I made this photograph back in November on the Saturday the presidential election results were announced.  It was a long day of walking around Boston covering marches, celebrations and protests.  

It was getting late in the afternoon and I knew I already had a number of photographs , plus I still had to file the photographs to my agency, Polaris Images.  I was thinking, I should just walk back to studio to file the photographs, however if I just wait a bit longer, the daylight will begin to fade, the streets will come and blue hour will begin.  I always like making photographs during blue hour, whether I am covering news or making travel photographs.  Blue hour can give life to the photograph, it can also create challenges with the shadows. 

When I cover news events, I don’t carry much equipment.  2 Nikon D850 cameras, one with a Tamron 17-35 or a Tamron 24-70 and one with a  Tamron 100-400 or a Tamron 70-200 f2.8 lens.  I always have a sppedlight one camera for flash fill.  My speedlight of choice is the Nissin MG80.  It recycles fast and is incredibly accurate on exposure.  In mid day harsh light, I use it to fill in the shadows.  At blue hour I use the flash to add some life and movement to my photograph.  The only other things I carry are an extra camera battery and a couple of cards. 

 Whether it’s midday flash fill or at blue hour you want your strobe to add to the photograph, not over power it.  By the time I made this flag photograph, the ambient had dropped down, the flash fill made the flag pop in the scene.  My exposure was 1/15th of a second, f4, ISO 100.  The camera is set on rear curtain synch.  You can see a bit of ghosting of the flag where the exposure started before the speedlight fired. This gives me feeling of movement.

 This technique works great for portraits and model shoots. 

Protest outside the Massachusetts State Hope