November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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….

Read More
November 06, 2011

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,…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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,…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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”…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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….

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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.

Read More
November 06, 2011

Lesson 9: Page 38

This next series of photos shows the bounce at work:

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

Lesson 9: Page 41

Watch these videos on Canon and Nikon flashes

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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….

Read More
November 06, 2011

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,…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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,…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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”…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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….

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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.

Read More
November 06, 2011

Lesson 9: Page 38

This next series of photos shows the bounce at work:

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

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…

Read More
November 06, 2011

Lesson 9: Page 41

Watch these videos on Canon and Nikon flashes

Read More