HELLO!
I am WS Toh Being a self-taught photographer, I give back to the community by giving free tutorials.
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As we work to create light for others, we naturally light our own way. - Mary Anne Radmacher
1. HOW TO CHOOSE A FLASH
6 FACTORS TO CONSIDER Power: GN20-35 is weak but usable, GN36-50 decently good, and GN50+ is powerful. Recycle Time: You want a short recycle time to capture fast moving subjects with burst shots. Battery Life: Won’t run out of juice quickly. Built-in wireless: So you don’t have to buy extra wireless triggers. Size & Weight: Lightweight flash is good for travels. Compatibility: Will this flash work with your camera?
2. THE BASICS OF FLASH
THE HOT SHOE Nikon, Canon, Olympus and Pentax adopts the ISO standard, but their technology on top of it.
Technically speaking, flash units can be used across these different brands. But there are a few hiccups – they may not work perfectly on different cameras. Sony users – You are the odd one out. Sony flash will only work on a Sony camera.
FLASH POWER Usually measured in Guide Number (GN). GN = distance X f-number. The higher the GN, the stronger the flash unit is.
RECYCLE TIME Flash units don’t fire like machine gun. They need time to “recharge” after each shot, and that is called recycle time. The shorter the recycle time, the better it is meant for burst photography.
ON-CAMERA FLASH When you shoot with the flash mounted on your camera. Most beginners start with this.
OFF-CAMERA FLASH When you shoot with the flash off the camera, trigger via remote control.
3. ON-CAMERA FLASH
HOW TO GET STARTED Two ways to work with a flash – Manually control the flash power or automatically let the system decide. Always start practicing with on-camera flash because it is the easiest, and you can’t go wrong. Start with off-camera flash later as it require a bit more equipment and knowledge.
HOW TO GET STARTED Two ways to work with a flash – Manually control the flash power or automatically let the system decide. Always start practicing with on-camera flash because it is the easiest, and you can’t go wrong. Start with off-camera flash later as it require a bit more equipment and knowledge.
WORKING WITH TTL Automatic flash is known as TTL, or through-thelens. Meaning, the flash will adjust the power automatically as according to data adapted from the lens. -
Set your flash to TTL mode. Take a test shot with it. If you don’t like the exposure, simply set the compensation and try again.
WORKING WITH MANUAL Don’t have a TTL flash? No problem. Manual is only a little more of a hassle.
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Shoot in manual mode. Get your base settings right first. Estimate and set the power on the flash. If you don’t like the exposure, simply adjust the flash power or camera settings.
4. OFF-CAMERA FLASH
REMOTE CONTROL Off-camera flash works by triggering flash units via means of remote control. There are 2 commonly used ways: -
Master-slave mode. Using wireless triggers.
MASTER SLAVE -
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You need at least 2 flash units. One unit will act as the “master”. Usually mounted on the camera. Set the other flash unit to the slave mode. When the slave flash detects a bright flash of light, it will also fire. Problem: The slave will fire at any flash of bright light.
WIRELESS TRIGGER -
Slightly more expensive way. You need to purchase transmitters and receivers. Transmitter is mounted on the camera. Receivers are mounted on the flash units. Wireless triggers uses radio frequency, so chances of them clashing are lower. This is a much more reliable method.
MULTIPLE TROUBLE!? Off-camera flash means the chance to deal with multiple flash units. We will touch on it in a different guide. For more free guides, please visit http://xlightphotography.com/ For the full guide, please visit http://xlightphotography.com/flash-photographybasics/
CREDITS Special thanks to all the people who made and released these awesome resources for free: Presentation template by SlidesCarnival Photographs by Death to the Stock Photo (license)