External flashes

[MarkBarbieri]

...Normally, I shoot entirely without the flash. I have preferred this as I like the more natural light pictures without the foreground bright and the background so dark you can't see anything...

Sounds like you are using your flash in Auto or Program mode. That doesn't work well for direct flash.

The popup flash on cameras is terrible. It's not that they aren't made well or don't work properly. The problem is that a small light source coming from very close to the camera rarely results in attractive light. Unless it was the only way I could get the shot, I wouldn't use the popup flash on my camera for anything other fill-flash.

If you can, get an external flash and use it indirectly. Ideally, you can use it off of your camera and use your popup to control it. If you don't have an assistant (aka spouse), you can bounce the flash. Nearby neutral colored walls are best. Ceilings are also useful.

Learn to control the power of your flash. If you leave it in full auto mode, your camera will use it as your primary light source and your background will look bad. The easiest technique is to switch to manual mode, set your shutter speed/aperture so that the meter reads 2/3 stops under, and then let the camera use the flash to get the proper exposure. That gives you a reasonably bright background but makes your subject a bit brighter.

There are gobs and gobs of other things to learn about using flash well. The Strobist blog is probably the best source of information. The basics - indirect or off camera and control the power of the flash relative to the ambient light - will get you a long way down the road towards better flash use.

 

[bob100]

I am headed to the World again in less than 2 weeks. And am very excited to take a couple thousand more photos. Especially with my new 7D camera.

Normally, I shoot entirely without the flash. I have preferred this as I like the more natural light pictures without the foreground bright and the background so dark you can't see anything.

if you experiment and practice with a flash the foreground and background can look balanced, for starters look at the strobist blog website -
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html

 

[mom2rtk]

My copy/paste is functioning again. Here's my thread with the discussion of whether to use a flash during the MNSSHP and MVMCP parades:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2509299

 

[GoofyontheHiSeas]

We had a Hoe-Down Dance at our school the other night. I thought it would be a good opportunity to work on my event flash technique.

1/125sec f/2.8 ISO 3200
SB600 bounced up and behind my left shoulder with 1/4 CTS gel.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

 

[Suburbanmom]

SB-800 Speedlight with frosted Gary Fong light defuser

 

[mom2rtk]

SB-800 Speedlight with frosted Gary Fong light defuser

WOW! Awesome shot Amy! I loved the other one I saw you post recently too. And just when we were finally adjusting to my son changing from soccer to Cross Country this fall! XC has been great. I'm just missing the prolonged action opportunities!

 

[pgowder]

Faith and Lillie by Paul Gowder, on Flickr

SB900 in softbox camera left, SB600 camera right with blue gel firing at bg


++++++++++++


Family Portraits on the Congaree River by Paul Gowder, on Flickr

SB900 with shoot through umbrella camera left held precariously by my wife!

 

[pgowder]

2010 Mountain Trip by Paul Gowder, on Flickr

SB900 fired TTL via CLS on camera right.

++++++


2010 Mountain Trip by Paul Gowder, on Flickr

SB900 camera left bare fired TTL via CLS.

 

[Suburbanmom]

WOW! Awesome shot Amy! I loved the other one I saw you post recently too. And just when we were finally adjusting to my son changing from soccer to Cross Country this fall! XC has been great. I'm just missing the prolonged action opportunities!

Thanks! This is a high school senior who is looking at a couple soccer scholarship opportunities and he asked me to shoot his senior pictures. He is also a great kid.

My 15-year-old also runs cross-country. I have thousands of images of the "anguish" that is a 5K run on a bright Saturday morning Happy running!

 

[mom2rtk]

Thanks! This is a high school senior who is looking at a couple soccer scholarship opportunities and he asked me to shoot his senior pictures. He is also a great kid.

My 15-year-old also runs cross-country. I have thousands of images of the "anguish" that is a 5K run on a bright Saturday morning Happy running!

Well, he should be very happy with the shots you got!

I'm still trying to get the hang of XC photography. It's hard because every venue is different, and I get such short times to catch them. I'm hoping that next year when I know the courses better, I'll do better.

Happy running to you guys too!

 

[tlcmommyx4]

These are so wonderful! I hate to ask a stupid question, but how can you shoot your flash without it being on the camera? Is SB600 stand for soft box 600? Thanks for helping me figure this out

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

The flashes can be mounted on tripods or stands and can be activated by cabling or wireless. In my case, it is wireless and is activated by the onboard camera flash.

