flash photography techniques
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The Tangents blog is where I answer questions, as well as post new writings on photography – whether techniques, ideas, equipment info, or random snippets. (You can get to the main blog simply by clicking on the header here at the top.)
This page lists the most important postings that were written subsequently to the main pages appearing here, and would be a good starting point for anyone new to this website. The posts are over a wide range of subject material, but mostly cover flash photography, lighting, and general photography technique.
.. this little star is how I marked the posts that I feel are essential reading.
If you’re lost, start there.
Please note that only a few of the images in the posts on the topics of flash and lighting, saw much Photoshop work. This is purposely so, since the intention is to give you an idea of what can be achieved with thoughtful application of lighting techniques .. rather than dazzle you with my Photoshop technique. That said, the images here aren’t quite ’straight out of camera’, since I do edit them for exposure, white balance, contrast and such, as part of my usual RAW workflow.
Flash photography & Lighting
- my choice of light modifiers
- directional light from your on-camera speedlight
- light modifiers
- choosing your direction – light modifiers vs choosing how you bounce your flash
- the importance of understanding max flash sync speed
- so what are your settings? – the thought-process in getting to camera and flash settings
- ‘dragging the shutter’ revisited
- gelling flash for tungsten
- using video lights
- video lights & boudoir w/ Precious
- using video light w/ Priscilla
- metering for manual flash with a softbox
- an approach to flash modifiers
- an example explaining ambient exposure metering and TTL flash
- shutter speed does not necessarily control your background exposure!
- an example of bounce flash technique – the cutie
- common wisdom – Canon’s flash system vs Nikon’s flash system
- more subtle fill-flash with the Nikon flash system
- beauty dish (with bounce flash comparisons) w/ Seregon as model
- more of the beauty dish w/ Seregon
- beauty dish w/ Kathy as model
- examples of lighting with softboxes w/ Kalyex as model
- softboxes with speedlights
- more examples of off-camera lighting at weddings
- ‘urban legends’ of flash
- manual flash vs TTL flash
- finding the light – a tongue-in-cheek look at using off-camera lighting
- the challenge – flash or available light? .. and the answers
- Radio Poppers (P1) – equipment review
- modifying the foam light modifier
- a light touch – an example of bounce flash w/ available light
- flash and tungsten light
- into hard sunlight – coping with harsh light from the sun
- straight ahead – fill-flash outdoors
- travelling light in Vegas – using the versatile Q-flash T-5DR
- flash brackets revisited
- getting there from here - an explanation of my approach to flash and ambient light
- The Great Outdoors – finding things to bounce light off when outside
- just enough flash – blending flash with available light. Or not.
- fill-flash example – Las Vegas
- a simple example of off-camera lighting using wireless TTL flash
- flash + fireworks
- controlling contrast with flash
- bouncing flash behind me
- Nikon D70 wireless TTL flash
- advantages to a camera having a higher max flash sync speed
- fluorescent lighting (I give up!) w/ Priscilla
- bouncing flash off non-white surfaces such as brickwork
- high-ISO capability is no substitute for good lighting
- an example of problem solving with a plastic surgery photography lighting scenario
- notes on using Nikon TTL flash (an older page now superceded by the main pages)
Camera settings and exposure metering
- using the histogram to determine exposure
- using manual exposure mode
- which metering mode? – evaluative / center-weighted / spot-metering
- faster, faster! – sharper photos with higher shutter speeds
- how low can you go? – going for slow shutter speeds
- juggling those three balls – shutter speed, aperture & ISO
- even higher than before – on the choice of ISO settings
- how much depth-of-field? just enough w/ Priscilla
- not exposing for the background?
- white balance – my approach
- things you need to know!
- yours factually – very general advice on choosing settings
Technique
- shooting from the hip
- flare up – using flare
- machine-gunning as a technique
- standing out / blending in as a wedding photographer
- cross-processing film – a simplified approach
- sparklers at a wedding
- photographing lightning
- tilted compositions
- frame, don’t aim – a simple guideline to composition
- world in motion – using motion blur
- Aisha, the belly-dancer
Digital imaging and Workflow
- a little less gray – warm tinted B&W images in ACR or Lightroom
- shooting in RAW as an element of style
- world in motion – an example of how an image was edited
- swirl of colour – an example of how a final image was edited
- this happened in Vegas – explaining the post-processing of a specific image
- with a little help - using local corrections on RAW images in ACR & Bridge / Lightroom
- a persistent problem with Bridge CS3
Gear related postings
- speedlight / flashgun recommendations
- battery packs I use with my speedlights
- and far away – my choice of gear for destination weddings (Canon related)
- destination weddings – choice of gear (Nikon related)
- equipment as inspiration
- repairing the Canon 580EX hotshoe foot
- repairing the Canon 580EX II hotshoe foot
- tightening the hot-shoe on the Canon 1-series D-SLRs
- strangling the Nikon SB-800
- this is going to hurt you more – abusing speedlights
- pimp my camera rig
- filters on your lenses?
- mix ‘n-matching lenses of different makes
- lens hoods – your best protection
- the best camera in the world
Equipment reviews
- Nikon 200mm f2 AF-S VR
- Canon 200 mm f2 IS
- Nikon D700 – first impressions
- Nikon SB-900 review
- Nikon SB-900 thermal protection
- Radio Poppers (P1)
- PocketWizard mini-TT1 and Flex-TT5
- LensAlign focus calibration system
musings, opinions & rants
If you found this and other articles valuable, then using these affiliate links to order equipment & any other goodies, would be a welcome way of helping towards the cost of hosting these webpages. Thank you!
If you need instruction on flash photography, I do present workshops and seminars,
and I also offer individual tutoring sessions.