How to make the most of your speedlight Ohio Valley Camera Club Nov. 1, 2014

Flash photography Why do we use flash?

Flash photography Why do we use flash? We use it to provide light when light isn’t available.

Flash photography How does a flash work?

Flash photography How does a flash work? A closed tube of xenon gas is charged electrically, free electrons in the tube move from one electrode to the other electrode. As these free electrons move they collide with xenon atoms, those atoms generate light when they are energized.

Flash photography How does a flash work? As far as your camera is concerned, this burst of light is timed to occur at the same time your shutter is open during an exposure. This is the basics behind how a flash works.

Flash photography We need to understand more than this to help us in photography.

Flash photography Let’s first look at manual vs. ttl

Flash photography Let’s first look at manual vs. ttl Manual is when you set you flash on its manual setting, it simply fires a burst of light based on a power setting you give it (i.e. full, ½ power, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32, 1/64 or 1/128th power). The flash often has a guide to tell you at a given distance and ISO what aperture is needed. The flash is unaware of your actual exposure.

Flash photography Let’s first look at manual vs. ttl TTL is a system which stands for “through the lens) metering. There are different types of ttl metering. Before digital cameras, film ttl was used. This method fired the flash and the light entering the lens was meatered during the actual exposure of the film after the mirror was up. Once the reflection off the film was sufficient the flash was quenched.

Flash photography Let’s first look at manual vs. ttl D-TTL was developed later for digital cameras. It is different in that is measures the light from a preflash that is reflected off of the closed shutter (which was painted grey) after the mirror open but before the shutter opens. The flash amount was calculated then provided for the actual exposure.

Flash photography Let’s first look at manual vs. ttl i-TTL is what most of call ttl today. A pre-flash is sent, it is metered prior to the mirror moving and the camera’s viewfinder RGB meter does this. A calculation is made and the flash simply accepts a power setting from the camera. This version of ttl allows the use of multiple off camera ttl flashes controlled individually.

Flash photography Nikon CLS – Creative lighting system This is a feature used on the Nikon line of cameras where the pop up flash can remotely control groups of flashes.

Flash photography A few things we need to know about light itself.

Flash photography A few things we need to know about light itself. The inverse square law – the specified physical quantity or strength is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source.

Flash photography A few things we need to know about light itself. The inverse square law – the specified physical quantity or strength is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source. Okay, give me that in layman’s terms!

Flash photography The inverse square law – Basically this means as you double your distance from the light source you have ¼ the amount of light.

Another image explaining inverse square law… Halving the light is equal to losing two stops…conversely moving closer by half of your distance gains you two stops of light.

The Fall off of light is very quick

Flash photography How does the inverse square law have an effect on shadows?

Flash photography How does the inverse square law have an effect on shadows? When your light source is close shadows on a background will be soft or less defined, the shadows on your subject will be more dramatic or have a quicker fall off/transition.

Flash photography How does the inverse square law have an effect on shadows? When your light source is farther away shadows on a background will be harder or more defined, the shadows on your subject will be more even or have a slower transition.

Flash photography How does the inverse square law have an effect on the background itself. When your background is close to the subject, it will receive more light. When you background is farther away, it receives less light.

Flash photography How does ISO, shutter speed and aperture affect an exposure?

Flash photography How does ISO, shutter speed and aperture affect an exposure? ISO – This affects the sensitivity of your camera’s sensor, so it will affect all of the light in an image.

Flash photography How does ISO, shutter speed and aperture affect an exposure? Shutterspeed – This affects the ambient (existing) light of an image. The flash happens very quickly during your exposure. It doesn’t matter whether you are at 1/30th or 1/200th of a second. This isn’t much different than light painting with slow shutter speeds. Essentially it is the same concept.

Flash photography How does ISO, shutter speed and aperture affect an exposure? Aperture – The best way to control your flash power or effect. You will have an effect on ambient light as well. But you can adjust shutter speed to keep your ambient light the same and affect the flash power. It also will affect your depth of field (amount of the image in focus).

