Comments on: 01 – natural looking flash

By: Tony Sale

Tony Sale — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:08:32 +0000

Brilliant article the second photo looks really natural the flash blends in so well.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:51:21 +0000

Neil,
Great article. I recently purchased a Canon speedlite and find your site very helpful for flash photography. I never thought to shoot the light behind me into a room for fill light as you said you did with the first shot. That is simply awesome! That is good stuff to know.

Thanks!

By: Neil vN

Neil vN — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 05:34:00 +0000

Jorge ... I add the camera settings there to give others an idea of the range of settings used. The specific values rarely have meaning. Aside from maximum flash sync speed, which is a very specific and valuable setting ... most other settings are more about the range, than the exact numerical setting. But people still want to know. So I added it where pertinent. Here's a related article about choosing the aperture / ISO / shutter speed combination. It's related to this idea that the specific settings aren't all that crucial usually. Neil vN

By: Jorge

Jorge — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 04:55:56 +0000

I must say this is one of the most concise and well thought out tutorials and such that I have encountered thus far. Because of you I can now learn flash photography without running into it blind. I do have one question though, what is the purpose of labeling your exposure with every picture? Is it a good habit to get into? And is there a proper way to write it?

By: Ed Long

Ed Long — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 18:49:42 +0000

As Joe Don Baker said in Eischeid, “You done good.” I have learned a great regarding flash by reading your articles. I am primarily bug and landscape fella- but your advice has encouraged me so much I finally stopped using my old Vivitar flash and bought a Mecablitz 58.

Here is something I hope will help you: One can correct, or adjust to taste, white balance of a JPG in Photoshop Camera Raw. One can also individually adjust the black, grey, and white in Photoshop. There is a technique for determining what is black, white, and grey, if it is not obvious,before making such adjustments.

Again – thanks

By: EJWw

EJWw — Mon, 09 May 2011 06:59:18 +0000

Great website. I have only been prowling the web for a few months specifically about Photography. I just found your site via a link before midnight tonight and now it is closer to 2 and unlike most places I have been I want to compliment you. I take photojournalist style pics for day and night events and I do portraits mostly onsite during events. Unlike JEGH, I like your choice of pictures and do not want you to “improve them”. He talks like a college professor who teaches from a rule book on Art Photography. He is is entitled to his opinion but you should not be overly influenced by one person’s voluntary expression of opinion. By the way the prof took very few interesting pics but could criticize anyone’s work(A Critic.)
I use built-in flash and brackets w/off-camera TTL flash and most of my customers always remember the “lucky” on the fly shots that turn out “cool” over any of the posed portraiture. Most of these happy comments are from people who do not realize what “fill flash” is or “bounce flash” either. They all, however, remember shots that makes them look good and have something else to remind them of the day such as a stained glass church window as opposed to a paper roll backdrop and a stiff pose.
I know this is a little off the flash subject but it is MY opinion. I am still learning but I think I can learn from you also. Again, Thank You for the site and I will be back to learn more.

By: Arran Moffat Edinburgh Photography

Arran Moffat Edinburgh Photography — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 22:38:49 +0000

Brilliant article! I have now made myself a foam snoot and have the gels ready to go. Looking forward to giving this a shot at my next wedding project.

By: ashley

ashley — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 04:35:07 +0000

Great article and images. your very talented! Enjoyed reading

By: Michael Donovan

Michael Donovan — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 21:11:39 +0000

Neil, I left you a message (can’t find what page I left it on, but this is good spot for an update). I too, after reading all your blog, ordered your book and I’m a few pages from finishing the book (a real pager tuner ;-) and I just stopped at the craft store and picked up some 2 mil foam, I thought the 3 mil was too think, cut it down and started playing. You have truly “turned a page” in the minds of many in using a on camera flash the way you have deminstrated in your book and here on your blog. My biggest issue is that I have my first wedding after Thanks Giving and luckily for me that I’m comfortable using Manual exposure with Spot and the ceremony is outside. going to re-read the outside section and make sure I have the fill flash portion down. So just to be sure, I’m usine a 5Dmk II with a 580ex II and it will be full sun around 2:30pm should I be using the fill flash setting on the 580 or just dialing down regular flash (all in TTL of course). I also have a Fong that I have used before for the receiption, but after your lessons, I SO DON’T WANT TO USE IT and take what I’ve learned and let er rip!

The one thing I have going over most others is I’m a project manager by day and very organized ahead of time and can see the flow, etc. I worry most about the timing issues and not taking too long to setup a shot, etc. I have spent some time at locatons getting some basic metering shots to help me get going.

Any feedback is good

thanks

Mike

By: Neil vN

Neil vN — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 11:34:10 +0000

No, the wider aperture will mean your flash has an easier time of it than at a smaller aperture.

Neil vN