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Lighting SystemRear curtain sync
Flash timed to record motion trails behind the subject
Rear curtain sync at 1/8 sec., F8. The motion trails follow the balls.
Normal (front curtain) sync at 1/8 sec., F8. The motion trails appear in front of the balls.
The smaller image shows what happens if you try to record motion trails by using a slow shutter speed in normal flash mode (front curtain sync): the motion trails appear to be in front of the balls rather than behind them. Rear curtain sync clearly results in the most natural image with motion trails behind the moving subject.
Flash at the end of the exposure
In normal flash photography the flash fires as soon as the camera shutter is fully open (front curtain sync). In rear curtain sync mode the flash fires just before the shutter closes. Motion up until the point that the flash fires is recorded as a blur, creating a motion trail behind the subject.
Tech Note Flash Timing and motion trails
- Rear curtain sync.
- The shutter opens, the motion trail is recorded, then the flash fires to capture the main image of the car just before the shutter closes.
- Front curtain sync.
- The flash fires as soon as the shutter opens, capturing the main image of the car, then the exposure continues without flash creating a motion trail that appears to be in front of the car.
