“Dragging the Shutter” revisited
1/100 @ f1.6 @ 1000 iso
“Dragging the Shutter” is a term used to describe the technique of using a slow enough shutter speed to allow a measure of ambient light to register when using flash.
This term originates from an era when photographers would determine correct flash exposure for on-location photography by :
- setting the ISO speed according to the film used,
- setting the aperture according to subject distance (depends on flashgun’s guide number),
- then using the shutter speed as the ONLY way of independently allowing more ambient light in, slowing the shutter speed far lower than max sync speed when shooting in low light.
(This worked fairly well for colour negative film, because the labs took up the slack in exposure miscalculation when printing the images.)
However, with TTL flash on a D-SLR, you have more flexibility than this. And I’m of the opinion that the phrase “dragging the shutter” is archaic in the era of TTL flash photography.
As explained on these two previous pages …
- Manual flash vs TTL flash,
- juggling the three controls
… TTL flash exposure will follow your chosen aperture and ISO.
This means that your choice aperture and ISO effectively becomes ‘transparent’ to your flash exposure.
Hence you can equally well use your aperture and your ISO and your shutter speed, to allow more or less available light in, independent of your (TTL) flash exposure. (Obviously we have to work within reasonable ranges.)
So it would be of great benefit not to get locked into the idea of “dragging the SHUTTER” to control your available light, when you could equally well use any of the three controls when you use TTL flash.
.
.
Many photographers seem to have a hard time wrapping their heads around this idea - that with TTL flash it isn’t only the shutter speed that you can control, but that you can now use all three settings (shutter speed, aperture, iso), to control how your available light registers .. and still not affect your flash exposure.
Let’s look at all of this in relation to some images:
1/100 @ f1.6 @ 1000 iso
Canon 1Dmk3 / Canon 85mm f1.2 II / Canon 580EX
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1/125 @ f1.6 @ 1250 iso
Canon 1Dmk3 / Canon 85mm f1.2 II / Canon 580EX
.
1/100 @ f2.0 @ 1600 iso
Canon 1Dmk3 / Canon 85mm f1.2 II / Canon 580EX
If you look at my settings for all three images, my shutter speeds weren’t all that slow, BUT if you look at the images you’ll notice that the available light most definitely did register. And this was because of my choice of aperture and ISO. With a wide aperture, and a high ISO, I allowed ambient light to register, and give context to my photographs. And then I added TTL flash to it, and exposed correctly for my subjects, opening up shadows and controlling contrast and cleaning up skin tones.
I didn’t need to specifically “drag my SHUTTER” to get to this point.
What is at the very heart of this, is the idea that you get better results with on-location flash photography, when you make sure your ambient light registers to some extent - whether you use your aperture, ISO or shutter speed.
So in trying to understand this technique, don’t stare yourself blind against the idea that shutter speed is the only thing which allows you to independently control your ambient light, separate from your flash exposure. With modern (ie, TTL) flash photography, this technique has become a lot more interesting and versatile.
Ken Donnelly Said,
February 29, 2008 @ 10:17 pm
Neil, this is a great addition to the work you have already done on explaining the use of flash and ambient exposure together. Instantly, I can see a lot more flexibility, and solutions to problems I have experienced and found difficult to overcome.
Thanks a million, I am always excited to see planet neil come up on my RSS reader!
Cheers,
Ken Donnelly
Antonio Correia Said,
March 2, 2008 @ 3:00 pm
Neil.
I found this blog/site of yours to be of great value.
I do like the way you use the flash, in a very smooth and tender way
Let me make a little comment about the photos you have exposed here.
You work with high-end equipment. Fine. That’s great.
I use a 20D and L lenses and I am an amateur. I use the center point for focusing and I feel that sometimes I miss the focus because or a little movement or whatever and I get a blur picture.
Here, also within reasonable ranges, the material is important. I sometimes use a 350D and I can see that the focus system is not so perfect as with the 20D …
Changing ISO is a clever issue. Gives more flexibility. Thank you.
Soon I will make some experiments with this super tip.
Have a nice working week.
Mark Said,
March 2, 2008 @ 9:35 pm
Great tip Neil, thanks for your sharing!
Quick question here, were you using a direct flash at the couple in those images or were you bouncing them off the ceiling?
Neil Said,
March 2, 2008 @ 10:58 pm
Antonio Correia Said,
March 3, 2008 @ 9:36 am
I have seen yesterday but I forgot to mention that the blue spot in the last picture, reflection inside the lens of the flash back there, is a minus in the picture.
May be you could clone it …
And I dare say that I would like even better the picture if that flash in the background was behind the bride’s head. and not as it is.
Am I forgiven ? To be so bold … Me, just an amateur …
Neil Said,
March 3, 2008 @ 11:57 am
Gene Lobb Said,
March 3, 2008 @ 4:31 pm
Glad you posted this because a problem I have is underexposing the background especially in dim light situations such as reception halls. The result is a very “muddy” looking background. To this end, I recently purchased a 50mm 1.8 lens for my Nikon D80 in order to let in more light. My thinking was to try to keep the ambient light within 2 stops so it doesn’t get too underexposed and make it much easier to light the subject with the SB600 flash.
