Lesson 9: Page 2
LESSON 1 UNDERSTANDING FLASH In a perfect world for photography, every photograph we take would have perfect light, the perfect subject, perfect exposure, resulting in the perfect photograph. However, as…
Lesson 9: Page 3
E-TTL/iTTL also has the ability to make subtle changes in output for flash fill techniques. To add even more ability to flash evolution, Canon added a great feature called AIM…
Lesson 9: Page 4
Important Point: To emphasize this point again; the shutter opens and the flash fires. Because the flash duration is so fast, the shutter remains open after the flash has fired…
Lesson 9: Page 5
The Reality Now before moving on I should clarify the previous paragraphs as correct flash theory, because it is theory and it’s based on manual flash. The reality is when…
Lesson 9: Page 6
I need to mention this now: if you have a newer camera, you might have an option in your menu that is called Auto FP with FP meaning Focal Plane….
Lesson 9: Page 7
Shooting modes Cameras meter flash and ambient light independently of each other. Your camera probably comes with several different shooting modes. On Canons: P for Program, Av for Aperture Priority,…
Lesson 9: Page 8
A mode, which stands for Aperture Priority allows you to select the f/stop you wish to use, while the camera selects the appropriate shutter speed based on its metering of…
Lesson 9: Page 10
EC, aka Exposure Compensation Exposure Compensation is used to increase or decrease your exposure beyond what the camera recommends and it has nothing to do with flash exposure. If you…
Lesson 9: Page 11
Example 2: Shooting mode is A/Av and flash on ETTL. The aperture is set to whatever f/stop you have chosen. As you spin the main dial switching f/stops, the camera…
Lesson 9: Page 12
Auto Flash Heads Today’s flashes have a motorized zoom that uses a fresnel lens to focus the light from the flash. With a telephoto lens, the flash head zooms in…
Lesson 9: Page 13
Many flashes come with wide-angle panels, which allow the flash to cover even wider-angle areas such as 14mm. Many call these diffusers but they are not diffusers, those soften light…
Lesson 9: Page 14
Bottom line is that you want to choose an f/stop that meets the needs of the subject and no more. Does everything need to be shot at f/16 for depth…
Lesson 9: Page 15
Inverse Square Law The Inverse Square Law relates to the fall-off of light in relation to the distance from flash to subject. Think about this: you are at an indoor…
Lesson 9: Page 16
Histogram Hopefully you are familiar with your cameras histogram and how it works. This is always a valuable tool when it comes to determining accuracy of your exposures. It is…
Lesson 9: Page 17
Strategy using Flash If you are using flash on-camera and in TTL and your subject is far from the camera, like a group at a wedding, you should use a…
Lesson 9: Page 18
Shooting Modes You want to choose your shooting modes based on what you are photographing. Is it outside or inside? Are there ambient light levels important to what you want…
Lesson 9: Page 19
What to do with low ambient light level indoors It’s important to keep in mind that when photographing indoors you have to decide whether you want to use ambient light…
Lesson 9: Page 20
Flash Range-The Math Each flash unit has a certain range of flash ability based on the total power it can produce. This means based on the manufacturers designation for that…
Lesson 9: Page 21
Flash Range-ETTL Each flash unit has a certain range of flash ability based on the total power it has. Remember, the higher the Guide Number the more flash output and…
Lesson 9: Page 22
FEC – Flash Exposure Compensation/FOLC-Flash Output Level Compensation One very valuable feature on your flash/camera is the FEC, or Flash Exposure Compensation. On the Nikon it is called FOLC-Flash Output…
Lesson 9: Page 23
