Comments on: directional light from your on-camera flash …

By: Neil vN

Neil vN — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 08:57:17 +0000

Hi there Suzanne … not a bad place to have landed up in!

About the fill light .. you don’t need to add fill light via a reflector. With the light from the flash bouncing around the room, there will be enough fill light on the shaded side. You can’t control how much fill light there will be, but there will be fill light.

Neil vN

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 08:47:56 +0000

Hi Neil,
I’ve only just found this and am ‘baie gelukkig’ to find a fellow African with such a brilliant blog. Thank you so much for sharing so clearly, your wealth of experience & know-how. Till now my ref has been strobist and am thrilled to have found this. Just wondered if your ambient is as low as e.g shows with no flash, didn’t you need at least a reflector to fill the opposite side of the flash – here, the right side?
Suzanne,
Zimbo living in Mauritius

By: Neil vN

Neil vN — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 08:54:50 +0000

Jan .. then the flash was probably at 45 degrees and not 30. The difference in my description isn’t of consequence.

Neil vN

By: Jan

Jan — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 11:02:05 +0000

I like the hand idea… i always tries to stick some small “shield” to protect direct light. Its slow and it looks strange too. :) Use a hand… how simple. Thanks for sharing!

One question: my SB-800 has quite limitation to tilt position… it starts at 45 degres which is very often to much. Any idea how to keep it at your 30 or less?

By: Neil vN

Neil vN — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 15:52:48 +0000

Terje … the area that the flash bounces off, now becomes the actual light source .. and by the time the flash hits that part of the wall and ceiling, it is a pretty big light source .. hence it will show up as that catch-light reflected in her eyes.

It’s just one of those things where it just works this way … and when you try it, you’ll find the same.

Neil vN

By: Terje

Terje — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 15:20:25 +0000

Hi Neil. Just purchased your book and I have also read several articles on your website. Thanks for sharing!

I have a question that I see someone else asked earlier. I don’t understand how it can be correct that the light is offset 45degrees to the left (thrown behind the bride) and how you get the beautiful catchlight in her eyes as if the light was thrown behind your own shoulder? It seems like there is a softbox-like source of light in front of her?

Terje

By: Willliam

Willliam — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:03:34 +0000

Great articles I recently bought two sb systems from Nikon one sb 600 and one sb 800 would love to buy to 900 but can’t afford it right now. Articles are great , now i just need to practice practice with shoot in all modes manual , ttl ttlbl and cls

By: Neil

Neil — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:45:01 +0000

Helen .. there are times when you have to devise other options, such as using off-camera lighting. Bounce flash does have obvious limitations, and then we have to explore further with our lighting techniques.

Neil vN

By: Helen Batt

Helen Batt — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:31:20 +0000

Hi Neil,

I have just ordered your book which I hope will enlighten me further but I wanted to ask how you would cope shooting a couple in a wood panelled room where there isn’t really anywhere to bounce the flash? One particular shot was on the stairs, surrounded by dark wood and an open doorway behind me into yet another dark room, so nowhere to bounce the flash.
I have several weddings in a venue like this and am struggling to get the results I’d like.
Really hope you can help, I love your blog, it’s brilliant!

Helen

By: Neil

Neil — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:38:56 +0000

David .. I’m more than fine with that. :)

Neil vN