Two talented photographers, Jen and Becky, spent today, and will spend part of tomorrow, with me learning flash skills. And flash skills are sooo essential. So you can fill in light, solve backlight problems – and so you can get creative.
Like in these sample images from today:
Yeah, fun shots. To do these:
- Set your camera to MANUAL
- Select the right ISO, aperture and shutter to make the ambient light disappear (1/250th second, f/8, 200 ISO, say).
- Add flashes – use remote TTL (fired by flashes from your cameRA).
- Add grids to those flashes so they do not throw light everywhere
- Add gels for colour
- Shoot. Adjust flash compensation as needed.
Or use more ambient light – simply use a higher ISO, larger aperture, or slower shutter, or a bit of all three:
In any case… save for a little post work if needed, you are done.
But… you also need something a lot of “technical” photographers forget: a subject.
These images were made not majorly by the light. They were made majorly by the subjects. Thanks, Jen and Becky, good work. Amazing and fun expressions.
That is why photographers need models. Not everyone has the personality needed for these. Modeling for photos of all types is a real skill, and when you find people who have it, shoot them, and you cannot go wrong. A pretty face is not quite enough: personality is needed too. try to have some fun. Try different expressions: happy, scary, sad, worried, confident, elated, serious, sad: you name the emotion, then have the model try and express it. This process is fun!
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Want to learn all this stuff? Private coaching is a great way to go, but if you want to do it another way, allow me to once again point out these learning opportunities:
- My photo eBook is out: www.speedlighter.ca/photography-cookbook/
- Advanced Flash workshop, in Hamilton, 17 February: www.cameratraining.ca/Flash-Ham.html – open, book right now!
- All-day workshop “The Art of Shooting Nudes” on March 2 in Hamilton, Ontario. There are three spots available: www.cameratraining.ca/Nudes.html
Michael