Goddamn pre-flash!!

Ok...This post would specifically be a technical rant for the photographically and technically inclined!!

Call it a photographers itch... I wanted to experiment with 'off-camera' flash so I could extend my photograpic creativity!! It so happens that the camera I own, a sony H5 is worthless for this since it does not have a hotshoe or pc port where I can hook up an external flash.
After sometime I realize there is a small solution... to use an optical trigger to flash the second flash.
For those who expect an explanation at this point...
An optical trigger is a small device that is connected to an external flash...and will trigger the external flash as soon as it detects another flash nearby.


The black figure is the subject...the grey is the photographer... The weird object between the subject and the camera is the flash with the optical trigger...

So... problem solved right! Apparently not yet!
Its just the beginning!!
It so happens that digital cameras use what is called 'ttl' i.e. through the lens. The camera fires a small flash before the actual flash.This pre-flash is not to be confused with the red eye reduction option that makes the flash go off thrice...
Its used to judge the exposure and exact flash power required.
It so happens that this 'pre-flash' doesn't get disabled even when the camera is switched to complete manual mode!
So, the optical trigger which fires the second flash actually fires on the pre-flash itself...thus rendering the image dark! And the only way to circumvent this problem and use an external flash is...
1. Buy a camera with hot shoe... which I'm hoping my dear blogger friends will gift me!! :P
2. Make a optical trigger which ignores this pre-flash by delaying the triggering...which again I shall rely on my dear readers to help me out of.... HEY!! Am a doctor...not an engineer!! :P

Now I feel much better!! :P

Cheers!

P.S. If you really dont understand what I've written, don't bother too much about it...

Why ain’t I writing anything?!

The last time I wrote a post on the blog was sometime on Jan 19^th!
It certainly isn’t a lack of ideas that’s kept me from writing… (Just in case you wondered!)
There’s only one…one single word that explains why I haven’t written…. It’s called ‘LAZY’.
If you could read here about all the things that happen when I have an idea and there’s something that makes that article feel incomplete….this is the explanatory post….the part that’s incomplete in that post is the part that says “I’m just too lazy to write”!!
And, that’s exactly why I end up reading other blogs and wonder why on earth I didn’t finish that article before!!
Linked below is a post by a fellow blogger about a topic I had thought of writing about but never finished…I’d still write about it….hmmmm….but I’m too lazy!!

La Vida’s blog about the modern woman (Brilliant, I must say!)

How many bloggers feel the same way???

Go ahead and HONK!!

Cheers

IDEA!!!

The best ideas come when you can’t do anything about it.

-Venkatdeep,Circa 2007

Am sure many of us have gone through a situation where we’ve had ideas popping off our head like pop corn bursting in a microwave. There sure have been times when you’ve said “damn! Why dint I think of that before?!”

When ideas pop off at those ‘moments of inspiration’ one of the following happens....

> Someone has already thought of that idea!

> There is no paper!

> Ahhh! Here is the paper....damn! The pen ain’t working!

> I’ll record a voice clip...oops! BESCOM has graced our lives...there’s no power!

> If there is power the recording software ain’t working!

> If it is, and you finish recording, you will have to format your hard disk before you can backup the information for reasons mankind cannot perceive or justify! (Maybe the guys at Microsoft know!!)

> Now that the computer ain’t working how bout the mp3 player? ...oops again! Forgot to replace batteries!

P.S. If you were wondering if I never thought of the cassette recorder...I did. That ain’t working either!

> I’ll call my girlfriend....

You: Hey sweetie......

She: Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.....baby I missed you sooooooo muchhh...I was out shopping the whole day with Div, Akshu..... I saw this cuutttee pinkish yellowish greenish blue black stuffed elephant...you’ll get it for my birthday na...and guess what we saw your friends brothers ex-girlfriends third boyfriend today...my god! What a jerk! Heeeeyyy and you remember that pink top you got me last week...I showed it to my friends today and they were..wow! You should have seen them...And guess what there was this cute guy at the chocolate store...he was trying to so badly hit on divs...and.... (After sooooommmeee mooorrree time!) ...baby...why you sooo quiet?? What happened?? Are you ok?? Everything ok? Are you sure?

You: uh...nothing...glad you had a great day..

She: Thanx soo much...acchha now I’ll go and try on a new dress I got today..byeeee...muuuahh! CLICK!

You: ??

> I’ll call a friend...THE HUTCH SUBSCRIBER YOU ARE TRYING TO CALL IS NOT REACHABLE AT THE MOMENT!!!

> If it is.... You: Hey man...I just had a great idea!

Other side: huh?? Hello? Who’s this?

WRONG NUMBER!!

> You finally get the right number and he says... “Uh! Dude...am with my girl here...I’ll catchya later...”CLICK!

> Ditch it...what are moms for....

You: Mom...

Mom: You know what, in that soap the heroines, third sisters, fourth boyfriends, dog’s new owners, sons girlfriends ex-boyfriends, fathers, mother-in-laws, sisters, ex-husbands, third wife’s, son tries to........

You: huh??????????!?!?!!!!!?

> Well dads and sons always share a special relation...

You: Heeyy Dad.....guess what...

(Before anything else is said) Dad: NO YOU’RE NOT TAKING THE CAR TODAY!

>Grandpa.....yeeeahhh!

You: (Starts and finishes saying the idea...pauses for a breath...feels happy!!!).....ajja super idea right!!

Grandpa: aahhhhh??? What?? I forgot my hearing aid....

Gets up disoriented...feigns a fainting attack, picks himself off the ground and heads out of the door!

Gets a call on the mobile: hello? “Do u wanna partner...o partner.... (Song playing)...this caller tune for you just at rs.30 per month!”

So, what’s your story?