I am just an beginner in photography and have no intention of becoming a pro at anything, including wedding photography. I just want to take better pictures. Your blog here has helped me understand flash better than most photographers out there, and I thank you for the time you have taken to write these lessons.
Bernie Said,
March 3, 2008 @ 11:53 pm
Neil, your only fault is not posting enough of these tips!
Following what you did, (high ISO, wide aperture) even using the built-in flash (-ve compensation) allowed me to register ambient lights which did wonders for the pictures I took recently.
Of course, by attaching my SB600 and bouncing of walls (never direct and on the ceiling!), you made me look more competent than I truly am
Dragging the Shutter Said,
March 4, 2008 @ 2:00 am
[...] dragging the shutter. Even if your an experienced shutter dragger it still a worthwhile read… Check It Out digg_url=’http://www.prophotoshow.net/blog/2008/03/04/dragging-the-shutter/’; digg_skin = [...]
Jakob Swartz Said,
March 4, 2008 @ 10:21 am
Neil,
Once again some great posts here on your website, which are extremely informational and easy to understand. Thank you for taking the time to post this!
I dont see very much noise in the images posted, even at ISO1600. I seem to remember another post where you explained that you dont post-process much with noise reduction software (maybe I dont remember correctly). On my EOS 400D I find that I get a lot of noise at even just ISO 800, and I dont consider ISO 1600 usable.
Is this just the difference between the MkIII and the consumer models, or do you post proces?
Thanks again for the good site.
Jakob
Neil Said,
March 5, 2008 @ 11:02 pm
Andrew S Said,
March 7, 2008 @ 10:17 pm
Thank you very much Neil. I’m not new to photography, but I am new to flash photography, and this tutorial has helped me immensely in beginning to understand how to properly use this big expensive flash module I bought today.
*Bookmarked!*
Thanks again.
Yoghi Said,
March 12, 2008 @ 3:41 am
Hi Neal, thanks a lot for your great article on flash photography. You have made me spend a lot of my “after office hour” just to explore this technique :))
However, I would like to ask you whether this technique only work with the official brand. I use Nissin Di-622 to work with my Nikon D70s, and I found the flash exposure compensation didn’t work. In TTL mode set up at the camera and flash, I tried to dialed down or up the flash exposure compensation button (on the left side of the built-in flash house), but still the exposure unchanged.
Please advise accordingly. Thank you very much Neil..
Neil Said,
March 15, 2008 @ 3:48 am
Jakob Swartz Said,
March 15, 2008 @ 10:06 am
Neil,
Thanks for taking time to comment on the comments, I really appreciate it. -And will start saving for the eos5D or the big brother when it comes out.
Cheers,
Jakob
Jase Andrew Said,
March 17, 2008 @ 2:09 pm
I find your site very informative and makes great reading and I’ve just one question.
Nikon appear to have spent a lot of time and effort on their balanced flash system and I’d be interested in hearing what you think of the system and what, if any, benefits it has.
Cheers and keep up the good work.
Melina Barrals Said,
March 23, 2008 @ 6:49 pm
(please, excuse my poor english, I’m french)
Dear Neil, I first want to thank you for the general quality of this website.
I want to thank you too for making me consider my strobe as a friend and not as an enemy.
I did not read before such a clear and accurate explanation of flash photography.
Very very very good writing. Awesome.
Now I’ll explore this new universe without doubt nor fear. Guess I’ll now be able to produce far better photographs for my friends and family.
Mark Kathurima Said,
April 8, 2008 @ 12:44 am
Neil,
I first read your pages on shutter drag about 2 1/2 years ago, while prepping for my first evening wedding shoot. I can safely say that the images I got on that day are still some of the very best wedding photos I have ever taken! I was using a Rebel G film camera with a generic flash, a Demb Flash Diffuser and ISO 200 and 400 colour neg film. I now use an XTi (400D) with a 580EXII flash and the technicque comes in really
This update just reconfirms to me that I gotta get me that 5D this year
It didn’t really register with me that I can actually maintain higher shutter speeds by keeping my ISO up and controlling the flash output manually. Duh!
I know that now ISO 1600 won’t be a limitation on my future shutter-dragging escapades.
Incidentally, what fast wide prime would you recommend for Canon SLR?
Alex foto Said,
April 24, 2008 @ 10:42 am
Hi Neil,
I can’t get enough of this website and article. I am a newbee [do they call it?] on wedding photography and yet to cover a full-day wedding photography soon. And I can assure you that I would definitely dare try these techniques there, of course, after practicing it at home and somewhere else first.
I have been reading postings at Photo.net for the past 2 or 3 months now and pretty much everyone would mention your name when it comes to such issues. You are indeed a great asset to photography and photographers, so please keep up the good work! Thank you very very much!
tiger darson Said,
April 26, 2008 @ 1:12 am
how about we call the technique “dragging exposure” from here on out?
(the term “dragging” not to be taken too literally, of course…)
and let me join everybody else in saying “thank you.” even though i’ve only actually used it once so far, i’m nevertheless quite fond of and impressed with this technique (whatever you want to call it), and i appreciate your helping me to understand it better. that’s a valuable insight, that it’s not all about the shutter. that realization opens up all kinds of interesting possibilities.