Acknowledgments

There is nothingmore satisfying than having the opportunity to shareyour passion with those you love. With this in mind, we extend ourdeepestgratitude tobothHollyKiddandAlexisDeutschmann for theirwillingnesstoputonasmileunderanycondition.Theirparticipationinthemakingofthisbookwasinvaluable.

WealsothankJacob,Ryan,Tara,andJayfortheirsupport—aswellasthemanyInFocusLearningCenter(IFLC)studentswhosequestforthetruth has pushed us along the path to perfecting our own skills andtechniques. This experience has enriched our lives immensely. Thankyouforsharingitwithus.

Copyright©2011byRodandRobinDeutschmann.Allrightsreserved.Allimagesbytheauthorunlessotherwisenoted.

Publishedby:AmherstMedia,Inc.P.O.Box586Buffalo,N.Y.14226Fax:716-874-4508www.AmherstMedia.com

Publisher:CraigAlesseSeniorEditor/ProductionManager:MichellePerkinsAssistantEditor:BarbaraA.Lynch-JohntEditorialAssistancefrom:ChrisGallant,SallyJarzab,JohnS.Loder

ISBN-13:978-1-60895-250-2LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2010904496PrintedinKorea.10987654321

Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,stored,ortransmittedinany form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied,recordedorotherwise,withoutpriorwrittenconsentfromthepublisher.

NoticeofDisclaimer:Theinformationcontainedinthisbookisbasedon

theauthor’sexperienceandopinions.Theauthorandpublisherwillnotbeheldliablefortheuseormisuseoftheinformationinthisbook.

CheckoutAmherstMedia’sblogsat:

http://portrait-photographer.blogspot.com/http://weddingphotographer-amherstmedia.blogspot.com/

TableofContents

AbouttheAuthors

1.AUniqueVision

Epiphany

TheChallenges

SIDEBAR: The Three Secrets to Unlocking Your True Potential as aCreativeFlashPhotographer

StartwiththeBasics

Practice,Practice,Practice—WithWhateverYouOwn

WhattoBuyFirst

SIDEBAR:TheUselessPursuitofthe“Best”Gear

TakingResponbility

GoingBeyondAverage

Tip#1:ChooseaSolidBase

Tip#2:Don’tShootinRAWWhenLearning

TheJourneyAhead

2.GettingaGripontheBasics:ThePop-UpFlash

FromZerotoHero

GettingtoKnowYourFlash

PowerSettings

TheAperture

Flash-SyncSpeed

CuttingtheLight

NeutralDensityFilters

PolarizingFilters

AFewWordsAboutContrastSettings

LightModification

CommercialProducts

Do-It-YourselfModifiers

SIDEBAR:BreakingtheRules

MakingYourOwnPop-UpDiffuser

MakingYourOwnScatterbox

Close-UpWorkwiththePop-UpScatterbox

SIDEBAR:KeyPointsforChapterTwo

3.ExternalFlash

PumpingUptheVolume

PowerSettingsandAngleofCoverage

High-SpeedFlashSync

LightModifiers

Must-HaveModifiers:ASoftboxandaSnoot

SIDEBAR:BuyWhatYouNeed

MakingYourOwnModifiers

ModificationProblems

BounceFlash

TheImportanceofaPolarizer

AMessage-BuildingProcess

SIDEBAR:UsingYourFlashatNight

SIDEBAR:KeyPointsforChapterThree

4.TheWiredApproach

BeginningAgain

SIDEBAR:You’reReadyforThis!

