Category Archives: Light

Edge lighting tip

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When you are using rim lighting, like in this shot of this evening…:

Mel McBride (Photo: Michael Willems)

Then I would give you a few tips:

  1. Do. It’s good. Look how well it shows off round shapes like arms and legs. It makes them look round, rather than flat, which is what they would look like if you lit them just from the camera’s direction.
  2. Light from behind – 45 degrees behind the subject aimed forward.
  3. Fill from the front. Watch for shadows behind your subject.
  4. Watch for shadows in general. You may like them. Or you may like only one of them. Or none. All good, as long as you watch for them, and feather the lights you do not want throwing a shadow, or use snoots or grids or gobos – or soften them in the case of the front fill light (I used a Honl Traveller 8 softbox).
  5. A little flare, as in this shot, can be okay. Don’t go crazy, but do not be afraid. I often include lights and flare: love them when done well.
  6. If you want flared lights to show like stars, use a small aperture, like f/8 or f/11.
  7. If you are using TTL, which is fine, then do use manual at least for the rim lights. Using TTL for those makes little sense, as this light is very hard indeed to measure in camera.
  8. And for manual flash, know how light works. The Inverse Square Law is very important. To get half the light, increase the flash-subject distance by 1.4 (the square root of two). That sort of thing. Yes, math.

Oh and when you have a wall, you can use it, of course. Like here, wher I have made oneof the rim lights into the main light:

Controlling light is fun, and is remarkably easy. And Photography is all about the light.

(Joseph Marranca and I are teaching another Creative Lighting course, this time in Fort Erie, just over an hour from Oakville, on July 23. Stay tuned or drop me a line!)

 

Chipping away…

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Let us continue to chip away at learning flash.

Today, more background information. A quick note now on how Canon and Nikon, the two brand leaders, handle exposure differently. (Others follow either Canon or Nikon).

What shutter speeds are allowed by the camera when you are using a flash ?

Shutter speeds can be restricted by the camera for two reasons:

  • To protect the user from shaky pics, a slow speed is sometimes denied.
  • To prevent bad flash photos, a fast shutter speed is also sometimes denied.

But Canon and Nikon do this differently – and it helps to know how your camera works. So here goes.

SLOW SHUTTER SPEED RESTRICTIONS:

Shutter speed mode:

  • Canon: None. You set what you like.
  • Nikon: None. You set what you like.

Manual Mode:

  • Canon: None. You set what you like.
  • Nikon: None. You set what you like.

Program Mode:

  • Canon: no speeds slower than 1/60th second will be used
  • Nikon: no speeds slower than 1/60th second (adjustable on some cameras) will be used. Except if “Slow Flash” is selected: then, any speed including very slow ones can be chosen by the camera.

Aperture Mode:

  • Any speed including very slow ones can be chosen by the camera.
  • Nikon: no speeds slower than 1/60th second (adjustable on some cameras) will be used. Except if “Slow Flash” is selected: then, any speed including very slow ones can be chosen by the camera.

So there you have it – markedly different behaviour by both cameras.

Clearly, from the above you can see that:

On Canon:

  • Program mode is not ideal when using indoors flash (you might want slower shutter speeds to allow lighter backgrounds)!
  • Aperture mode is not ideal when using indoors flash (you might get a 1-second shutter if the background is dark, which you do not want!)

On Nikon:

  • Program mode or Aperture mode without “slow flash” enabled are not ideal when using indoors flash (you might want slower shutter speeds to allow lighter backgrounds)!
  • Program mode or Aperture mode with “slow flash” enabled are not ideal when using indoors flash (you might get a 1-second shutter if the background is dark, which you do not want!)

Which is why I use manual when using flash indoors, when ambient light is low.

 

FAST SHUTTER SPEED RESTRICTIONS:

  • Canon: when the flash is detected, no speed faster than the flash sync speed (typically 1/200th second) is allowed, except if “High-Speed Flash” is enabled on the flash. This, however, drastically reduces the maximum available flash range.
  • Nikon: when the flash is detected, no speed faster than the flash sync speed (typically 1/250th second) is allowed, except if “Auto FP Flash” is enabled in the camera’s flash menu. This, however, drastically reduces the maximum available flash range.

 

All these Flash articles are excerpts from my signature four hour “Advanced Flash” course, in which you learn all these concepts in a hands-on, interactive session.

 

Exposure metering basics

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In the continuing series on flash and its complexities that I started yesterday, time for the next basic subject. And that is “metering” and “exposure compensation” while not using a flash. (Yes, to understand flash you need to first understand non-flash exposure basics. So bear with me in this series.)

What does your light meter do?

