Tough challenge - eyes closed when using flash

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nvguerreiro

New member
Hi, everybody

I'm having a hard time trying to take pictures of my wife without resulting in her eyes closed.

She's one of those few people very sensitive to light, who almost always ends up with half or fully closed eyes in pictures.

From what I read about this problem, I believe it is related with the fact that some people close their eyes when a measuring light signal (pre-flash?) is sent immediately before the main flash is fired, part of the TTL (Through The Lens) flashing mechanism.

Yesterday I bought a Nissin Di600 external flash unit for my Nikon D5100 camera and I've already tried every single tip I found on the net to overcome this problem, including:

  • Disabling the TTL flashing mechanism: I switched to Manual mode on my Nissin Di600 and adjusted the power accordingly, but no luck, she closed her eyes anyway. This was my best hope, since I believed this would completely remove the pre-flash used in TTL. I even switched to Manual flash mode on the camera menu, which I believe only applies to the internal flash unit, but the result was the same.
  • Use Flash Value (FV) Lock: I believe the D5100 doesn't support it. Anyway I tried pressing the AE-L button after focusing, but it didn't work.
  • Set the flash firing mode to Rear Curtain: My camera supports this mode, I activated it and indeed noticed a delay in the flash, but no luck either. Her eyes were closed anyway

I've also seen suggestions on asking the subject to keeping eyes closed until the photo is taken and open them immediately before the flash fires, with the help of a 1, 2, 3 count from the photographer, but I believe I have to find a technical solution for this problem.

Any ideas?

Many thanks for any help.

Best regards,

Nuno Guerreiro
 
N

nickt

Senior Member
Welcome.
How does she react to no flash at all? I'm wondering since the flash is unpleasant for her, she might be reacting to the camera sound after repeated blasts. If that is the case, I was thinking mirror up mode. Pre-flash happens during the first step. But I think you don't have that mode on the d5100, exposure delay might work similarly, not sure though.
 
K

Krs_2007

Senior Member
Closing the eyes works, just make sure she doesnt squeeze them shut real tight. Just lightly close her eyes and then open on whatever count you decide. I tried this and it works really well.

Its a natural reaction when a light is shine in your eyes to close them or look away, not sure technically what you can do.
 
Horoscope Fish

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
Krs_2007 said:
Closing the eyes works, just make sure she doesnt squeeze them shut real tight. Just lightly close her eyes and then open on whatever count you decide. I tried this and it works really well.

Its a natural reaction when a light is shine in your eyes to close them or look away, not sure technically what you can do.
Click to expand...

Agreed. There really is no technology-based solution to this problem. Having subjects close their eyes and then open them on a count works well. Don't make an issue of it, just tell them to close their eye's and then too open on "Three!" and take the shot.

Bouncing the flash off a wall or ceiling might help... That, or as Brian suggests, don't use flash at all.

.....
 
W

WayneF

Senior Member
nvguerreiro said:
  • Disabling the TTL flashing mechanism: I switched to Manual mode on my Nissin Di600 and adjusted the power accordingly, but no luck, she closed her eyes anyway. This was my best hope, since I believed this would completely remove the pre-flash used in TTL. I even switched to Manual flash mode on the camera menu, which I believe only applies to the internal flash unit, but the result was the same.
Click to expand...

Manual flash should work. There is no preflash, therefore no possible reason to think the flash is causing the blink that time. It likely was just anticipation of the flash. Manual flash mode is of course set on the hot shoe flash itself, NOT in the camera menu.

Try this again, it should work. But to prevent anticipating the flash, surprise her a bit, instead of counting 1, 2, 3, now! Hold back a bit longer, let her get the blink over with. :) Manual flash durations are much faster than human reaction times.

  • Use Flash Value (FV) Lock: I believe the D5100 doesn't support it. Anyway I tried pressing the AE-L button after focusing, but it didn't work.
Click to expand...

FV Lock is best solution, but unfortunately only present on camera models that also have commander.
It is a great solution, basically converts to mimic Manual flash (in regard to preflash).

Some people just blink much more easily than others. It is not her fault, it is your problem to solve.

  • Set the flash firing mode to Rear Curtain: My camera supports this mode, I activated it and indeed noticed a delay in the flash, but no luck either. Her eyes were closed anyway
Click to expand...

This will have no effect on the blinking... the delay may insure blinking if anything.

However, you can use Rear Curtain as a one time test to verify there is no preflash on Manual flash. No subject needed, just watch the flash. Use Rear Curtain with a long shutter speed, at least one second (a correct exposure is not important this time). The one second just separates the two flashes so that humans can distinguish it as seeing two flashes.

TTL mode will see two flashes, one just before shutter opens (preflash), and one at the one second end of shutter duration. Manual flash will only see one flash, at the end of the long shutter duration. i.e., there is no preflash with Manual mode flash.
 
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N

nvguerreiro

New member
Thanks for all replies.

I'll try some of the suggestions presented, specially Manual mode again, which I also thought should work. And yes, I set Manual mode directly on the external flash unit.

Regards,

Nuno Guerreiro
 
M

MrF

Senior Member
You could try a burst of a few shots. Maybe if she blinks on the first one, her eyes will be open in time for the second or third one.
 
Y

yauman

Senior Member
Have you tried bouncing the light off the ceiling or off a wall behind you so she never actually get any direct light. I find that works with some light sensitive subjects. You can even wrap some dark foam around the light so no direct light spills out from the side to her eyes. Like this - the Black Foamie Thing.
 
M

Mfrankfort

Senior Member
Take 1 eyes closed with flash for exposure, and 1 eyes open no flash, and use photoshop? That's kinda tricky. Try to throw her off guard, haha
 
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