These three images illustrate the use of the FEC with ambient light being the dominant light source and flash is in a fill capacity. Image 1 is Normal flash output,…
Lesson 9: Page 24
ISO The ISO setting on your camera can extend the range of your flash just as it contributes to faster shutter speed and f/stop combinations in normal outdoor shooting. For…
Lesson 9: Page 25
This works the same for the center weighted systems, if you point the camera at a scene with the subject placed on the side of the frame, the flash and…
Lesson 9: Page 26
Red eye There are many times that you will photograph in low light situations where flash is required. This could be a family gathering or a business event, but, either…
Lesson 9: Page 27
Auto Fill Reduction Many flashes automatically apply Auto Fill Reduction when photographing in bright light. This basically means that the flash is doing the work for you by not over…
Lesson 9: Page 28
Lets say the subject distance changes as you reframe your composition. At full power the flash says 15’ but lets your subject is 5’, you then adjust output level to…
Lesson 9: Page 29
A Manual Flash Example We have already learned how to use manual flash and determine the proper aperture based on the distance the subject is from the camera, and we…
Lesson 9: Page 30
How to Adjust Flash Point While this was just mentioned above, it’s worth digging a bit deeper. You can use your flash in manual mode and adjust the power output…
Lesson 9: Page 31
Flash Key In all lighting there is a light that is the main or ‘key’ light. Often this is the brightest light like the sun, but not always. The “key”…
Lesson 9: Page 33
Flash fill Flash fill is a very useful tool for photographers. Both film and digital cannot record the range of contrast in a photo scene like our eyes can. In…
Lesson 9: Page 34
This series shows flash fill at different settings from flash -1/3 all the way to flash -2 and no flash. I usually use -1 to -1 2/3 for people outdoors….
Lesson 9: Page 35
How to use Flash Fill in TTL The simplest way to create flash fill is to use FEC on your camera and/or flash and the description on how to do…
Lesson 9: Page 36
Diffused Flash It is no secret that on-camera flash directed at the subject produces a very harsh and contrasty light. This is often necessary to get the photograph. But there…
Lesson 9: Page 37
This magazine cover was photographed using a diffused flash right next to the camera on the right. The flash was a key light while the ambient was the fill light.
Lesson 9: Page 39
Swivel heads Most of today’s flashes allow the head to be swiveled and this allows you to point the flash in a variety of directions. If the photo is a…
Lesson 9: Page 40
Key points to remember: 1.) Aperture controls the amount of light allowed to expose the picture. 2.) Shutter speed controls the amount of time the picture is exposing, but…
Lesson 9: Page 2
LESSON 1 UNDERSTANDING FLASH In a perfect world for photography, every photograph we take would have perfect light, the perfect subject, perfect exposure, resulting in the perfect photograph. However, as…
Lesson 9: Page 3
E-TTL/iTTL also has the ability to make subtle changes in output for flash fill techniques. To add even more ability to flash evolution, Canon added a great feature called AIM…
Lesson 9: Page 4
Important Point: To emphasize this point again; the shutter opens and the flash fires. Because the flash duration is so fast, the shutter remains open after the flash has fired…
Lesson 9: Page 5
The Reality Now before moving on I should clarify the previous paragraphs as correct flash theory, because it is theory and it’s based on manual flash. The reality is when…
Lesson 9: Page 6
I need to mention this now: if you have a newer camera, you might have an option in your menu that is called Auto FP with FP meaning Focal Plane….