Flash photography A few rules to know about light. The closer the light source, the softer your light becomes. The larger the light source, the softer your light becomes.

Flash photography What are thing we can do to improve our flash photography?

Flash photography What are thing we can do to improve our flash photography? Bounce Flash – Use the existing environment to bounce the light to achieve a softer more natural light. Use ceilings, walls, large surfaces. Keep in mind the light you bounce from your flash will take on the color of the surface. Thus, a brown wall will give you brown light. Bouncing light is a very cost effective way to get soft light.

Flash photography What are thing we can do to improve our flash photography? Off camera flash – Move the flash off camera. This allows you to control the direction and position of the light. You can achieve this by a ttl cord, commander flash from the camera when the flash is in slave mode or via a wireless trigger like a pocket wizard.

Flash photography What are thing we can do to improve our flash photography? Umbrella – An umbrella has a white or reflective surface on the inside of the umbrella which creates a larger light source than the flash itself. An umbrella can be used in location where you cannot effectively bounce light. An umbrella can be positioned to control the light the way you want it controlled. Some umbrellas allow you to use them as a shoot through umbrella where the umbrella acts as a diffusion material.

Flash photography What are thing we can do to improve our flash photography? Soft box – Like an umbrella with a reflective interior but it has a diffusion panel that softens the light. A soft box allows you to control the direction of the light more than an umbrella and you don’t waste light being bounced around the room.

Flash photography Posing tips The Head -

Flash photography Posing tips The Head – Unless you are going for a specific fashion look the head looks better turned slightly to one side or the other. Sometimes tilt the head a little. A straight frontal view of the face isn’t the most interesting. Create some interest with angles.

Flash photography Posing tips The Head – Studies show that people prefer the left side of the face. The thinking here is that the left side brain controls language and the right side of the body. The right side of the brain controls the left side of the body and it is the side of the brain that deals with creativity, spatial awareness, emotion and identifying faces, so maybe it is related.

Flash photography Posing tips The Head – Alex John Beck experimented with making right side and left side mirrored images of people and saw vast differences, he felt the left side of the face was more expressive.

Flash photography Posing tips The Head – Usually point the person’s nose toward your main light, not away from it.

Flash photography Posing tips The Head – Short side lighting, this is lighting the shorter side of the face in relation to the camera. Lighting the closest side of the face is called broad side lighting. This is a matter of what look you are going for but usually the short side lighting makes the face look slimmer.

Flash photography Posing tips The Head – Head shots, a close up view of the head and bust looks better and more interesting with some expression that is genuine from the subject.

Flash photography Posing tips The Arms – Create interest by creating angles (triangles and diamonds look good to us for some reason). An arm up next to the body creates visual weight. Moving the arm out to create space around the body makes us look slimmer.

Flash photography Posing tips The hands – If you can, give the hands something useful to do. The edge of the hand usually looks better facing the camera as opposed to the back of the hand. Again, it is more slimming this way. Be careful when putting hands right on the face, this is hard to make to good. Brush the hand by the face, not slap the palm right on the cheek.

Flash photography Posing tips The face – extend the chin. This makes the neckline appear slimmer and helps hide double chins and wrinkles.

Flash photography Posing tips Children – Get down to their level, don’t shoot downward toward them.

Gear I have chosen my gear based on my needs at the current time, there are pros and cons to it and it may not be the best solution for everybody. Flashes – Phottix Mitros + A fairly powerful flash, GN 190 at 105mm @ISO 100. Tilt swivel, high speed sync, stroboscopic mode, fully manual or TTL, built in wireless transmitter and receiver, works with Phottix Odin transmitter and it works as an optical slave. It cost about $150 less than a SB-910.

Gear The speed lights are portable, flexible in the function. They can be used on sight or in a studio. If what I did mostly was studio work, I would probably use studio strobes. They do a better job in that type of photography. But speed lights are a inexpensive alternative. I can shoot sports or weddings with the speed lights, I even shot a prom dance with two Mitros speed lights.

Gear Modifiers – Westcott series Apollo Orb, rapid box pair and an umbrella.