Frequently Asked Adobe Flash Interview Questions

1. What is vector graphic animation?

Vector graphics” are different from “raster graphics” like jpg, gif, png, bmp graphics. And vector graphics use math formulas to draw animation shapes, while raster graphics save millions of tiny colored dots to draw photos.

2. Can Flash .swf movies be very time consuming to edit?

Yes It is very laborious work to change a Flash web page quickly. For this reason, you will almost never see a dynamic content page like a news site utilizing Flash for its rapidly-changing content. Instead, Flash is used more for decorative purposes, and for advertising and online gaming purposes.

3. I shoot underwater with a TTL strobe that does not allow you to set flash exposure compensation. How do I set fill flash with this set up?

Let’s assume that you have an N80 body in an underwater case and are using underwater TTL strobes. Here you could set flash exposure compensation from the N80 body (assuming the case let you access that control). I’d tend to set the N80 to Standard TTL if I wanted to fiddle with flash levels, though, as in balanced fill-flash modes you don’t know what compensation the camera is already adding (i.e., you’ll only get repeatable results with Standard TTL).

4. The F601/N6006 had a special control to set the fill-flash option on the body; Is there a similar way to set fill levels on the F90x/N90s and SB-28 combo?

If you’re using an SB-24 or later and a modern Nikon body that doesn’t have a built-in flash, you set fill levels on the flash. With your combo, you can set fill by pressing the Minus button on the SB-28 three to five times (-1.0 to -1.7 stops). However, there’s a caveat. If you have the camera set to Program (P) exposure mode and the flash to TTL, you’re in what is known as a “balanced” mode.

In balanced modes, the camera tries to equalize the flash and ambient light levels. But, when everything is on automatic, the camera can only set shutter speeds of 1/60 to 1/250, which might not let the camera set the proper ambient exposure. In dim light, for example, the camera would underexpose the background (though the subject would be lit by the flash).

Thus, if you dial in fill flash in this situation, both the ambient light and the flash would be underexposed, ruining your shot. So, the caveat is this: don’t set fill flash levels on your SB-28 unless you know that the ambient exposure is going to be correct. For dim light, that may mean you need to set Slow or Rear flash sync; in bright light, that may mean you need to set High Speed (FP) flash sync.

5. You understand from the SB-25 manual that the built-in, retractable bounce card is meant for use with the flash head in a vertical position?

I do (this is true of the SB-24, SB-25, SB-26, SB-28/28DX, SB-80DX). That’s because it helps keep a little light from being lost, but more importantly, it provides just a bit of catchlight in the subject’s eyes (the bounce directly off the card).

6. It seems that most recommendations for using fill flash talk about using -1.3 to -1.7 stops of flash compensation. This seems like very little flash (compared to the ambient exposure). Would not -.5 or -1 stop be better?

Most nature and scenic professionals use -1.3 to -1.7 stops for their fill flash setting because they are trying to do one thing only: increase shadow detail (an alternate way of saying this: decrease overall scene contrast). Why? Because exposures for slide film need to be biased to the brightest object in the scene (i.e., overexposure of slide film is VERY bad). Since film has a limited dynamic range it can record with reasonable detail, if you set your exposure to put the highlight at the white point, you often lose shadow detail.

The purpose of the fill flash, therefore, is to raise the film’s response curve at the shadow point without further blowing out the detail. The -1.3 to -1.7 values are often just enough to pull another “stop” of useful shadow detail into an exposure without adding unduly to the highlight exposure. Films like Velvia are especially troublesome,

7. I shoot underwater with a TTL strobe that does not allow you to set flash exposure compensation. How do I set fill flash with this set up?

Let’s assume that you have an N80 body in an underwater case and are using underwater TTL strobes. Here you could set flash exposure compensation from the N80 body (assuming the case let you access that control). I’d tend to set the N80 to Standard TTL if I wanted to fiddle with flash levels, though, as in balanced fill-flash modes you don’t know what compensation the camera is already adding (i.e., you’ll only get repeatable results with Standard TTL).

8. If We set slow sync as you suggest in answers on the many online forums you visit, would not we be opening ourselves up to blurred shots when the shutter speed gets significantly below 1/60?

Yes and no. When you shoot with flash, there are two exposures going on: the flash exposure on the subject and the background exposure. If flash is the main source of light, a stationary subject lit by it should always be sharp, as the slowest Nikon flash duration is about 1/830 of a second.

The background, however, very well may go soft or get blurred by poor handholding technique or subject movement. Many photographers have learned to use this to their advantage–there’s one style of flash that uses very long shutter speeds and panning/zooming/tilting to purposefully blur the background yet still use the flash to “freeze” the subject.

9. Is everyone required Flash Player plugin?

No because they do not like “blinking things” on their screens, some users choose to disable or not install Flash Player.

10. Can some organizations block Flash movies from being received through the Internet?

While this is partly motivated by fears of Flash viruses and Flash hackers, the greater motivation is disciplining staff. Many managers of private companies do not want their employees playing Flash games at their office computers, so they will ban Flash movies at work through technical blockers on the network. Do not be surprised if your employer chooses to implement a ban of Flash at your office.

11. Explain the Flash vs. Animated Images and Java Applets?

Animated images and Java applets are often used to create dynamic effects on Web pages.

The advantages of Flash are as under:

* Adobe Flash loads much faster than animated images
* Flash allows interactivity, animated images do not
* Flash does not require programming skills, java applets do

12. Who can View Flash?

In September 2000, NPD Research, the parent company of MediaMetrix, conducted a study to determine what percentage of Web browsers have Flash preinstalled. The results show that 96.4% of Web users can experience Macromedia Flash content without having to download and install a player.

If you do not have the Shockwave Player installed you can download flash player for free from Adobe’s site.

13. Who can Create Flash Movies?

To create your own Flash movies you have to buy a Flash program from Adobe.
The latest version from Adobe is Adobe Flash Lite (or Flash CS3 Pro).
If you do not have a Flash program, you can download a 30 days free trial version of Flash from Adobe.

14. Where to Start the Adobe Flash?

After you have installed Flash at your computer, you should go through the flash help that are included in the program. Start Adobe Flash, click Help in the menu and choose Lessons.
These lessons will teach you the basics of Flash.

15. How to embed Flash in HTML?

After creating a Flash movie you choose File > Save As from the top menu to save your movie. Save the file as “YourFlahFileName.fla”.
To embed the Flash movie you just made into an HTML page, you should go back to your Flash program and do the following steps:

Step 1:

Choose File > Open. Open a Flash movie you have created.

Step 2:

Choose File > Export Movie.

Step 3:

Name the file “YourFlahFileName.swf”. Choose the location where the file is to be stored (in your Web folder). Click OK.

Step 4:

Open the HTML page where you want to insert your Flash movie.