When you press down the button half way while pointing at your subject, you activate the light meter – and the camera now does one of two things:

  1. If in manual exposure mode (M), it merely shows you a light meter in the viewfinder. You can now adjust aperture, ISO and/or shutter speed, and when you achieve “meter in the middle” this means “well exposed (if the subject is mid-grey)”.
  2. Or when you are in an automatic mode (P, A/Av or S/Tv), the camera itself sets aperture and/or shutter to make the meter go to the middle. The picture will therefore be well exposed (if the subject is mid-grey).

Let’s look at that qualification: “well exposed (if the subject is mid-grey)”.

  1. Your light meter –  a reflective light meter – is calibrated to give you the “zero” reading when your subject is exposed to look mid-grey, i.e. neither very dark nor very bright. That’s just how it was decided it should work. Because most of the world is like that.
  2. So as long as what you are shooting is neither dark nor bright, all is well. Aim at zero and shoot, and all well.

So what if you are shooting dark or light subjects?

Let’s start with what happens if you are aimed at a dark subject:

  1. Setting the meter to zero gives you a light grey subject – not a black subject!
  2. So you need to somehow make the meter point at minus – say, minus two for a black subject.
  3. That way the subject will not look grey, but darker.
  4. Which is good – because since it is darker, it needs to look darker!

And what if you are aimed at a bright subject?

  1. Setting the meter to zero gives you a light grey subject – not a white subject!
  2. So you need to somehow make the meter point at plus – say, plus two for a totally white subject.
  3. That way the subject will not look grey, but lighter.
  4. Which is good – because since it is lighter, it needs to look lighter!

Your light meter does not know whether you are shooting a coalmine in the dark (total black)  or a snow-hill on a bright day (total white). It cannot know. So you will always need to compensate for this.

How do you adjust?

If you are using manual, you adjust aperture or shutter or ISO until the mater moves to the desired setting. If in an automatic mode like P, Tv/S, or Av/A, you use exposure compensation (“the plus-minus button”) and set that to minus or plus – the camera now adjusts aperture, shutter or ISO.  So the adjustment

Real-life example 1:

Here, a viewfinder-filling black bag with the camera on “P” (or on “M” where we make the meter go to “zero”):

And here, the same viewfinder-filling black bag with the camera on “P” with exposure compensation (the +/- button) set to minus two (or on “M” where we make the meter point at -2):

“But making the exposure go to minus two will make the subject all black, Michael”.

Yeah. And that is what we want, since it is black!

Real-life example 2:

Here, a viewfinder-filling white sheet of paper with the camera on “P” (or on “M” where we make the meter go to “zero”):

And here, the same viewfinder-filling white sheet of paper with the camera on “P” with exposure compensation (the +/- button) set to plus one (or on “M” where we make the meter point at +1):

“But making the exposure go to plus one will make the subject all bright, Michael”.

Yeah. And that is what we want, since it is bright!

Conclusions:

So, no magic. Just logic. Simple:

  1. If a subject is lighter than average I need to make sure it shows as lighter than average, and if a subject is darker than average I need to make sure it shows as darker than average.
  2. I can make these adjustments in manual mode by changing aperture/shutter so that the meter does not point at zero.
  3. Or I can make these adjustments in automatic modes by using exposure compensation (and now the camera does exactly the same: it adjusts aperture and/or shutter).

In the next while, more – but first, start by understanding this. A good way is to use manual mode for the entire day tomorrow, and only available light.

Have fun!

1,001 flashes

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My 1,001th post is once again about speedlights – appropriately, you might say.

Yesterday and today, I shot outdoors, with my Canon cameras – and with my second shooter who shoots Nikon. A wedding Saturday and soccer kids Sunday.

And that shooting experience prompts me to say a few things about exposure and flash on Canon and Nikon systems.

And as I was explaining today, it struck me again how complex these systems are if you try to understand them all at once. So I will be discussing them bit by bit, in easily digested parts. The big picture will be clear once you get all the parts. But you always start with the parts, and use deductive reasoning to get the the bigger picture.

So, let’s start with some simple definitions, today. Just to make sure you are all on the same page.

A picture like the one above uses (really, mixes) two types of light:

  1. Available, or ambient, light. From the sun, in this case.
  2. Flash light. From, um, the flash.

Each can appear light or dark in your image:

  • If the ambient light appears dark in your picture, this makes for a dark background.
  • If the flash light appears dark this can make for a dark foreground subject.
  • If the ambient light appears dark, the flash may be the main source of light on your subject, and when using just one flash, you can get a harsh look.
  • If the ambient light appears bright, the flash will not add much.

Both ambient and flash can be adjusted – by you or by the camera.

Ambient light:

  • Manual exposure means you are setting the ambient brightness entirely by yourself. You do this by adjusting ISO, Aperture and Shutter. You use “M” mode for this and ensure auto ISO is off.
  • Automatic exposure means the camera is setting the ambient brightness. It does that in P, S/Tv amd A/Av modes.

