Photos

Here's something if you would like to try Hi Speed Flash Photography.

Most DSLRs have a maximum flash sync from 1/180s to 1/250s. While this is ok for most flash photography disciplines, this shutter speed is not fast enough to flash freezes something zipping faster than 1/250s.

Like for instance this stingless bee or scientifically "meliponines". Even at 1/800s, it's still not enough to freeze its wings, but enough to freeze its in flight movement just before landing.

Check your flash or camera's body whether it can "flash" faster than its normal autosync speed. For Canon or Pentax, usually its on the flash unit itself where you set it to Hi Speed Sync. Look for the icon or symbol with an "H" beside a Thunder sign. For Nikon's, the setting up is usually in the camera's body.

During Hi Speed Sync mode, the flash unit "follows" or obeys the camera's exposure setting. In the normal autosync mode, your flash unit would "reset" your shutter speed in your exposure setting to its maximum flash autosync speed.

For instance,let say you are taking a sunny portrait work and your exposure is F/4 and shutter speed 1/1000s. You wanted F/4 because you need to blur the background and as it's a bright day, your camera decided the best shutter speed is 1/1000s. But...when you took the shot, the subject's face is dark or underexposed. Switching on your flash at normal mode, you noticed your shutter speed is automatically reset to 1/250s, which is for Canon 40D, its flash autosync speed. At this setting, you would probably get a washout/over exposed background while your subject's face is well exposed.

By switching to Hi Speed Sync, your exposure of F/4 at 1/1000s is maintained but with the added advantage of a filled in flash. So not only you get your background well exposed, your main subject is well lit by the fill in.

High speed sync is usually set for fill in flash, studio photography and freezing anything that moves in the undergrowth or anytime you need to use wide apertures (F/2.8 to F/4) at higher shutter speed.

This stingless bee is part of a colony making home on the side of a tree beside a trail on the bank of the lake at Bukit Padang. There's a collapsed jetty just behind the tree which you can't miss if you are looking for this hive.