 

[Experiment_626]

Is SB600 stand for soft box 600? Thanks for helping me figure this out

The SB-600 is a Nikon "Speedlight" (flash) -- this one: http://www.nikonusa.com/Find-Your-Nikon/Product/Flashes/4802/SB-600-AF-Speedlight.html

 

[handicap18]

These are so wonderful! I hate to ask a stupid question, but how can you shoot your flash without it being on the camera? Is SB600 stand for soft box 600? Thanks for helping me figure this out

The SB-600 is a Nikon "Speedlight" (flash) -- this one: http://www.nikonusa.com/Find-Your-Nikon/Product/Flashes/4802/SB-600-AF-Speedlight.html

The Nikon D80, D90, D300, D300s, D7000, and D700 have the capability to have the pop up flash act as a Master flash that will also wirelessly fire up to 5 other Nikon Speedlight flashes (SB-600, SB-700, SB-800 & SB-900).

You can also find softboxes that are made to fit speedlight flashes for not only Nikon, but Canon and other flash manufacturers.

They come in 16", 18", 20" and 24" (at least what I've found thus far). You can search amazon or ebay for speedlight softboxes. I have a 24" softbox for one of my SB-600's. Here's an example

 

[Bstanley]

Meet Sydney, so-called because she is (obviously) an Australian Shepherd mix (rescued from the local pound).

My new external flash should be arriving today, hopefully bouncing the flash off the ceiling will prevent further Terminator pictures.

Full sized versions available on Smugmug.

 

[Marlton Mom]

I think she's adorable no matter what her eye colors are, but red and green will come in handy for the Holiday cards that one sends to the family



Marlton Mom

 

[Bstanley]

So after 31 days the rascals at Deal Extreme finally managed to deliver a Yongnuo (YN-468) Speedlight clone.

No pictures for viewing yet - but I did take a series of pictures (trying out various setting/head angles/etc) of a wreath on the wall across from my recliner .

The experiments raised at least 1 question - when set in TTL II mode I noticed that depending on the direction I pointed the head I had brighter or dimmer results. I was expecting the exposure to be the same - the idea of TTL being that the camera and the flash should be working together to adjust the Flash power to maintain whatever the settings were. I guess I'll need to study some more.

I did take some pictures of people and doggy. Bouncing the light definitely gives a much more pleasing/natural appearance to the pictures - and no Terminator Red Eye.

And the fast recharge time when set to half power is fun for annoying your (grown-up) children with basically continuous flashing...

 

[MICKEY88]

So after 31 days the rascals at Deal Extreme finally managed to deliver a Yongnuo (YN-468) Speedlight clone.

No pictures for viewing yet - but I did take a series of pictures (trying out various setting/head angles/etc) of a wreath on the wall across from my recliner .

The experiments raised at least 1 question - when set in TTL II mode I noticed that depending on the direction I pointed the head I had brighter or dimmer results. I was expecting the exposure to be the same - the idea of TTL being that the camera and the flash should be working together to adjust the Flash power to maintain whatever the settings were. I guess I'll need to study some more.

I did take some pictures of people and doggy. Bouncing the light definitely gives a much more pleasing/natural appearance to the pictures - and no Terminator Red Eye.

And the fast recharge time when set to half power is fun for annoying your (grown-up) children with basically continuous flashing...

I'd be careful of the continuous flashing, it can cause the flash to overheat, and eventually cause flash failure..

 

[bob100]

So after 31 days the rascals at Deal Extreme finally managed to deliver a Yongnuo (YN-468) Speedlight clone.

No pictures for viewing yet - but I did take a series of pictures (trying out various setting/head angles/etc) of a wreath on the wall across from my recliner .

The experiments raised at least 1 question - when set in TTL II mode I noticed that depending on the direction I pointed the head I had brighter or dimmer results. I was expecting the exposure to be the same - the idea of TTL being that the camera and the flash should be working together to adjust the Flash power to maintain whatever the settings were. I guess I'll need to study some more.

I did take some pictures of people and doggy. Bouncing the light definitely gives a much more pleasing/natural appearance to the pictures - and no Terminator Red Eye.

And the fast recharge time when set to half power is fun for annoying your (grown-up) children with basically continuous flashing...

31 days, that's ridiculous!
The ebay dealers including the Yongnuo manufacturer usually take 1 - 2 weeks.
The Flash uses a pre-flash so keep that lower red part towards the subject and use the swivel head to rotate and/or bounce. The exposure should stay the same but to get the best results use the flash in ETTL mode and the camera in manual mode.