How to avoid those closed eyes when using a Studio Flash Set Up

[Cor]

Hi,

When photographing my kids with a small studio flash set (1 1200 W generator, 2 flash (strobe?) heads each 2000 W, both equipped with umbrella's, brand Prolux, probably Bowens in disguise..but I digress..) in my living room, my oldest son has this uncanny ability to close his eyes just when I fire the flash (last Sunday 6 out of 8 exposures..).

He does that quite consistently, no matter how I try to surprise him.

Any tricks to avoid this "nasty" behaviour..:confused:..?

One trick I found on this forum was to let the model close his eyes for 30 sec, than let him open them and expose..

Best,

Cor

[Sevo]

Close-and-open is the common trick, but you will get the subject's photo face rather than a natural expression that way.

As studio flash does not have any pre-flash, it is relatively easy to set up a LF studio so that the subject does not get any warnings preceding the shot and flash - play some music to hide noises, talk a lot about things not related to the session, use a pneumatic rather than wire release cable (with the hand holding the ball hidden in the dark cloth) so that the cable tensing up for the release is not that visible, set up the camera and insert the film holder a minute or more ahead of the shot, and in general, try not to tension up yourself, or the subject will notice...

[cowanw]

I have the same problem with my offspring.
It has nothing to do with preceding warnings. her eye reflexes are faster than the flash, unbelievably.
The close eye and open is one choice. I tried prefashing with a 35mm flash in hand and then shooting the studio set up, but I couldn't beat her reflexes. Now I use the modeling light and shoot ambient light wide open and slow shutter speeds with 400 film.

[Frank Petronio]

Get all set and wait. It's your timing, not theirs.

[Sevo]

I have the same problem with my offspring.
It has nothing to do with preceding warnings. her eye reflexes are faster than the flash, unbelievably.

That can't be, or you'd hear the whipping sound of her eyes closing all across the room - at something like 1/1000s flash duration, the movement of the eyelid would be at supersonic speed. Even the shutter inherent delays (somewhere on the order on 1/30s for the biggest, slowest Compounds I have) are way too fast. If you don't give any other hint, people typically only manage to close their eyes by the third frame from a motor-driven pro SLR, which translates to around 1/3-1/5s reaction time.

She is acting on advance warnings - whether the shutter tab moving, the wire release stiffening, your hand moving, your body tension or your mimic. Hide all the tell-tale signs of your gear, and calm yourself down until you'd be ready for fly fishing...

[BrianShaw]

That can't be, or you'd hear the whipping sound of her eyes closing all across the room - at something like 1/1000s flash duration, the movement of the eyelid would be at supersonic speed. Even the shutter inherent delays (somewhere on the order on 1/30s for the biggest, slowest Compounds I have) are way too fast. If you don't give any other hint, people typically only manage to close their eyes by the third frame from a motor-driven pro SLR, which translates to around 1/3-1/5s reaction time.

She is acting on advance warnings - whether the shutter tab moving, the wire release stiffening, your hand moving, your body tension or your mimic. Hide all the tell-tale signs of your gear, and calm yourself down until you'd be ready for fly fishing...

My wife is so difficult in this respect that I stopped photographing her years ago. I believe your "acting on advance warning" theory. She disputes it, but...

[sully75]

Yeah sit and wait, cable release at ready. I usually watch the pattern of someone's blinking. There can kinda be a rhythm, or at least, you can see how someone blinks. Usually I'll fire a second after they blink. Rarely fail. I don't know your kids though. Maybe you have some super blinkers.

[BrianShaw]

p.s. I often try the "On the count of three" but trip the shutter on "two".

[Frank Petronio]

Give em more Adderall...