Flash light:

  • Manual flash is when you set the flash power level (really, its time) yourself. The flash displays “M” at the back. You set the power fo 1/1 or 100%, or to 1/2 or 50%, or to 1/4th or 25%, and so on. You would do this in a studio.
  • Automatic flash is when the camera sets the flash power level – usually in what we call “TTL” mode. It uses a preflash for this in TTL mode. You would use this at, say, a party.

Getting confused yet?

Then we make it more confusing.

In automatic modes, you can nevertheless adjust the brightness of various parts of your image.

And this is the subject of today’s post: when doing this, Canon and Nikon behave differently.

On a Canon camera, you use:

  • Exposure compensation to modify the brightness of the ambient part of the image from what your camera had in mind. Plus means brighter, minus means darker.
  • Flash exposure compensation to modify the brightness of the flash part of the image from what your camera had in mind. Plus means brighter, minus means darker.

On a Nikon camera, you use:

  • Exposure compensation to modify the overall brightness of the picture (i.e. the flash part as well as the ambient part) of the image from what your camera had in mind. Plus means brighter, minus means darker.
  • Flash exposure compensation to modify the brightness of only the flash part of the image from what your camera had in mind. But it does not always work. Plus means brighter, minus means darker.

You can set exposure compenstion by pressing and holding the “+/- button” or -dial. You set flash compensation on the flash or on the camera – but if you do it on the flash, that overrules  what you do on the camera.

In the next days and weeks I will touch upon these concepts some more. But let’s start here.

 

 

Take your flash off camera

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The best way to improve your flash images is to take your flash off the camera.

As I did here in last night’s Mastering Flash class:

Student, lit with flash (Photo: Michael Willems)

You see, that is direct flash – unmodified. Off-camera, using remote TTL (or I could have used a cable).

So yes, it can easily be done – as long as the flash light axis is not the same as your lens axis. Straight into a woman’s face from above is light we love – but crucially, straight into her face does not mean straight from your camera’s perspective!

Now, do not get me wrong: modified is great. Like with a small softbox:

Which from the front looks like this (note the dark circle that prevents light spots):

Which, when combined with a second flash camera right to add edge/hair light, gets me this, of another kind student volunteer in last night’s class:

Student, lit with flash (Photo: Michael Willems)

Simple, no? Just remember:

  • Axis of light <> axis of lens.
  • TTL is fine, if you know how it works.
  • Wireless TTL works very well indeed indoors (and with clever management can be used outdoors also).
  • Keeping it simple often works well.

Simple. With just one or two flashes and a modern cameera you can produce excellent work. (Once you know how it all works, and that is we come in!)

 

Simple outdoors portraits recipe

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When I do outdoor portraits, I often use big flashes, softboxes, light stands, and umbrellas. But sometimes, like today when I was shooting baseball kid portraits all day, I use just a camera, a lens and a simple on-camera flash.

Unmodified, on-camera flash? Surely that is anathema to what a pro does?

Nope – not necessarily. When conditions are right, you can do this, and get well-lit portraits.

The following example, which shows this, has a less-than-ideal background, but I was just testing my light. Here’s photographer Ray:

To shoot a portrait like this (or rather, to shoot 500-odd of them, as I did today), I do the following if the light is changeable.

First, equipment and setting:

  1. If at all possible, find a spot where your subject is out of direct sunlight. Direct sunlight is harsh and horrible. If sunlight is unavoidable, at least turn your subject away from it.
  2. Find a dark, green background (i.e. like above, but without the fence – which you can be assured I did for today’s real shots!).
  3. Use a camera with a lens in the range of 50-150mm.
  4. Use an on-camera external flash, aimed straight at the subject. Since I am mixing with available light, this is allowed.
  5. Make sure I shoot from the subject’s head’s level (I avoid shooting down or up too much).
  6. I try to ensure the flash light the subject’s face. I avoid shadows (from, say, baseball bats, or from hats). I watch carefully for glasses causing reflections.

Now to the camera settings. I now usually:

  1. Set my white balance to “flash”.
  2. Set my ISO to 200 (as a starting point).
  3. Set my camera to shutter-speed priority mode.
  4. Select 1/200th second
  5. Set my exposure compensation to -1 stop, as a starting point.
  6. Now I aim and focus. I check the aperture chosen by the camera. I want something around f/5.0-f/6.3. If I get too small a number, say below f/4.0, then I lower the shutter speed – all the way to 1/60th second if I have to – and if that is not enough, I increase the ISO. If I get too large a number, say above f/7.0, I increase the shutter to the maximum sync speed (1/200th-1/250th second on most cameras) and then decrease the ISO if I can.

Now take a test shot and see. Adjust as needed. I regularly keep checking my aperture. And if the background gets too bright or dark: well, exposure compensation will adjust the background’s brightness.

