, I am having really hard times getting use to EVF....
i've been doing this for years with natural lighting, olympus on camera flash & x-sync which allows you to control how much power to the flash, it's not difficult and you don't need to carry around all that kit , just saying 🤷🏻♂️ 📸
Problem with using on camera flash is that you only have one available light option (full frontal flash)… also if you have foliage close behind the subject there is a chance that will be illuminated as well. So, your method will work absolutely fine (as you know) but it’s not very flexible. And to be honest all I cared extra was an off camera flash and extension lead. But of course it’s always about what works best for you.
Did you say that you set the flash to manual?
Yes… you need to be able to control the power yourself
Thanks Jason, appreciated.@@JasonFriendPhotography
I like/love this technique but wow, talk about black ink usage for a single print.
I would be depressed each time I printed a 97% black background.
Ouch!
Looks good though 😉
I had some cards made a few years ago and they looked really nice… but yep… if printing at home then it will be a lot of black ink…
You need to watch the video where I photograph flowers on a white backdrop!
Yes, I've just printed a similar image (three tulip buds, not open, but showing colour) that I shot three years ago - used up an awful lot of the black. I love the result!
What's the aperture?
Always has to be high (f20 upwards - I did mention the aperture I used in the video). The reason for being so high is that you need to block out as much light as possible to create the black background (so low iso, shutter speed set at fastest for syncing (1/250 in my case) and high f-stop)
I'm sure this was a great presentation, but I found myself drawn in by the music instead of his voice. Would be better without the music for me. The music is nice by itself, just not while trying to learn a new technique.
He forgot to mention multiple exposures to able it's work
I didn’t use any multiple exposures in this video… just took lots of shots and then chose my favourite
How do you know what power to set the flash ?
I don't understand this at all.
Generally it’s quite a low setting (1/8 or maybe 1/4 power) … and then have the flash quite close to the subject… check your histogram to see if it’s bright enough. If it isn’t, slowly increase the flash power.