how to take translucent flowers with backlighting

[phantasia]

Hi,

Anyone can provide any tips on how to get the effect of traslucent glowing flowers with backlighting? I tried a few times and somehow i just keep getting over-exposed flowers. :sweat:

 

[hoppinghippo]

Care to share how you set it up and metered for it?

 

[khairi]

gee...i have the mag about your problem and i do not know where i placed it.

All i remember was the mag is PHOTOGRAPHIC..either Jan or March Issue 2003.
She used backlight, exposure compensate, flash set to sync (i think), then shoot.

 

[phantasia]

Care to share how you set it up and metered for it?

Actually i'm using the a70's internal flash and spot-metered on the flower itself. To get the backlit and translucent effect, should flash be used?

 

[hoppinghippo]

Anyone have any URL on such pics to share?

 

[swimcraze]

Hi,

Anyone can provide any tips on how to get the effect of traslucent glowing flowers with backlighting? I tried a few times and somehow i just keep getting over-exposed flowers. :sweat:

maybe you can try spot metering off the flower and do a bracketing to get the best result?

 

[Jed]

Not earth shattering but they are examples of backlit flower shots.

 

[justarius]

Actually i'm using the a70's internal flash and spot-metered on the flower itself. To get the backlit and translucent effect, should flash be used?

Erm, I'm no lighting expert, but if your flash is overpowering the backlight, how are you going to get a backlit effect? Your fill light should be much weaker than the backlight for the backlighting to show..

Jed, care to share the technical details of your shots? I really like the first one..

 

[patch17]

Actually i'm using the a70's internal flash and spot-metered on the flower itself. To get the backlit and translucent effect, should flash be used?

ermmm... no flash.

if you're that close to the flowers your flash will just burn everything, flowers, back light... EVERYTHING.

the purpose for the back light in the first place is to have that dreamy, translucent effect where the back light shines through the subjet. blasting it with a flash cancels out the back light.

 

[hoppinghippo]

Nice pics Jed, thanx for sharing!

 

[Jed]

Actually it depends, sometimes you need flash out the front to balance the exposure out.

 

[jasphotography]

fwah, that is really something... sifu, u must teach me how to shoot flowers ;p

abit OT.... lose the 3rd pic as the first 2 are very catchy together.

by the by, you still owe me one print brother!!!

Not earth shattering but they are examples of backlit flower shots.

 

[Jed]

Err... they're not meant as a trio lah... just whacked together quickly. 3rd sort of represents a different technique of backlighting, and a different effect. Individually it's probably not as impact-strong as the other two.

 

[phantasia]

Not earth shattering but they are examples of backlit flower shots.

nice nice! Any technique or tips on how to meter for the backlighting? Or specifically if the subject doesn't fill the frame?

 

[Jed]

Actually, it's difficult to meter for the backlighting. If the subject fills the frame then you should be able to expose normally... ie TTL flash metering should do a decent job. Otherwise what you really need to do is not so much meter the flash, but control the amount and quality of flash.