# Stroboscopic golfer (possible?)



## kanuski (Jul 28, 2013)

I have been dreaming of a shot for a while now but I am not sure if it is possible. I want a shot of a golfer swinging at the ball. The flash will fire several times during the swing showing faint impressions of the golfer and golf club at several stages of the swing. Then a second flash will fire on rear sync showing the golfer at the end of the swing. It sounded simple when I first thought of it but now I am thinking it might just turn out to be a blurry mess. I am going to try it but any suggestions or ideas from you would be appreciated.
Thanks.


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## AlexanderB (Jul 28, 2013)

May be just merge several shots?


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## Scatterbrained (Jul 28, 2013)

I've seen this done with other action sports, but not golf.  If you have a light that can cycle quickly, you can set the camera on a tripod and use burst mode to capture the swing sequence,  then blend them in Ps.    I'm not too sure if you can separate flash functions to have one strobe ( group A for instance) shoot stroboscopic while another (group B) hits rear curtain.


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## Derrel (Jul 28, 2013)

stroboscopic golf swing photo - Google Search


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## 480sparky (Jul 28, 2013)

Scatterbrained said:


> I've seen this done with other action sports, but not golf.  If you have a light that can cycle quickly, you can set the camera on a tripod and use burst mode to capture the swing sequence,  then blend them in Ps.    I'm not too sure if you can separate flash functions to have one strobe ( group A for instance) shoot stroboscopic while another (group B) hits rear curtain.



Given the short duration of a golf swing, most consumer-grade cameras aren't capable of capturing very many distinct images due to their low fps rates.  4-6 may be it.  Shooting is a dark room with the shutter on Bulb, and using the strobe to 'take' the image would work better (think of a 70's disco).


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## Ysarex (Jul 28, 2013)

You need a Graph Check:




It took 8 frames on 4x5 sheet Polaroid. The sequence rate was variable. I knew a couple guys who had one and used to hang out at the local golf courses. An instant see your golf swing for 10 bucks.

Joe


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## KmH (Jul 28, 2013)

It takes a specialized camera high speed film camera and a strobe light that can shoot 50 or more frames-per-second with sufficient power. 

You might be able to rent a set-up, but a quick Internet search didn't turn up any sources.


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## kanuski (Jul 28, 2013)

Thanks everyone.
I think this is going to be more difficult than I first imagined.


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## vintagesnaps (Jul 28, 2013)

Harold Edgerton pioneered this at MIT, there's at least one golf image here - http://edgerton-digital-collections.org/galleries/iconic/athletics . I don't know if any of these links would have any practical use or not Edgerton Center: High Speed Imaging Links .

This is more or less a 'lo-tech' plastic (cheapie) variation of the camera Joe posted - Lomography Oktomat ? Lomography Shop . I don't think this would quite work like what you have in mind! would be just for fun; I have the Pop 9 which is similar but produces repeat not sequential images.


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## Derrel (Jul 28, 2013)

This page might be of some help. Oleg Novikov Photography » Nikon Speedlight SB-800 review

A number of flashes offer a stroboscopic or repeating flash mode; the power level is not all that high, but at close range, with elevated ISO levels and a moderate aperture, it shouldn't be all that bad. Not sure if you shoot Nikon or Canon.


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## amolitor (Jul 28, 2013)

There are plenty of homebrew trigger kits out there. Typically you can program in, basically, a variable delay with a fair bit of precision.

Get a set of strobes and a set of the delay triggers. Set them up to all trigger off the same event (possibly just a button-press). Then your 3 or 4 or 10 strobes all go off pop-pop-pop-pop so and so many milliseconds apart.

Take you an hour to get the timing dialed in and pull a decent shot out of this setup. See, for example, HiViz.com.


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## Buckster (Jul 28, 2013)

I think this can be done with a simple variable speed party strobe, like the ones at Spencer's in the mall.  You'll need a way to power it, of course, but an extension cord should take care of that, if you're not picky about where exactly you want to shoot it, like the 9th hole at a golf course.

Set up on a tripod with a remote trigger later in the evening so that you can use a longer shutter speed, or use a ND filter to slow it down, or a combination of both.  I don't think it needs to be pitch dark out.  You'll want to capture the whole swing, of course, so a couple of seconds should do it.

A few test shots should allow you to get the strobe positioned near or far, where it's not blowing out the club with each burst.  You can always put it behind an umbrella, softbox or panel too.

