Tangents

photography tutorials, reviews & workshops

tangents photography blog
learn : discuss : share
subscribe today
  • Tangents
  • Tutorials
    • Flash Photography
    • Wedding Photography
    • Studio Photography
    • Posing People
    • Understanding Your Camera
    • Exposure metering
    • BFT
    • Best Photo Books
  • Workshops
    • Info: Workshops
    • In-person
      tutoring sessions
    • Online
      tutoring sessions
    • Video tutorials
    • Workshops in
      New Jersey (NJ)
    • Workshops in
      New York (NYC)
    • Studio Workshop
    • Workshop results
  • Books
    • On-Camera Flash (revised ed.)
    • Direction & Quality of Light
    • Off-Camera Flash Photography
    • Lighting & Design
    • On-Camera Flash (1st ed.)
  • Reviews
    • Nikon
    • Sony
    • Canon
    • Fuji
    • Profoto
    • lighting gear
  • Projects
    • Two Perspectives
    • B&W Infrared
    • Vintage lenses
    • Time-lapse photography
  • Info
    • About
    • Contact
    • Newsletter
    • Join us on Facebook
    • Books by NvN
    • Acclaim
    • Success Stories
    • Photo Gear
    • Photoshop Actions
    • Support this Site
  • Forum

Bounce flash photography & The Inverse Square Law

December 8, 2021 Neil vN 13 Comments

Bounce flash photography & The Inverse Square Law

If you find the title of this article a touch intimidating, please stick around and watch the video. It is important to understand how The Inverse Square Law affects bounce flash photography, and creates a specific result where the background appears brighter when the flash is bounced properly without on-camera flash modifiers. I know that is counter-intuitive, but that is what happens when you bounce your bare flash behind you instead of using a light modifier on your flash. The accompanying video, linked to below, explains this  Read more inside...

Photographing corporate events – flash or no flash?

June 17, 2021 Neil vN 8 Comments

Photographing corporate events - flash or no flash?

Mirrorless cameras offering an electronic shutter which is truly silent, is one of the best advantages to using mirrorless cameras over DSLRs. With these types of events, I really do prefer using a silent shutter, so I can take enough photos where the speaker doesn't have odd expressions and weird mouth shapes. You really have to over-shoot to be sure you have enough usable images which you can give to your client. With flash and the shutter sound, at quieter events, I am sure it can be distracting to the speaker to have every  Read more inside...

Bounce flash photography with wooden ceilings

February 5, 2021 Neil vN 2 Comments

Bounce flash photography with wooden ceilings

When photographing wedding receptions, I would ideally like to get away with just one on-camera flash that I bounce off surfaces behind me. A venue with (close to) white ceilings and walls are just perfect. Super easy. Even with really high ceilings, I try to make it work. Here for example, I used a single bare on-camera flash to light up the entire place -- Wedding reception lighting with one flash. No diffuser cup or white bounce card. Bare flash with the Black Foamie Thing. But occasionally I reach the dead-end of a venue with black  Read more inside...

How to make your on-camera flash NOT look like on-camera flash

April 24, 2020 Neil vN Leave a Comment

How to make your on-camera flash NOT look like on-camera flash

I was quite honored to be invited by the team at Zeiss Camera Lenses Americas, to take part in their series of Youtube Live events, appropriately called 'Conversations'. My friend, Tracy, who you might remember from a previous "Two Perspectives" video, where we photographed headshots on location in New York. The topic that Tracy asked me about, is one that regular followers of the Tangents blog will be familiar with - How to make your on-camera flash NOT look like on-camera flash. This Youtube Live event was held via a  Read more inside...

Event photography in low light

September 20, 2019 Neil vN 6 Comments

Event photography in low light

Event photography where you are photographing speakers at the event, can be challenging in its own way. The problem with taking photos of presenters, especially if they are animated, is that you have to take a LOT of photos to get a few where they look good. You don't want to give your client any photos with awkward expressions. This means you have to take so many photos just to get a few keepers. But shooting a ton of photos with flash becomes intrusive after a very short while. I therefore prefer to do the majority of photos of speakers at events,  Read more inside...

Bounce flash photography – when to use maximum flash power

May 9, 2019 Neil vN 18 Comments

Bounce flash photography - when to use maximum flash power

This photo is straightforward enough - the event coordinator here asked that I take a few photos of the models in body paint. No time to fumble or look unsure. Again, there are simple recipes to get us to ideal settings. The reception area around the indoor pool is really large with a super-high ceiling at this casino. There's enough light to see, but it is all tainted with this strong purple and blue uplighting. Therefore flash becomes a necessity. I need cleaner light - more neutral light - on my subjects. Skin tones  Read more inside...

Impromptu portrait with bounce flash

August 24, 2018 Neil vN 3 Comments

Impromptu portrait with bounce flash

Faustina, a model, arrived early for the video shoot in the studio today. We chatted while she waited for her team to arrive. She had questions about photography ... so she earned herself a lecture about photography. That's what you get for hanging out with me. Careful what you ask for! On-camera bounce flash, the usual, proper way for awesome light. This really is an impromptu photo - not overly posed, to show her how I use flash. And I think that is the point of this - flash photography can look *this* good with minimal effort. Minimal  Read more inside...

Review: Canon Speedlite 470EX-AI flash

July 23, 2018 Neil vN 8 Comments

Review: Canon Speedlite 470EX-AI flash

Before we get into this review of the Canon 470EX-AI speedlite (B&H / Amazon), I need to mention that I wanted this review video to be more than just a listing of the features of this flash. We therefore also delve into bounce flash technique. So there is something here even for those photographers who don't shoot Canon, or have no real interest in getting this flash. So please do check the video out. I was really curious to get to play with the Canon 470EX-AI speedlite (B&H / Amazon) for a review,  Read more inside...

Bounce flash photography and dark ceilings

May 21, 2018 Neil vN 32 Comments

Bounce flash photography and dark ceilings

With the tutorials here on how to bounce flash, the questions inevitably come up - what if there is nothing to bounce your flash off? What if there are dark ceilings? Well, these limitations do affect how I use flash at events - but I still work according to a few set guidelines that give me the best results with bounce flash. I bounce my flash into the direction that I want to come from, regardless of whether there is a white wall or ceiling. It really is all about the Direction of Light. I also shy away from using any of the  Read more inside...

Video tutorial: TTL fill-flash

April 28, 2018 Neil vN 3 Comments

Video tutorial: TTL fill-flash

This video tutorial on TTL fill-flash settings, is the visual counterpart to this article - Flash Exposure Compensation (FEC). Whether you use on-camera bounce flash, or off-camera TTL flash as in this off-camera flash tutorial, you will need to adjust your FEC to control the amount of TTL flash you get. Adjusting the FEC allows you varying degrees of fill-flash. This video and the article on flash exposure compensation explains a sequence where you get to compare how different levels of fill-flash affect your final photograph. Also check out these  Read more inside...

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 8
  • Next Page »

categories

Articles & Tutorials

  • • About myself & this site
    • Books by Neil vN
    • Best photography books
    • Black foamie thing
    • Spinlight 360
    • Photographers’ success stories
    • email newsletter
  • • Flash Photography Techniques
    • Natural looking flash
    • Flash + Ambient light
    • Dragging the shutter
    • Bouncing your flash
    • On-camera flash outdoors
    • Exposure metering
    • Flash exposure compensation
    • Bounce flash examples
    • Which is the best flashgun?
    • Flash brackets
    • Off-camera flash photography
    • Flash photography basics
    • Using video lights
    • Flash photography tips
    • Photography books
  • • Photography workshops NJ / NYC
    • Models @ photography workshops
tutorials:
flash photography
Photography
Workshops

Recent Comments

  • Danny Eeltink: Good to hear Neil!!
  • Neil vN: Hi there Danny, Now, more than 5 years later, I am still on top of the world. All is well.
  • Danny: Heya Neil, I saves this blogpost from you as a firm reminder on what can happen and how you can change stuff....
  • Kenneth Fukuda: I just got one from Mr Shaw too! Virtually identical text.
  • Richard Jackson: Currently, the vast majority of electronic speedlights have AF assist beams that use patterns of...

All rights reserved. Copyright © Neil van Niekerk 2023 · Customization by The Traveling Designer

Copyright © 2023 · NvN on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in