Notes:

  • On a Nikon camera, be careful: exposure compensation will also alter your flash brightness (for some odd reason only known to Nikon engineers), so unless you want this, you may need to apply opposite flash compensation (e.g. when using -1 exposure compensation to lower the background’s brightness, you may want+1 flash compensation to keep the flash the same).
  • On a Nikon, also ensure you know whether you have “TTL” or “TTL-BL” selected on the back of your flash.
  • On any camera, since you are using TTL, i.e. the auto flash mode, use flash compensation as needed. Darker subject: you may need to go down. Lighter subject: go up. See yesterday’s post!

Why Shutter-Speed priority (S/Tv)?

Because outdoors light can change drastically from moment to moment. Indeed, I prefer to use manual, if light is consistent. In that case instead of exposure compensation. I use the meter and set my ISO, shutter and aperture such that the meter indicates -1 stop, then test and adjust as needed.

Here’s Ray doing what I am talking about here:

So that’s a lot of stuff to watch!

Yes, it’s a lot of work, and it requires a good understanding of exposure and what regulates it (I know some good courses – just sayin’).

And I see a lot of parents take their children’s snaps. Invariably, they fail to use their flash, which leads to poorly lit photos. Even before you do formal training, you now know better – now go practice.

 

CQ CQ CQ

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Yes, I have hobbies, too. Like this:

Michael Willems VA3MVW (Photo: Michael Willems)

Yup, I am a licensed radio amateur, VA3MVW. That’s me a little while ago this evening, on a QSO (a call) with another amateur or two elsewhere in the world.

I used a wide angle lens (see yesterday’s post), and I lit this self-portrait with a flash. Bounced, using TTL. Wide angle to get those wonderful diagonals. I was holding the camera in my other hand, and had the camera select a focus point – I seldom do that but in this case it makes sense, since no-one is looking through the camera.

But I did not use just one flash. That would give me this:

Station VA3MVW (Photo: Michael Willems)

Nothing wrong with that. But I wanted to give the picture more dimension, more modelling, more of a live feel. Like this – compare the tables’ legs:

Station VA3MVW (Photo: Michael Willems)

Or even more:

Station VA3MVW (Photo: Michael Willems)

I used a 580EX flash on the camera, bounced behind me, and two off-camera  430EX flashes, each equipped with a Honl Gel (one greenish and one yellowish – some of the artistic colours I really like) attached to a Honl Photo speed strap.

I often add a splash of colour. Instead of this:

I happen to like this:

Now look again at the image on the top, and you will see the same orange-like colour (left) and blue-like colour (right) – subtle but it is there.

A little colour adds a lot, methinks. And with small speedlights, a little knowledge, and simple flash modifiers, this takes mere seconds to shoot.

 

What a difference a stop makes.

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Shoot a late evening scene the “normal” way – auto white balance and exposed for a bright scene:

And now shoot it with shade or daylight white balance, and exposed by two thirds to a stop less:

…and you will see a huge difference. Now, do not get me wrong: it is OK to feel that one way is right, or the other way, or even a way in between. What I want you to realize, though, is that a slight exposure difference can make a huge difference in the image.

Lower exposure accentuates and saturates colours, like the red in this image, and makes skies visible rather than detail-less white.

This is why you should think of exposure as a valuable tool rather than as a hassle. And why you should always shoot RAW, so that you can make adjustments later. Not that you would plan to do that – you should pklan to get it right in the camera – but it cannot hurt to at least have the option.

 

Colour Combos

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Using colour in your photos can make a dramatic difference – if you use it well. Three tips for you today in that regard:

Use opposing colours to add interest. Yellow and Blue is such a pair of opposing colours. Red and Green, another one. Whenever you see yellow, ask “could there be blue anywhere to contrast with this?”. Ditto for red and green. Or create your own by using flashes and gels.

Use all three primaries. Images look impressive when you have saturated reds, greens and blues in the same photo.

Saturate. By not mixing with white light, you are saturating your colours. Mixing with other white light decreases the saturation, which is why overexposing makes an image look “washed out”.

Use beautiful complementary colours – colours that go well together, like purple and green:

Simple tips that can greatly enhance the colour quality in your photographs. Sometimes, things really are simple.

 

Direct the light

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Following up from my post the other day about simple light. Remember this shot:

As I said, the bounce light was directed so that the subject’s face is lit. That is the key here.

Let me show you what would happen if I did not do that right.

Say I just bounced the flash behind be. That would be “OK”, but no more  than that. The face would look dimensionless – flat, even:

And if I bounced behind me on the left – nowe that would be just plain wrong:

Badly shot (deliberately, and kudos to student Kayleigh for allowing me to demonstrate on her!)

Go back and look at all three – see how much better picture one is?

So the essence is: shoot not from your camera’s perspective, but from your subject’s perspective. Decide where the light should be coming from with resepect tou your subject; then direct your light to that point.