As I have already explained if you look above you will notice that part of the Hyperlinks, are now red, that is how you navigate this section of the site.


However, there are some forms of photography that simply defy being placed in a category. So I am going to include them in here.


I will place the full story of this, on the ‘My Photo Story’ page. But for now look at the picture below:

When I saw this picture (left), what would happen if you removed the model and just used this technique for pure architectural lighting?  I then purchased a second Canon 580EX II flash gun. I already owned one, and a Phottix Odin flash trigger, and two receivers. Not forgetting some Rogue coloured flash gels, and here are the results:

By the way the picture on the left belongs to Mike Brehaut. To View his tutorial click the picture.

The Crossness pictures worked so well with two flash guns, that I decided to purchased a third Canon 580EXII , and Phottix receiver.


I then paid a visit to the place where I work, one dark evening.


The first two pictures show the zoom range of the flash guns, which is 24mm to 105mm. We then move on to the artistic. Have a look, and see for yourself!

Let’s return to one of my most favourite places; Crossness.


Now all of this was if you excuse the pun, ‘a flash in the dark’, as this was my first attempt at colour flash photography. I started at one end of the galley at Crossness, away from any people, so I could get the settings right. I finally, placed the two flash guns around where the live steam engine was running. One of the engineers who was running the steam engine, asked me. “What are you doing”. So I showed him the pictures on the back of the camera. He was totally amazed at the pictures, and asked me “Would you like me to open one of the steam valves, for you, to get some more atmosphere in your pictures” and of course I said yes!


You have to remember that when the flash guns fire, they are so fast, the naked eye cannot see any colour. Therefore, unless you show someone the back of the camera they would have no clue as to the results.


Now here is a very important point, most of the time, if you show people what you are doing, and spend the time explaining to them what you are doing, they are only too pleased to help.  Check out the results below:

By this time, things were going quite well on the coloured flash front, and I had an opportunity to go to the Cambridge Museum of Technology with Jan, a fellow photographer and good friend of mine from work. So I took some shots in the museum without using the coloured flash gels, and then with. Just to get some comparisons. I will let you be the Judge. First no flash, then three colour flash:

After the success at Cambridge, I just had to go back to Crossness with the three flash guns. So here they are:

The more eagled eyed amongst you, may have noticed the last three frames, and thought “hello a bit of Photoshop going on here”. Well sorry to disappoint, they are all straight from the camera! So how, I hear you ask. Well it was using a Pixelstick! The pictures were downloaded onto an SD card, before I walked in front of the camera placed on a tripod, on a thirty second exposure. The picture is played out vertically, one pixel at a time, whilst walking provides the horizontal component. Magic or what!

Crossness again, this time two colour, with some macro shots at the end.

Crossness, this time ‘bubbles’, as my dear friend Rebecca calls them. I must admit I never thought of them like that. In fact they are using my Canon 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye lens.

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Coloured Flash Photography

Petzval Lens Photography