Life in the Flash Lane
Street Shots Photography Podcast
Flash Bulb Mechanics Explained
Antonio and Ward explain how flashbulbs and flash cubes worked, their primers, coatings, and visual effects.
"Life is not significant details, illuminated by a flash, fixed forever. Photographs are."
- Susan Sontag
"I am forever chasing light. Light turns the ordinary into the magical."
- Trent Parke
In this episode, Antonio talks about visiting the Cass County Fair in Nebraska, using the trip as a chance to explore how he wants to approach photography in his new environment. Surrounded by the mix of people, animals, and small-town fair details, he leaned into shooting with his often-neglected Fuji X-Pro3 and a wide 16mm lens, embracing the different perspective it offered. The outing became less about documenting the event in a straightforward way and more about experimenting with composition, perspective, and mood to see how his work might evolve outside of Brooklyn.
Both he and Ward recently picked up compact Godox iT30 Pro flashes with the intention of using them for street photography, but once out shooting, each decided against firing them. That hesitation becomes the starting point for a deeper discussion on flash photography. They trace its evolution from the early days of magnesium powder and flashbulbs, through the era of Polaroid flashcubes, to the development of strobes and today’s TTL units. The conversation touches on photographers who made notable use of flash, including Jessie Tarbox Beals, O. Winston Link, Philippe Halsman, and Bruce Davidson, exploring how each applied it to their work. Alongside the historical overview, Antonio and Ward get into the technical differences between older and modern flash systems, the practical challenges of using flash in the field, and how light-shaping tools and timing have played a role in iconic images.
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Show Links:
Antonio M. Rosario's Website, Vero, Instagram, Bluesky, and Facebook page
Ward Rosin’s Website, Vero, Bluesky, Instagram and Facebook page.
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