SIDEBAR:TakingControl

SupportingtheFlash

CommunicationIssues

APCConnection

ATTLConnection

SkiptheFlashBracket

ChangingtheAngleoftheFlash

FeatheringtheFlash

TieringYourFlash

ModificationOptions

SIDEBAR:KeepYourEyesOpen

SIDEBAR:KeyPointsforChapterFour

5.TheWirelessApproach

CommunicationThroughtheAir

RadioTriggering

OpticalTriggering

Support

Modification

SIDEBAR:KeyPointsforChapterFive

6.TakingtheNextStep

GearInventory

PocketBouncer

QuikBounce

ProMaxSystem

Snoot

BigBounce

MiniSoftbox

SoftboxIII

SoftScreen

CinchStrap

HotShoeEzyBoxSoftboxKit

LongEzyBoxHotShoeExtendingHandle

CactusWirelessFlashTriggerSetV4

Dedicated(TTL)FlashCords

SyncCords

OpticalSlaves

ConnectorsandAdaptors

Index

R

AbouttheAuthors

odandRobinDeutschmannhavebeen teachingpeople tobe artistswith their cameras for years. Taking a practical approach to modernphotography, the duo strips the nonsense from the facts and the hypefrom the truth.Theybelieve that creativity lies in theartist’s soul andnothiscamerabag.Toutingtheadvantagesofmanualcontrol,theyoffera fresh view of photography that rebels against the norm. Theirinnovativeapproachanddown-to-earthstylehavegarneredthemaloyalfollowingofSouthernCaliforniaphotographers.InbookslikeOff-CameraFlash Photography andMultiple Flash Photography (both from AmherstMedia), they are now bringing their unique vision and perspective toeveryone.RodandRobinareaward-winning,fine-artphotographersandindividual recipientsof a2007Thomas JeffersonAward.Visit thematwww.facebook.com/IFLCSanDiego.

RodDeutschmann.

RobinDeutschmann.

P

1.AUniqueVisionCreatingartwithaflashhaslittletodowiththeflashitself.It’smore

abouttheartistandhisdeterminationtobringauniquevisiontolife.

hotography is not about capturing how something looks, it’s aboutsharing with others how that “something” makes you feel. It’s aboutexpressing an emotion and creating a feeling. The flash is simply onetool(ofmany)thatallowsittohappen.

Epiphany

Therearecertaininstancesineveryphotographer’slifethatprovemoreimportant than others—things we remember as turning points in ourcareers.Theseusuallyhavenothingtodowithanyphotoswe’vetaken.Rather,theyrevolvearoundaspecificmomentintimewhenourvisionasanartistexpanded.

Usually,ourfirstepiphanycomeswhenwetakefullmanualcontrolofourcameraandrealize that“auto-anything”can’tgetus the imageweenvision.Thesecondcomesthefirsttimeweaddlightwithaflash.Thisenlighteningmoment shines as a beacon to our creative soul, lighting

the way to true artistic freedom. Adding flash gives you choices. Ifsomething isdark,youcanchange it. If something ismoving fast,youcanfreezeit.Ifyourmessage—therealreasonforraisingyourcamerainthefirstplace—ishiddeninshadow,youcanilluminateit.

Usually, our first epiphany comeswhenwe take fullmanualcontrolofourcamera.

Thisispowerfulstuffthatwillchangeyourphotographyforever.Youcannowgointoanysituationwithconfidenceanddirection,nolongerhavingtohuntforthebestlighting.Ifit’snotthere,youcanjustmakeityourself.Nolongerwillyouhavetorunfromtheshadowsorsettleforsecondbest.Withflash,youareinchargeofthewaytheworldislit.Ifyoudon’tlikeit,youcanfixit.

Asingleoff-cameraflashwascalledintoplay,itsusedictatedbynecessity.Thedaywas

coldandslightlyovercast.Thephotographer,wantingtocreateadramaticrepresentationofwhatwas before him, began by dialing in the aperture, shutter speed, contrast, andwhite-balance settings that best illustrated his vision. He started with his background,takinglightawaytobringoutthemood.Thishadtheconsequenceofsendinghismodelintodarknessaswell.Theflashwasthencalledupontofixtheproblem.Itspower,angleof view, and directionwere alsomanually adjusted. Keep inmind that the creation ofphotographicartcannotbedonewithanautomatedapproach.The image looksnothinglike how the scene appeared. That “normal” view is all the automatic settings (asillustratedintheimagetotheleft)couldhavedelivered.

Toomanypeoplebelieveaflashisusedsimplytoeliminateshadows.Ifthatwasthecase,thenthe imageat thetopof thispagewouldnotexist.Asshowninthis image,shotonauto,thenatural lightingwasquiteflat.This iswherethevisionofanartistcomesintoplay.Thephotographerenvisionedsomethingdifferentthanwhatwasinfrontofhim;hethensimplyneededatooltomakeithappen.

Tenacityandcouragecanonlytakeyousofar.Ifyoucan’tvisualizehowsomethingcouldlook,youwon’thaveanythingtoshootfor.Thebestadvicewecangivetonewandeagerflashstudentsistosimplythinkoutsideoftheworldwheretheylive.Imaginesomethingdifferentandtrytomakeithappen.Theseimagesillustratenotonlythepowertheflashhasonlightingasubject,butalsoitsabilitytoilluminateanidea.