From there, it's a timing issue between you and the swinger.  "1, 2, 3, GO!!!!  Okay, let's try it again."

I would guess that you'll need one good static shot of the golfer to use for his head and body in post production, as that part of the swinger will likely blow out as well as blur from multiple bursts from the strobe when it's set up to properly expose the club at each position in the swing.

Sounds like a fun project!


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## amolitor (Jul 28, 2013)

Just to reinforce Buckster's point, human beings are incredibly accurate at following an audible cadence. "1, 2, 3, swing" carefully spoken the same way every time can give you insanely accurate repeatability. It's just a thing people can do. The Blue Angels, I am given to understand, run their maneuvers on these kinds of spoken cadences.


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## kanuski (Jul 28, 2013)

Thanks Sharon,
There are lots of cool toys on those links. I could get distracted for days.
The MIT golfing shot looks exactly like what I had in mind but it is just as blurry and blown as I thought it would be as well. I am hoping to end up with a recognizable face. I will play with it this week and post my results. Thanks.


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## kanuski (Jul 28, 2013)

Derrel, that is exactly what I had in mind. I shoot Canon and have a YN565 and a YN568. I only hope they have the power to light the shot and the speed to keep it from getting too blurry.


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## kanuski (Jul 28, 2013)

Buckster said:


> I would guess that you'll need one good static shot of the golfer to use for his head and body in post production, as that part of the swinger will likely blow out as well as blur from multiple bursts from the strobe when it's set up to properly expose the club at each position in the swing.



I might need to do a lot of work in post but I am going to try to do this SOOC. I hope I can get a gobo/shield in place to reduce the amount of light falling on the golfer from the strobes. Then I want to use a second flash with rear-curtain sync and a snout aimed at the face to give the detail I need there.


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## Buckster (Jul 28, 2013)

kanuski said:


> Buckster said:
> 
> 
> > I would guess that you'll need one good static shot of the golfer to use for his head and body in post production, as that part of the swinger will likely blow out as well as blur from multiple bursts from the strobe when it's set up to properly expose the club at each position in the swing.
> ...


That's a great way to deal with it.  Can't wait to see the results of your experiment!


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## MartinCrabtree (Sep 10, 2013)

Any progress?


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## kanuski (Sep 10, 2013)

I am having trouble getting both flashes firing. I have tried sync cords but it didn't work for rear curtain sync. I ordered an ettl cord but it didn't have a hot shoe for a second flash. I just ordered another ettl cord with a second hotshoe for the second flash.


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## Gavjenks (Sep 11, 2013)

Amazon.com: Techno Strobe(TM) 2000S: Musical Instruments
15 strobes per second should be more than enough.
And it only draws 75 watts, so if you already have any random inverters sitting around, they can probably handle it if you want to go into the field.

What I would do is set my camera to do an exposure bracketing of 2 shots, one of them at the correct exposure for a single speedlight lit image and about 1/100th of a second, and the other way +8ish stops at 2 seconds.

Then
1) turn the receiver on the flash or monolight off
2) hit a shutter and hold it down while immediately turning the receiver back on. You have 2 seconds to turn the receiver back on.

The first of the two bracketed exposures will then commence, with no monolight flash, but it will get all the little strobe flashes.
Then immediately after that, your camera will automatically stop the exposure, save the data, open a new exposure in a fraction of a second, and take it with the monolight flash engaging.

Thus you get the full stroboscopic thing, plus a nice crisp separate image of the final position at the end, and a well exposed face and body, all lined up with the swing.  In post processing, use the second shot for the body (lower the brightness on the club to make it look like the others if you want, or not, personal taste), and use the first shot in another layer for the path.


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## Gavjenks (Sep 11, 2013)

Or I guess you could just tell the dude to hold his final position until told to relax.  Then manually trigger the next shot and push the pilot button, without messing with any of the bracketing and such and such.  Dunno if it would look as natural though. Might wobble too far from the smooth swing path.


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## MartinCrabtree (Sep 11, 2013)

I would just pick up a strobe light. Use a time exposure and go from there.


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## pharmakon (Sep 12, 2013)

I had thought of a similar shot over a year ago, but with a different sport. Now reading this has me thinking about how to do it again.
Maybe I'll try some things and post back if I have any success.


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## 407370 (Apr 11, 2014)

Do you own a Galaxy Note 3::

LINK

They actually have a GOLF SWING MODE and it works.

I just remembered I tried it when I got the phone. See below




Actually that is action mode but imagine that sort of thing with a golf swing.


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