Lesson Title: Amazing Lighting from Your
On-Camera Flash Lesson
Description: Getting
flattering, professional quality lighting from an on camera flash is a lot
easier than in the old days. Using high-tech gear and creative flash head
swiveling, flash lighting can take on a look of time–honored light box
setups or even natural window light–instantly and without an
assistant. Lesson: Using a D-SLR camera and on camera flash (like the excellent
Canon 580EX), explore wall bouncing (I call this technique
“foofing” which is the sound I imagine when the flash blasts
against the wall) while having the camera/flash system automate the white
balance and exposure. Working in an average wedding reception like setting
(pretty dark), set the camera in Manual mode and experiment with various
ISO, aperture and shutter speed settings. Specify AWB so the camera will
adjust for off-colored walls used for flash bouncing. The only light to be
used for the lesson will be from the bounced (foofed!) flash, plus whatever
ambient light in the dark room that can be recorded. As a starting point,
try ISO 400, 1/25 second, and f:3.5 on a typical lens used for wedding
reception work (I like the 24-70mm f:2.8), but prime lenses like a 50mm
lens will also work fine). Slower shutter speeds will effectively lighten
the background, though increase chances of unwanted motion blur. The darker
the room, the slower the shutter can be set. Though the camera is in Manual mode, the flash will be set for
full automation (E-TTL for Canon users) to automatically compute the flash
output. No flash exposure compensation is generally needed. Some flash
units, like the 580 EX, allow the head to be swiveled in all directions
making this technique far easier to accomplish. Amazingly, foofing off of
walls that are non-white, and even at distances beyond 30 feet can be very
workable and give excellent results. I generally suggest aiming the light
slightly above the subject height, say at a 10 feet height on the wall.
Avoid aiming the flash straight up (ceiling bounce) without adding a white
bounce card to the flash, otherwise eye sockets will be dark. This lesson
is meant to encourage use of the walls and working without any white card,
so limit experimenting to wall bouncing. Use of wide aperture settings
(f:1.8 to f:4), including wide open settings, are encouraged. It seems to
me that many photographers, perhaps many who, like me, were raised on
medium format gear, still work at aperture settings near f:8 for much of
their wedding. In reality, with D-SLR equipment, far wider aperture
openings will give sufficient depth of field and do a superior job of
recording available light. Using smaller apertures (say f:5.6 or f:8) also
(unfortunately) limits the effectiveness or usability of many hot shoe
style flash units. Consider aiming
the flash head so that the lighting pattern on the subject face will
emulate portrait lighting techniques. I find that short lighting is my
favorite – illuminating the less seen side of the face is usually more
flattering (thinning) than broad lighting. Lesson Requirement: Submit 8 images that demonstrate foofing as described herein.
Show proficiency in manipulating the flash head in various aperture,
shutter and ISO settings in settings that mimic a typical indoor, nighttime
wedding reception.
Copyright & Rights: Please adhere to all the rules and
regulations of copyright with your images and the copyright of
others. Also, listen to the audio interview on
copyright with attorney Robert Cavallo in the Conference
Room at Photoworkshop.com. Visit
the United States Copyright Office: http://www.copyright.gov/
http://www.photoworkshop.com/registered/pages/conference.html
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