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Game photos - now with flash

Posted by Mikko Saari

16 Feb 2011

Mikko Saari

(msaari)

Finland

http://www.lautapeliopas.fi/ - the best Finnish board game resource!

So, I tried taking a flash with me to a game evening. It's not a big problem and I only once flashed it at someone's eyes. Oops.

However, the location isn't best possible for bounced flash. The ceiling is burgundy, which gives a nice tint. On one side, there's no wall nearby, on the other, there's a window. Where's my neutral bounce wall, huh?

Anyway, I got few decent shots. Here's one with actual players playing Die Dolmengötter:

Here's another Dolmengötter closeup photo, this time from actual, non-faked setup:

The red druid is badly stuck. I played maybe the worst game of Die Dolmengötter ever.

We also played The Resistance, which is kind of difficult to photograph, being a vague card game and all. Here's one attempt:

13 Comments

Wed Feb 16, 2011 7:33 pm

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Scott Alden

(Aldie)

United States
Dallas
Texas

Aldie's Full of Love!

I think they look great... what kind of camera?

Posted Wed Feb 16, 2011 8:56 pm
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peter mumford

(photocurio)

United States
Somerville
Massachusetts

ceci n'est pas une pipe

Bars and restaurants that have the walls painted red/black/mustard yellow are really annoying for shooting! Still your shots look great.

Posted Wed Feb 16, 2011 9:36 pm
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Hunga Dunga

(Hungadunga)

United States
Portland
Oregon

Aldie wrote:

I think they look great... what kind of camera?

And what kind of flash?

Posted Wed Feb 16, 2011 10:54 pm
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Tim Seitz

(out4blood)

United States
Glen Allen
VA

Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him. 2 Sam 14:14

Yea, those look great.

Posted Thu Feb 17, 2011 12:17 am
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Thomas Chipman

(nunyabisnas)

United States
Nashville
Tennessee

Aldie wrote:

I think they look great... what kind of camera?

exif says canon 550d

Posted Thu Feb 17, 2011 12:50 am
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Just call me Erik

(unixrevolution)

United States
Waldorf
Maryland

Those do look good! What you may want to try in the absence of a neutral bounce wall, though, is a bounce card. Tape or rubber band an index card to your flash like so:

Your flash, if it's a Canon speedlite, may have a bounce-card built in.

You can also try one of those expensive Gary Fong things, but eh, why bother?

Edited Thu Feb 17, 2011 2:34 am
Posted Thu Feb 17, 2011 2:33 am
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Mikko Saari

(msaari)

Finland

http://www.lautapeliopas.fi/ - the best Finnish board game resource!

Thanks for the kind comments.

EXIF spies in action... Yes, it's a Canon EOS 550D (Digital Rebel T2i for you US folks, what's with that name, huh) with a Speedlite 430EX II, which is just cheap enough not to have a built-in bounce card.

I'll have to try a bounce card next time. Forgot that, it's an obvious fix.

Posted Thu Feb 17, 2011 8:16 am
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Zé Mário

(Asur)

Portugal
Senhora da Hora
Matosinhos

The third one is a little blurry. On the other hand the first one is one awesome picture.

I've never been interested in flash photography, not sure why.

Posted Thu Feb 17, 2011 12:08 pm
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Mikko Saari

(msaari)

Finland

http://www.lautapeliopas.fi/ - the best Finnish board game resource!

Blurry is in the eye of beholder, it has nice depth of field if you ask me

Posted Thu Feb 17, 2011 1:58 pm
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Zé Mário

(Asur)

Portugal
Senhora da Hora
Matosinhos

msaari wrote:

Blurry is in the eye of beholder, it has nice depth of field if you ask me

Don't say that, I'm already worried that I may have to wear glasses.

But is there a focused element? I didn't see it, sorry. If you look through my pictures you'll notice I'm a fan of nice depths of field too.

Posted Thu Feb 17, 2011 2:01 pm
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peter mumford

(photocurio)

United States
Somerville
Massachusetts

ceci n'est pas une pipe

Asur wrote:

But is there a focused element? I didn't see it, sorry. If you look through my pictures you'll notice I'm a fan of nice depths of field too.

Critical focus is on the blades of grass on the board. If the location permitted bounced flash, the aperture could have been set smaller. I think that helps such macro shots.

Posted Thu Feb 17, 2011 4:22 pm
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Zé Mário

(Asur)

Portugal
Senhora da Hora
Matosinhos

photocurio wrote:

rass on the board. If the location permitted bounced flash, the aperture could have been set smaller. I think that helps such macro shots.

I was talking about the Resistance one, Peter.

Posted Thu Feb 17, 2011 4:23 pm
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Mikko Saari

(msaari)

Finland

http://www.lautapeliopas.fi/ - the best Finnish board game resource!

Yeah, you're right - the red card seems to be the main element in the photo, but it's not in focus. Nothing particularly is, you're right... The composition isn't terrific, and I kind of ran out of space when cropping. I still like the photo.

Posted Thu Feb 17, 2011 4:27 pm
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Game photos - now with flash

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