Adding lightwitha flash is aprettyboldmove; adding illuminationwill most certainly change the way the world appears. And don’t bediscouragedifyouinitiallyfindyourselfwithhorriblyoverexposedandunfocusedpictures.Makingthesemistakes—bright,colorful,andstaringyouintheface—ishowyouwillgrowasanartist.Allyouneedtodoislearnfromthem.

Adding light will also alter your perception of reality; you’ll seeextremesthatotherscan’t.You’lllookatthebackgroundasasourceofinspiration,notjustadistraction,knowingthatyoucanlightitanywayyouwant.Youcanmake thebackgroundappeardarker thannormal—andwith that decisionmade, add light to the foreground, giving yourmessageanunbelievablesenseofpowerandauthority.

In short, becoming comfortable with using a flash will quickly takeyou beyond creating “average” photos; it will free you to see what’sreallypossible.Andyourcreativitywon’tbetheonlythingthatisfreed;unlike thosewithbags fullofgear,you’ll alsobe free to travel light—unencumbered and ready to respond or create at a moment’s notice.

There is no lengthy setup time when using just one flash. You won’trequirespecialsupports,bags,orhugemodificationtools—it’sjustyou,yourcamera,andyourflash.Soundlikefun?

Adding light will also alter your perception of reality; you’ll seeextremesthatotherscan’t.

TheChallenges

Flashphotographycanbeacomplicatedprocess;fornewphotographers,itisoftentrickyandunforgivingatbest.Whenfacedwiththeapparentcomplexity of the issue,many shy away; theydecide to abandon theiroriginalvisionandsimplydealwiththesituationthebesttheycan.TheymayraisetheirISO,rollthediceandshootwithaslowershutterspeed,or simply take a dark photo and then try to “fix” it later in theircomputer.

Apositiveattitudeisthemostimportantingredientwhenlearningtobeacreativeflashphotographer—that,andabunchofextrabatteries,ofcourse.

You’llbegainingexperience,yourvisionwillgrow,andyourphotoswillshinebecauseofit.

Thereisnoshortcuttoartisticexpressionandcreativecontrol.PickingashootingmodeoraddingafilteredeffectlaterinAdobePhotoshopisnotartisticexpression.Ifanything,itstiflesyourabilitytovisualizeandmakesyoudependentonothers—whenallyoureallywantistoexpressyourself.Ifyou’reseriousaboutwantingtobeanartistwithyourcameraand flash, then learn to shoot manually. Creativity is not a camera“mode,”andyoucan’tuseacomputertofixyourpoorjudgement.

If you never push yourself—if you never accept a challenge—you’llnever discover anything new. Learning to use a flashwell takes time,patience, and determination. Yes, it can take a while to master. Yes,you’llbeshootinga lotofreallybadphotosbeforethegoodonesstartflowing.Butthroughitall,you’llbegainingexperience,yourvisionwillgrow,andyourphotoswillshinebecauseofit.Flashphotographyisnothard; it’s just an option—an option that every serious photographershouldmaster.

TheThreeSecretstoUnlockingYourTruePotentialasaCreativeFlashPhotographer

1.Beinfullmanualcontrolofyourcameraandflash.Nexttoyourimaginationandexperience,yourtoolsareprettyimportantwhencreatingagraphicmessage.It’sbesttoknowtheminsideandout;whenproblemsarise—andtheywill—you

havetounderstandallofyouroptions,includingthosethathavenothingtodowiththeflashunititself.Ifyouhaven’tlearnedtogomanual,doit.Withoutthebasicsfirmlyunderstood,youwillfallshortofyourgoals.

2.Knowwhyyouareaddinglightinthefirstplace.Everyphotographerneedsagoal,areasontoaddlightinthefirstplace.Visualizetheendresult,thenkeepworkinguntilyouhaveit.Then,andonlythen,exploreotherpossibilities.

3.Bewillingtolearnfromyourmistakes.Don’tgiveupwhenthingsgethard.Theexperiencethatyourbadimagesoffershelpsyoutogrowasanartist.Revelinyourmistakesasmuchasyoudoyoursuccesses.UseyourLCDmonitorasaguide,thenmakewhateveradjustmentsareneededtoproducetheresultsyoudesire.

StartwiththeBasics

Toadd light creatively, you simplyneed a reason todo it, a tool thatallows it to happen, and thewherewithal tomake itwork. If you arepreparedtotakeresponsibilityforyourimages,thisisnotacomplicatedprocess. You simply recognize when natural light options fail andemployaflashtoeventheodds.