[cowanw]

As a rational person, I agree with you. I understand the science, which is mid 20th century now, but with ambient light, in the same setup, no blink. (and they don't know if I am going to use flash or not.)
Whenever the science answer is so out of sync with a lot of common experience, one wonders if a new science answer is around the bend. (Or maybe my nose hairs flare when I am going to use flash)



That can't be, or you'd hear the whipping sound of her eyes closing all across the room - at something like 1/1000s flash duration, the movement of the eyelid would be at supersonic speed. Even the shutter inherent delays (somewhere on the order on 1/30s for the biggest, slowest Compounds I have) are way too fast. If you don't give any other hint, people typically only manage to close their eyes by the third frame from a motor-driven pro SLR, which translates to around 1/3-1/5s reaction time.

She is acting on advance warnings - whether the shutter tab moving, the wire release stiffening, your hand moving, your body tension or your mimic. Hide all the tell-tale signs of your gear, and calm yourself down until you'd be ready for fly fishing...

[Sevo]

As a rational person, I agree with you. I understand the science, which is mid 20th century now, but with ambient light, in the same setup, no blink. (and they don't know if I am going to use flash or not.)

At least you know. Are YOU blinking in anticipation of the flash?

[sully75]

As a rational person, I agree with you. I understand the science, which is mid 20th century now, but with ambient light, in the same setup, no blink. (and they don't know if I am going to use flash or not.)
Whenever the science answer is so out of sync with a lot of common experience, one wonders if a new science answer is around the bend. (Or maybe my nose hairs flare when I am going to use flash)

Well, that could be, or it could be that your technique with the flash is different. Perhaps the flash makes a noise prior to firing that they can hear? If you were using speedlights or something with a preflash, it would totally make sense, or at least be possible. But I think there is something other than just the simple flash vs. non flash difference.

They might really not like the flash, and therefor be blinking a lot more?

[cowanw]

All of which may be true. But indoors, outdoors, 35mm, 6x6, full studio 8x10, even little digiflash; all yield the same observations. Anyway the solution is sufficiently obscure for me as to lead me to avoid the problem with ambient light.

[neil poulsen]

Maybe get a shutter release cable long enough so that it's not visible to the sitter when you trip the shutter.

[Maris Rusis]

The 1 metre long cable release works for me. I hold my "release" hand behind my back so the portrait sitter doesn't see my thumb going down....and when to flinch!

[Cor]

Thanks for all the tips, guys! I'll put them into practice next time!

Best,

Cor

[Teodor Oprean]

I would switch to continuous lighting.

[Randy]

Many years ago (when I was a photographer in the USAF, and we did officers portraits in studio with 4X5 film), when I would encounter a blinker - just when I was ready to trip the shutter I would tell them to look at the lens and blink. I watched closely and tripped the shutter just after they blinked, like a fraction of a second. Usually worked.

[Cor]

.. a blinker, that's a great definition (or is it a normal expression?), good tip to, but to quote Sevo:

"Close-and-open is the common trick, but you will get the subject's photo face rather than a natural expression that way."

I'll try the ultra long cable release next time, and keep it out of sight of my son next time..

Thanks,

Cor


Many years ago (when I was a photographer in the USAF, and we did officers portraits in studio with 4X5 film), when I would encounter a blinker - just when I was ready to trip the shutter I would tell them to look at the lens and blink. I watched closely and tripped the shutter just after they blinked, like a fraction of a second. Usually worked.

[Randy]

.. but to quote Sevo: "Close-and-open is the common trick, but you will get the subject's photo face rather than a natural expression that way."

Cor
Actually, when photographing Air Force officers all day, the last thing I was concerned about was a "natural expression". As long as they were looking at the lens with open eyes, I was satisfied (and so were they).

But honestly, if they are posed and ready for the shot, and all you do is tell them to blink once, the expression is not affected. I mean, blinking is "natural".

[mandoman7]

Blinkers are fairly common, particularly with studio strobes. Once you realize you have one, its not hard to fool them. It's definitely based on their anticipation of your tripping the shutter, so shooting before or after the assigned count to three usually works. It's better in general, IMO, however, to have them fairly engaged in conversation such that they don't have time to delve into self consciousness where you might encounter other vanity ticks, if you will. People can get uptight in front of a camera.