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....?

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...