[kapterian]

Here are some issues I'm having:

I'm using Windows XP, Canon G10, PSRemote, functioning as a photo booth

1) I'm using 2 strobe lights, with built-in modeling lights. One is hot-synced to the G10, the other acts as a slave. The pics turn out great if the people in the booth do NOT move at all. The slightest movement and the pic turns out blurry. How can I fix this? I am not a photographer, so I'll need it in layman's terms. I was told that I need to increase the shutter speed. Since the software overrides the camera's settings, how can I adjust this in the software? What setting should I use, keeping in mind that people are almost NEVER sitting still in the booth. Thanks.

2) Part 2 to the question above. Since the hot-sync isn't working, I'm using the camera's flash and the strobes act as slaves and go off. I do NOT get blurry pics when I use the camera's flash. The problem is that often times the first pic ends up with a dark background. I attached a pic as an example. It looks like the camera's flash went off, but the strobe either did not, or reacted early to the camera's "pre-flash"? Please help with any ideas. In GENERAL, what is the best way to take pics with the photo booth? Camera's flash? Strobes? Modeling lights only?

[Chris Breeze]

Here are some issues I'm having:

I'm using Windows XP, Canon G10, PSRemote, functioning as a photo booth

1) I'm using 2 strobe lights, with built-in modeling lights. One is hot-synced to the G10, the other acts as a slave. The pics turn out great if the people in the booth do NOT move at all. The slightest movement and the pic turns out blurry. How can I fix this? I am not a photographer, so I'll need it in layman's terms. I was told that I need to increase the shutter speed. Since the software overrides the camera's settings, how can I adjust this in the software? What setting should I use, keeping in mind that people are almost NEVER sitting still in the booth. Thanks.

It sounds as though the camera is set to one of the auto exposure modes and this is setting a slow shutter speed to get the right exposure using the ambient light. Normally if you connect a compatible strobe to the camera's hotshoe the camera will automatically select a faster shutter speed (the same as it does if you use the camera's built-in flash). You could try setting the camera to manual exposure mode and selecting a faster shutter speed e.g. a shutter speed of 1/125 sec and an aperture of f/5.6. You may need to experiment with different flash settings and/or the aperture on the camera to get the correct exposure.


2) Part 2 to the question above. Since the hot-sync isn't working, I'm using the camera's flash and the strobes act as slaves and go off. I do NOT get blurry pics when I use the camera's flash. The problem is that often times the first pic ends up with a dark background. I attached a pic as an example. It looks like the camera's flash went off, but the strobe either did not, or reacted early to the camera's "pre-flash"? Please help with any ideas. In GENERAL, what is the best way to take pics with the photo booth? Camera's flash? Strobes? Modeling lights only?
If you're firing the external strobes using a slave unit you need to turn off the camera's red-eye reduction otherwise the pre-flashes will trigger the strobe prematurely.