Todo thiswell, tobereallycreativewitha flash,youneed tobe infullmanualcontrolofyourequipment.Thisisahardnuttocrack,butit’s anecessity for the artist in searchofmeaning.Nothing creative in

photography has ever been accomplished in an automatic setting. Amachinecan’tthink,alenscan’tcompose,andasensor—nomatterhowmuchmoney youmight have spent on it—can’t possibly pick the bestlight for yourmessage. (Note: Believe it or not every bad photographyou’veever takenreallywasyour fault; themachinewas simplydoingwhatyoutoldittodo.Evenwhenshootinginthepureautomaticmode,thecameraissimplyfollowingasetofpredeterminedoptionsthatwerechosenbyyouwhenyoupickedthemodetoshootin.)

Ifyouhaven’tmasteredthebasicsofphotographyyet,nowwouldbethetime.Thereisnouseintryingtoaddlightifyoucan’tcontrolwhat’sin front of you first. You don’t want to be worried about basicmechanical issues when confronted with the complex scenarios thatrequireaflash.Youhavetobeabletomovequickly,makingdecisions,weighing options, and visualizing an end result. You can’t be boggeddown by the basics. You need to be confident in your own abilitiesbeforeyoucanstartbeingcreativewithaflash.

Toadd light creatively, you simply need a reason to do it, a toolthatallowsittohappen,andthewherewithaltomakeitwork.

Practice,Practice,Practice—WithWhateverYouOwn

Evenifyouhaven’tboughtaflashyet,there’snoexcusenottopractice.Mostphotographersalreadyhaveaflashwithwhichtheycanpractice—a flash that is built right into the camera. The pop-up flash, whiledenounced by most professional photographers, is actually quite a

valuable tool. When controlled well, it can produce some very niceimages. Sure, it has its limitations, but it’s still a light source and canilluminate your ideas wonderfully. It can also be used as a trainingdevice to prepare you for your first external flash unit. In the nextchapter,we’ll be divingdeep into the pop-up flash andwhat it offers.We’llexplorehowtoadjustitsphysicalandapparentpoweroutputandhowtomodifyit.

WhattoBuyFirst

Once you’ve mastered the pop-up, obviously you’ll want an externalflash. Ifyoudon’talreadyhaveone, letyourbudgetbeyourguide.Aswetellourstudents,thebestflashistheonewiththefreshestbatteries.

Otherthanaflash,thereisn’tawholelottobuy.Sure,therearesomeimportant options and really fun toys to play with (light stands,communicationdevices,modificationtools)—butthebasicgearinvolvesyou, your camera and your flash. When you’re ready to move on toaccessories,you’llknowit.

Thekeytosuccess(andkeepingyoursanity)istonotbuyeverythingallatonce.Takethisjourneyinstepsandbuyonlywhatyouneed,whenyouneedit.Eachtoolyoupurchasewillhaveaspecificpurpose.Ifyoudon’tknowwhatthatis,don’tbuythetool.Thereisagoodchanceyoumay never need it and there is nothing worse than camera gear thatdoesn’tgetused.

Youwillbefacedwithaplethoraofoptionswhenyoufirstbuyaflash,includingmodificationdevices(suchasthesoftboxpicturedhere),supportoptions,andcommunicationtools.It’sbesttoavoidbuyinganythinguntilyouknowexactlywhyyouneedit.

—Theadditionof light isnotahard thing; recognizewhatneeds lightandadd it.Howmuchlighttoadd,whatangleitshouldcomefrom,howtheflashshouldbetriggered,andwhat itwill sit upon are tougher questions—and they need to be answered. In the topphoto, no flash was used. In the bottom photo, a simple off-camera flash was pointeddirectlyatoursubject.Theflashwassettofullpowerandthelightremainedunmodified.The flash was sitting on a light stand and was triggered using an inexpensive radio-transmittersystem.

TheUselessPursuitofthe“Best”Gear

TheUselessPursuitofthe“Best”Gear

Museumsandgalleriesarefullofimagesthatwerenotshotwiththe“best” lens, flash, camera, or electronic sensor. Those images aregreatnotbecauseofwhattheywereshotwithbutbecauseofwhatthey contain—heart, vision, and a story. These images reflect theartist’s passion and strength. They highlight his courage to pushbeyondthe“expected”imageandoffersomethingdifferent.

