One Light Photography The Basics
Hello! I am WS Toh Being a self-taught photographer, I give back to the community by giving free tutorials.
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1. On-Camera Flash A simple 4 steps process
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STEP 1: BACKGROUND FIRST Always start a photo without the flash. Meter the background, and establish the base settings on your camera.
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STEP 2: INCLUDE SUBJECT Now add your subject to the scene. With the current camera settings, the background should be well-exposed, but the subject dark.
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STEP 3: ADD FLASH With a little bit of flash magic, that should “light� your subject back into the scene. It does not quite matter if you use TTL or manual. TTL simply makes things easier with a lot less guess work on the flash power, while you just have to guess on manual.
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STEP 4: COMPENSATE If the picture is still a bit off, try compensating with the flash exposure, re-adjusting your settings, or change the direction of the flash head. You will eventually nail it.
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2. Off-Camera Flash Not on the camera? No problem.
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RECOMMENDED GEAR
Light Stand
Bracket
Softbox
You know what this does…
Holds the softbox and flash in place.
Softens light.
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HOW TO TRIGGER OFF-CAMERA #1 :
MASTER-SLAVE MODE • • • •
Most flash units come with a slave mode “by default”. In slave mode, the flash fires itself when it detects another bright flash. Problem is – you will need another flash to act as the master. Also, this will not work well when the slave flash is inside a softbox. 10
HOW TO TRIGGER OFF-CAMERA #2 :
WIRELESS TRIGGERS • • • • •
Wireless triggers are small wireless devices you attach to the camera/flash. The unit attached to the camera is called the “transmitter”. The unit attached to the flash is called “receiver”. There are units that can be attached to either the camera or flash, and they are called “transceiver”. These devices are preferred because they use radio signals, and are more reliable. 11
FIRST STEP OF OFF-CAMERA
SETUP THE WIRELESS TRIGGERS
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SECOND STEP OF OFF-CAMERA
SETUP THE SOFTBOX
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3. Flash Tips How to flash. Properly.
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PLAY WITH DIRECTION OF LIGHT #1
FRONT LIGHT This is not a one light setup, but just take it as an example of how the positioning can drastically change the photo.
Front lighting is one of the most common and usually gives a flat, evenly lit profile. 15
PLAY WITH DIRECTION OF LIGHT #2
SIDE LIGHT
Side lighting usually produces dramatic photos. One of my personal favorites. 16
PLAY WITH DIRECTION OF LIGHT #3
BACK LIGHT This is not a one light setup, but just take it as an example of how the positioning can drastically change the photo.
Back lighting is usually used with another front/side light (unless you want to create a silhouette). It creates that “glow” around the subject, which we also often call “rim light”.
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SAY NO TO DIRECT BARE FLASH • • • •
Direct bare flash hits are bad! Usually results in a washed out white subject. They are harsh, and they are very unflattering. I call this the “nuclear flash” (TM).
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FLASH HACKS If direct flash is bad, how do we make it “good”? • • •
We soften the harsh light via various means. Softboxes are the most commonly solution. If not, the “budget” way is to use tissue papers, plastic bags, party plates, cups and whatever you can find.
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BOUNCE THE FLASH Is on-camera flash not working too well for you? Need to balance out an split “half-black-white” subject? Then use a reflector to put some of those light back onto your subject.
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NOTE THE SURROUNDING LIGHTS Your flash is not the only source of light! When you are shoot outdoors, know that the sun is probably a stronger source of light than your flash! Even when you are indoors, lamps and fixtures are also sources of light.
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COLOR GELS Need to spice things up a little? No need to break the piggy bank, cheap color gels are an easy to use and affordable way to make some visual impact.
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WHEN TO AVOID FLASH Flash is not a solution for “everything photography”. There are times you will want to avoid using flash. •
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Babies are more sensitive to bright lights. You do not want to scare or injure them. You never know how animals will react to sudden flashes. Objects with reflective surfaces are bad with flash.
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THE END! Please visit X-Light Photography, where you will find the full free One Light Photography tutorial. 24