Shoot at the speed of light with Nicky Loh
Based in Singapore, Shanghai and Taipei, Nicky is an award-winning commercial photographer. Even though he does photoshoots for various big-name clients, his true passion lies in crafting visual narratives about the human condition.
When shooting dynamic scenes, you’ll want to capture every split second in spectacular detail, controlling ambient light and freezing action. This can be especially tricky when shooting outdoors in harsh daylight. Alpha Photographer Nicky Loh tests the game-changing Alpha 9 III’s flash sync feature in a conceptual photoshoot featuring Wushu martial artists.
Featuring the world's first full-frame image sensor with a global shutter system, the Alpha 9 III preserves split-second moments in stunning detail, with no image distortion. In his latest photoshoot, Nicky managed to freeze the Wushu martial artists in action, immortalising his subjects' elegant movements and skilled weaponry within split seconds.
Turn day into night with flash sync
The Alpha 9 III features a first-of-its-kind full flash synchronisation up to a maximum of 1/80000 seconds. Most cameras feature a standard flash sync speed of 1/200 seconds, which limits ambient light control in situations where the subject is backlit. Photographers will thus have to dial their shutter speed up to achieve proper exposure in their shots.
In this Wushu photoshoot, Nicky captured a clear shot of his backlit subject with a shutter speed of 1/5000 seconds. The overexposure was fixed in a snap, reducing the backlighting and shifting the illumination on his subject instead.
To get a proper exposure, I’ll dial the shutter speed to 1/2500 seconds and the flash works perfectly without the issues of high-speed sync,” Nicky said.
To get a proper exposure, I’ll dial the shutter speed to 1/2500 seconds and the flash works perfectly without the issues of high-speed sync,” Nicky said.
Fire every pixel in one shot
Even with fast-moving subjects, the Global Shutter ensures no distortion in any part of the image. This is demonstrated in a crystal-clear shot of a martial artist wielding a cudgel. Moving props would normally appear bent due to the speed at which a rolling shutter captures an image. However, the cudgel was perfectly straight when he wielded it, preserving the moment with remarkable clarity.
With its ground-breaking technology and features, the Alpha 9 III allows any photographer to defy speed and craft visual masterpieces that directly translate their visions into reality. Nicky is particularly pleased with the Alpha 9 III’s capability of keeping up with his workflow and his subjects’ swift movements.
Paving the way for the future of imaging
With its incredible speed and remarkable precision, Nicky is confident that the Alpha 9 III will take his creativity to new heights as he embarks on more ambitious photoshoots in challenging shooting conditions, featuring fast-moving subjects. “The Alpha 9 III has elevated my commercial work to the next level and I’m now inspired to create more,” he said.
