HSS Flash Photography
An HSS flash is a great piece of equipment for every photographer. I used mine at the Jindai Botanical Garden Rose Festival in October 2022. It produced some stunning results. I was more happy.
In the past, most of my photos haven’t been anything special. They have just been flowers in a garden. Often I added bokeh but not always. This time I wanted something eye-popping.
My goal was flowers that popped with beautiful colors that stood out from the background. The midday sun wouldn’t allow that. I needed a special technique.
It was time to use my flash. Did you know it can kill the sun? Not literally, of course, but it can give you some amazing effects if you know how to use it. HSS would get me the look I wanted. It was something I had done on occasion a long time ago. I needed to refresh my memory.
Luckily, the Dahlias were also in bloom. Their garden was near the roses. They have a cool spiky shape. It was a fantastic day of flower photography.
What Is HSS Flash Photography?
Have you ever used a flash? Using them is a good idea when you need more light. But they can be problematic for photographers. What is the problem?
It’s timing. Many cameras have a maximum shutter speed. On my Fujifilm X-T3, it is 1/250 second. Other brands might be a little slower. Anyway, break that barrier, and a dark bar will appear across your photo. That’s not good!
HSS (high-speed synch) ignores that barrier. With it, the sky is the limit. Fujifilm X-T3’s maximum shutter speed is 1/8000 second. I can use it. The background will darken.
All you need to do is correctly set up your camera and flash. Check your camera manual to do that. YouTube also has many guides to it. It’s not difficult.
Remember this, though. HSS flash photography requires equipment that is capable of doing it. Check before buying anything. If you are not sure, ask the store staff.
Why Use HSS flash?
- To control ambient light
To reduce ambient light, lower ISO or increase your shutter speed. That might be problematic so use HSS!
You can darken backgrounds, which is what I did at Jindai. Or, try it with a model at sunset. It can add drama to the sky! Seriously, it will be stunning.
- Maintain a shallow depth of field
Some photographers love to blur out backgrounds with a shallow depth of field. Doing this in bright daylight makes it hard to get the proper exposure. You might end up with overexposed photos. Use HSS flash to kill the ambient light. Yes, this is connected with the previous reason.
- Overpower Strong Sunlight
Many people prefer to shoot around golden hour lighting. But that isn’t always possible. Sometimes time constraints force a shoot during the middle of the day. HSS allows that.
- Capture Motion on bright days
It’s hard to capture fast-paced movement since most cameras have a flash sync speed of 1/250th of a second. HSS allows you to use high shutter speeds. Let’s be honest. Flowers don’t usually move! Well, if it is windy, they will.
How Did I Use HSS at Jindai?
- I used a Godox V860 II flash with a homemade bounce card.
- I enabled the flash to fire when the camera’s first curtain opened. To do this, check the operating manual.
- As a base, my camera settings were:
- Shutterspeed 1/8000
- ISO 200
- Aperture f/8.0
Conclusion
I was happy with the results. Hopefully, you agree with me. The roses looked great, as did the dahlias. I enjoyed that day of flower photography. Using an HSS flash brought out nice colors and controlled the ambient light.
Chrysanthemums will be with us next month so the flash might get more work. I’ll see them at Jindai Botanical Gardens and other locations, with luck. Come back again to see more photos.
Rohan Gillett
Rohan has lived in Tokyo for 30+ years. He loves photography and plans to capture the entire city.
More flower articles:
A great YT video to learn about HSS flash:
- High Speed Sync and How it Works – Lighting Tutorial (it uses a model, not flowers but it explains the technique)