The photos of the Croesor Rhosydd Through Trip on the 30th May prompted the Colonel and myself to reconsider flash for underground. Blackshiver's shots were excellent and, importantly, quick to take, with no shouts of "hold still, just a bit longer".

The different techniques also produced quite different results:

1. Flash

🔗Croesor-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-35713[linkphoto]Croesor-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-35713[/linkphoto][/link]

Really like the shadows, a lot more atmospheric than a lot of light painting shots that can be a bit too even.

2. Light painting, light in front of camera

🔗Croesor-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-35710[linkphoto]Croesor-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-35710[/linkphoto][/link]

A cracking shot by the Colonel, featuring the Colonel, delayed self timer allowing the photographer to be in the shot.

3. Light painting, light behind camera

🔗Croesor-Rhosydd-Through-Trip-Image-35862[linkphoto]Croesor-Rhosydd-Through-Trip-Image-35862[/linkphoto][/link]

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good point simon.

the bottom one works well with the horizontal lines.

I,m surprised the top one doesnt have ant flair from the flash.

there is no reason why you couldnt have a slave link , chuck the flash in a corner like you would with a torch. one shot and your away.

i might investigate the option, but its an slr technique rather than a compact.

I,m trying to make things simple ?

I agree Blackshivers shot is very good, was it muliple flash or just the one?

You can clearly see the other explorers waiting in the level beyond, amazing for flash .

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Blackshiver's photo was with a Nikon compact (can't remember the model) using the built in flash and a single external flash with built in slave unit. You can see where it fired from near the bottom left corner.

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I've got a couple of cave slave MkII and They will not 'synch' with the flash on my compact. This is something of a mystery to me, because if the slaves trigger within a few micro seconds of the camera flash, then all should be in 'sych'. It's not like the flash on the camera has a long duration and the shutter is opening near the end of the light envelope, and thus missing the slave. without test equipment I'm stumped. Any Ideas?

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My compact has a 'long shutter' setting which gives me about 2 seconds in which to manually fire off two flash guns, linked by slave. I much prefer the results to light painting.

You get

(a) depth, provided you site the flash guns properly.

(b) a better impression of the underground environment, since parts of the photo will, by design or accident, be dark! Photos that illuminate every single corner might as well be in an electrically lit museum.

(c) sharper images if people are in shot - the issue already mentioned regarding asking people to keep still. I thought that problem had been resolved back in the 19th century - why reintroduce it now?

My compact will also give a long epxosure and yes I can get pictures that way. However, if I need to take shots 'on the hoof' or action type shots then problem of 'synching' persists, and if using exposures any longer than a 30th of a second. people will need to stand still.
Strike the pose!

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I've been thinking about flash as well, a friend got some really good shots around Coniston using flash (all he uses).

But I do think there are some that just can't get away from long exposure and painting, like if you want to capture a long tunnel / passage or a high large flat / stope working.

Watching him use flash was really good, as everyone has mentioned so far, it does not suffer from the be still for 5 secs etc... request.

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(b) a better impression of the underground environment, since parts of the photo will, by design or accident, be dark! Photos that illuminate every single corner might as well be in an electrically lit museum.

Wholeheartedly agree however I don't necessarily think that has to a flash thing alone. The photo I've been trying to rip off for months in various circumstances without any joy whatsoever is this one of Sparty Lea's which shows depth better than pretty much any other photo I've seen.

🔗Smallcleugh-Lead-Mine-User-Album-Image-30510[linkphoto]Smallcleugh-Lead-Mine-User-Album-Image-30510[/linkphoto][/link]

thats hyperfocal focussing for you. a small aperture will give a greater depth of field and make it sharper. However you will need a longer exposure. fortunately the lights are out of the frame otherwise they would appear star like. The effect of the light passing over the camera iris.

sorry if that sounds a bit blx technical. :oops: