{"id":47395,"date":"2019-03-30T22:51:37","date_gmt":"2019-03-31T02:51:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/?p=47395"},"modified":"2020-07-01T23:16:40","modified_gmt":"2020-07-02T03:16:40","slug":"best-camera-settings-for-off-camera-flash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/best-camera-settings-for-off-camera-flash\/","title":{"rendered":"Best camera settings for off-camera flash"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/images\/models\/rozalinda\/IMG_7842.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"1350\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Best camera settings for off-camera flash<\/h2>\n<p>With many of the tutorial articles on this website that deal with\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/flash-photography-techniques\/off-camera-flash\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">off-camera flash photography<\/a>, I have attempted to make the explanation not only as straight-forward as possible, but also repeatable. When it comes to camera and flash settings, there is often a specific science at work here &#8211; a specific method , which should deliver similar results time and again. The <strong>artistic<\/strong> side to photography is open to interpretation, and that is what makes photography continually fascinating &#8211; there are always further things to explore. However, when it comes to the more <strong>technical<\/strong> decisions about camera and flash settings, we can usually distill our choices via a specific thought-processes. Algorithms if you will. Algorithms to give us the best camera and flash settings when using off-camera flash.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/neilvn\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/images\/banners\/instagram.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"900\" height=\"120\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>We&#8217;ve gone over a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/checklist-for-portrait-photography-on-location\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">checklist for portrait photography on location<\/a>\u00a0where we looked at an algorithm to create a shooting workflow on location to get great portraits.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Find an interesting or complementary <strong>background<\/strong>, that also has good light on my subject.<\/li>\n<li>If there isn\u2019t good ambient <strong>light<\/strong>, then I add light.<\/li>\n<li>Then, my subject\u2019s positioning and <strong>pose<\/strong> is adjusted so that the photograph comes together.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Similarly, we have looked at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/how-to-overpower-bright-sunlight-with-on-camera-flash\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">how to overpower bright sunlight with on-camera flash<\/a>. There is a very specific series of steps that give us optimum camera settings for a tough situation.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Maximum flash sync speed.<\/li>\n<li>Use your lowest ISO. Most likely 100 ISO.<\/li>\n<li>Then, find the appropriate aperture. For bright sunlight, this will most likely be f\/11 @ 1\/200 @ 100 ISO<\/li>\n<li>Use the flash&#8217;s built-in calculator to figure out the best combination of distance and the power of the flash.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As an aside,\u00a0High-Speed Flash Sync (HSS) is <strong>not<\/strong> the best choice to overpower the sun or any kind of bright light. There are two scenarios you are going to use HSS flash &#8211;\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/when-to-use-high-speed-flash-sync-hss\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">When to use high speed flash sync (HSS)<\/a>\u00a0&#8211; and overpowering the sun is not one of those scenarios.<\/p>\n<p>These are the kinds of things we thoroughly cover during the <a href=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/photography-workshops\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">flash photography workshops<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/images\/models\/rozalinda\/IMG_7818.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"601\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Photographing a model, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/rozalindauhl\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rozalinda<\/a>, during a <a href=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/photography-workshops\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">personal photography workshop in New York<\/a>, the question came up, how do we decide how much flash to use?<\/p>\n<p>This is the crux of using flash outside of the studio &#8211; balancing the flash and ambient light. These following tutorials cover the options, and <em>how<\/em> our decisions might change, depending on the scenario:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/various-scenarios-balancing-flash-with-ambient-light\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Various scenarios: Balancing flash with ambient light<\/a>\u00a0 (model: Catherine)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/flash-photography-tip-adding-flash-to-ambient-light\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Flash photography tip \u2013 Adding flash to ambient light<\/a>\u00a0 (model: Elizabeth)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/photography-tutorial-balancing-flash-and-ambient-exposure\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Flash photography tutorial: Balancing flash &amp; ambient exposure<\/a>\u00a0 (model: Anelisa)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Now, specifically as shown in this article &#8211;\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/flash-photography-tip-adding-flash-to-ambient-light\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Adding flash to ambient light<\/a>\u00a0&#8211; you will see the way the images differ, depending on how much flash was added &#8230; and how much the ambient light was suppressed. Ultimately, there was no real right or wrong there. You (mostly) adjust it to taste, and adjust it to match your vision.<\/p>\n<p>But here is one of the biggest tips I can give you about using flash outside the studio &#8211; <strong>start with your ambient light<\/strong>. Switch your flash off, and figure out your base exposure without flash. Now decide whether you want a touch of fill light, or whether you want the flash to dominate for a more dramatic look. Your choice! \u00a0But start by switching your flash off, and figuring out your basic exposure first.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/images\/models\/rozalinda\/IMG_7869.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"1350\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Photo gear used for these images<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>1\/800 @ f\/3.2 @ 800 ISO<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/recommends\/canon-6d\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Canon EOS 6D camera<\/a>\u00a0(<em><a href=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/recommends\/canon-6d-bh\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">B&amp;H<\/a> \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/recommends\/canon-6d\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Amazon<\/a><\/em>)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/recommends\/canon-24-70mm-f2-8-ii\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Canon 24-70mm f\/2.8L II<\/a> (<em><a href=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/recommends\/canon-24-70mm-f2-8-ii-bh\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">B&amp;H<\/a> \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/recommends\/canon-24-70mm-f2-8-ii\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Amazon<\/a><\/em>)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/recommends\/profoto-b10-flash\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Profoto B10 flash<\/a> \u00a0(<a href=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/recommends\/profoto-b10-flash-bh\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>B&amp;H<\/em><\/a>\u00a0\/ <a href=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/recommends\/profoto-b10-flash\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>Amazon<\/em><\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>Profoto transmitters for Nikon &amp; Canon (&amp; Sony)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/recommends\/profoto-ocf-beauty-dish-24\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Profoto OCF Beauty Dish (24&#8243;)<\/a>\u00a0 (<a href=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/recommends\/profoto-ocf-beauty-dish-24-bh\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>B&amp;<\/em><em>H<\/em><\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/recommends\/profoto-ocf-beauty-dish-24\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>Amazon<\/em><\/a>)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/recommends\/tall-gitzo-monopod\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">75&#8243;\u00a0tall Gitzo monopod<\/a>\u00a0to hold up the light<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>More examples<\/h2>\n<p>This is part 1 of a 2-part article, which continues here:<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/flash-photography-tip-start-with-the-ambient-exposure\/\">Flash photography tip \u2013 Start with the ambient exposure<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Related links<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/overpowering-the-sun-with-flash-photography\/\">Flash photography: Overpowering the sun with flash<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/checklist-for-portrait-photography-on-location\/\">Checklist for portrait photography on location<\/a>\u00a0 (model: Anastasiya Ana)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/how-to-overpower-bright-sunlight-with-on-camera-flash\/\">How to overpower bright sunlight with on-camera flash<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/when-to-use-high-speed-flash-sync-hss\/\">When to use high speed flash sync (HSS)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/rozalindauhl\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rozalinda Uhl<\/a>\u00a0 (<em>Instagram<\/em>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Best camera settings for off-camera flash With many of the tutorial articles on this website that deal with\u00a0off-camera flash photography, I have attempted to make the explanation not only as straight-forward as possible, but also repeatable. When it comes to camera and flash settings, there is often a specific science at work here &#8211; a&nbsp;<a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/best-camera-settings-for-off-camera-flash\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">Read more inside&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":47533,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[15,24,110,12393],"tags":[56,188,526,112],"yst_prominent_words":[12368,1265,1021,7002,7000,1390,9866,5863,1199,1491,9975,1489,1485,7001,7018,6999,5864,1486,6997,1487],"class_list":{"0":"post-47395","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-flash-photography","8":"category-models","9":"category-off-camera-flash","10":"category-rozalinda","11":"tag-flash-photography-tips","12":"tag-off-camera-lighting","13":"tag-off-camera-flash-on-location","14":"tag-off-camera-flash-photography","15":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47395"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47395"}],"version-history":[{"count":72,"href":"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47395\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48519,"href":"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47395\/revisions\/48519"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47395"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47395"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47395"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=47395"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}