Light in Photography - LIGHTING - FLASH LIGHTING

Remote firing without a slave unit

Most flash units, both compact and studio allow the photographer to test if the unit is working by pushing a test button. This test button can also be used as a means od triggering the unit to make an exposure. For instance if a photographer wanted to make several exposures of a dancer in motion across a background, they might set up the camera and flash against a black background, switch off the modeling light and trigger the flash repetitively by pushing the test button over several seconds as the dancer moved through the space.

As the flash can be triggered by shorting out or switching across the two wires, which is what happens when the camera shutter is released, a photographer might be in a situation where it may be impossible to fire the flash from either the camera or the flash unit itself. The unit can be triggered by shorting out the two contacts with a screw driver or better still having a special switch made for the purpose. Perhaps the shutter of the camera is left open for the exposure and the photographer needs to trigger the unit some distance from the flash or camera. Although there is a substantial amount of electrical charge stored in the capacitor of the flash unit, the nature of this charge is that that it is not directly connected to the mains power supply, but if you use a screw driver hold onto the insulation of the handle.

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IT IS STILL POSSIBLE FOR A AN ELECTRICAL SHOCK AS WE NORMALLY UNDERSTAND IT FROM THESE UNITS FROM FAULTY WIRING, OR WET CONDITIONS BEFORE THE CAPACITOR PART OF THE CIRCUIT.

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