Lesson 9: Page 7
Shooting modes Cameras meter flash and ambient light independently of each other. Your camera probably comes with several different shooting modes. On Canons: P for Program, Av for Aperture Priority,…
Lesson 9: Page 8
A mode, which stands for Aperture Priority allows you to select the f/stop you wish to use, while the camera selects the appropriate shutter speed based on its metering of…
Lesson 9: Page 10
EC, aka Exposure Compensation Exposure Compensation is used to increase or decrease your exposure beyond what the camera recommends and it has nothing to do with flash exposure. If you…
Lesson 9: Page 11
Example 2: Shooting mode is A/Av and flash on ETTL. The aperture is set to whatever f/stop you have chosen. As you spin the main dial switching f/stops, the camera…
Lesson 9: Page 12
Auto Flash Heads Today’s flashes have a motorized zoom that uses a fresnel lens to focus the light from the flash. With a telephoto lens, the flash head zooms in…
Lesson 9: Page 13
Many flashes come with wide-angle panels, which allow the flash to cover even wider-angle areas such as 14mm. Many call these diffusers but they are not diffusers, those soften light…
Lesson 9: Page 14
Bottom line is that you want to choose an f/stop that meets the needs of the subject and no more. Does everything need to be shot at f/16 for depth…
Lesson 9: Page 15
Inverse Square Law The Inverse Square Law relates to the fall-off of light in relation to the distance from flash to subject. Think about this: you are at an indoor…
Lesson 9: Page 16
Histogram Hopefully you are familiar with your cameras histogram and how it works. This is always a valuable tool when it comes to determining accuracy of your exposures. It is…
Lesson 9: Page 17
Strategy using Flash If you are using flash on-camera and in TTL and your subject is far from the camera, like a group at a wedding, you should use a…
Lesson 9: Page 18
Shooting Modes You want to choose your shooting modes based on what you are photographing. Is it outside or inside? Are there ambient light levels important to what you want…
Lesson 9: Page 19
What to do with low ambient light level indoors It’s important to keep in mind that when photographing indoors you have to decide whether you want to use ambient light…
Lesson 9: Page 20
Flash Range-The Math Each flash unit has a certain range of flash ability based on the total power it can produce. This means based on the manufacturers designation for that…
Lesson 9: Page 21
Flash Range-ETTL Each flash unit has a certain range of flash ability based on the total power it has. Remember, the higher the Guide Number the more flash output and…
Lesson 9: Page 22
FEC – Flash Exposure Compensation/FOLC-Flash Output Level Compensation One very valuable feature on your flash/camera is the FEC, or Flash Exposure Compensation. On the Nikon it is called FOLC-Flash Output…
Lesson 9: Page 23
These three images illustrate the use of the FEC with ambient light being the dominant light source and flash is in a fill capacity. Image 1 is Normal flash output,…
Lesson 9: Page 24
ISO The ISO setting on your camera can extend the range of your flash just as it contributes to faster shutter speed and f/stop combinations in normal outdoor shooting. For…
Lesson 9: Page 25
This works the same for the center weighted systems, if you point the camera at a scene with the subject placed on the side of the frame, the flash and…
Lesson 9: Page 26
Red eye There are many times that you will photograph in low light situations where flash is required. This could be a family gathering or a business event, but, either…
Lesson 9: Page 27
Auto Fill Reduction Many flashes automatically apply Auto Fill Reduction when photographing in bright light. This basically means that the flash is doing the work for you by not over…
Lesson 9: Page 28
Lets say the subject distance changes as you reframe your composition. At full power the flash says 15’ but lets your subject is 5’, you then adjust output level to…
Lesson 9: Page 29
A Manual Flash Example We have already learned how to use manual flash and determine the proper aperture based on the distance the subject is from the camera, and we…
Lesson 9: Page 30
How to Adjust Flash Point While this was just mentioned above, it’s worth digging a bit deeper. You can use your flash in manual mode and adjust the power output…
Lesson 9: Page 31
Flash Key In all lighting there is a light that is the main or ‘key’ light. Often this is the brightest light like the sun, but not always. The “key”…
Lesson 9: Page 33
Flash fill Flash fill is a very useful tool for photographers. Both film and digital cannot record the range of contrast in a photo scene like our eyes can. In…
Lesson 9: Page 34
This series shows flash fill at different settings from flash -1/3 all the way to flash -2 and no flash. I usually use -1 to -1 2/3 for people outdoors….
Lesson 9: Page 35
How to use Flash Fill in TTL The simplest way to create flash fill is to use FEC on your camera and/or flash and the description on how to do…
Lesson 9: Page 36
Diffused Flash It is no secret that on-camera flash directed at the subject produces a very harsh and contrasty light. This is often necessary to get the photograph. But there…
Lesson 9: Page 37
This magazine cover was photographed using a diffused flash right next to the camera on the right. The flash was a key light while the ambient was the fill light.
Lesson 9: Page 39
Swivel heads Most of today’s flashes allow the head to be swiveled and this allows you to point the flash in a variety of directions. If the photo is a…
Lesson 9: Page 40
Key points to remember: 1.) Aperture controls the amount of light allowed to expose the picture. 2.) Shutter speed controls the amount of time the picture is exposing, but…