Anartistdoesn’tjusttakepicturesofthings,hecreatesamessage—andthetoolsheusestogetthatmessageacross(believeitornot)don’t matter. Whatever works, works. If someone tells yousomethingdifferent,theyareprobablytryingtosellyousomething.Spendingyourlifeintheuselesspursuitoftheworld’s“best”gearisa fool’s errand; therewill always be a bettermachine around thecorner. Besides, all of that time spent worrying could be spentlearning. So stop examining and start experimenting. Get outsideandshoot.

TakingResponsibility

New photographers usually point their camera at a subject and shoot,hoping that their gear is good enough to take a pretty picture.Whentheir images lackpowerorpunch, theysimplybuyadifferentcamera.Theybelievethehype—theygoformoremegapixels,expensive lenses,andfasterprocessors.Theylookforthebestsensorand“cleanest”lens.Theyevenbelievethatacomputerprogramcancleanuptheirmessandtransform a broken image into something wonderful. They will buy

whatevertheycantoavoidfailure.

Whenaseasonedphotographermakesamistake,however,hedoesn’tblamehisequipment.Hecanadmittosomeofthefaultfortheerror.Hesimplylooksathismonitorandseeswhat’swrong.Ifhisdepthoffieldislacking, he adjusts his aperture. If his perspective is off, he movesforward or back. If his composition is weak, he looks closer at thegraphic elements in front of him andmakes some real decisions as totheirplacement. Ifhis lighting isoff,hefixes it.Heknowsthathecancorrectmostproblemswiththeadditionoflight.Soheemploysaflashand starts pumping light into his messages. Not only do his imagesimprove but his focus on artistic expression begins to shine. He’s nolongersimplytakingpictures,he’screatingart.

Anartistbeginswithhisbackground,dialingintheexposurethatbestmakesitsing.Here,a darker-than-usual background was decided upon. Using manual controls, thephotographer simply adjusted his aperture and shutter speed to make it happen. Theconsequenceof thischoicewasadarker-than-usual foregroundsubjectaswell.Thiswas

fixedwiththeadditionoflight—heldbyanassistant.Theflashpowerwasadjustedtothephotographer’staste.

Thekeytothattransformationwashisacceptanceofresponsibility.Asaphotographer,youhavetotakethisuponyourselfifyoueverwanttogrowasanartist. If yourpicture isbad, it’sbecauseof somethingyoudid.

Going Beyond “Average.” Your camera and flash, when in anautomaticmode,havebeendesignedtogiveyouaverage(or“normal”)images—butthereisnothingaverageornormalaboutanartist’svision.If a photographer relies on automatic settings, his life and his imageswillberiddledwithmediocrity.Nothingcreativehasevercomefromacamera or flash set to automatic. Once again, leave the automaticsettingsbehindandfocusonyourownexperienceandskills—insteadofjustanothersubject.“Average”and“normal”arenothingtoaspireto.

Tip #1: Choose a Solid Base. Long ago, the InternationalOrganizationofStandardization (ISO)createda formulabywhich filmmanufacturers could “rate” their film based on its sensitivity to light.Lower ISO films (50, 100, 200)were less sensitive to light than thosethat were rated higher. This allowed photographers a choice.We stillmaintain this choice; each digital camera gives you the option ofchanging its ISOsetting.While thisadjustmentdoesnothingphysicallytothesensor,itdoesaskthecameratomathematicallyaltertheimageproduced,addingortakingawayapparentlight.Whenlearningtouseaflash,it’sbesttochooseasinglesettingandgettoknowitwell(suchasISO100,200,or400).Thelastthingyouwantistosetyourcameraon“automatic ISO.” An artist must have some sort of reliable base fromwhichtoworkwhenaddinglightwithaflash.It’simpossibletoforecasta

result (gainexperience) if your cameraconstantlyadjusts theapparentsensitivity of your sensor.Our advice is to choose a numbered settingandgettoknowthatwell.

Here,boththecameraandflashweresettoautomatic.Asyoucansee,thisrenderedthescenejustasitappeared—flatandboring.Thereisnodrama.

Usingmanualcontrol,thephotographercreatedwhathesawinhisheart.Hethenforcedhis cameraand flash todohisbidding, creatingan image that reflectedhisvision—notjusttheworldaroundhim.

Themodificationofyourexternalflashisaverypersonalthing—andnoonetoolwillbeperfectforeveryoccasion.Manypeopleenjoythechallengeofmakingthesemodificationdevices themselves. In theabove images,yousee theuseofahomemadesnootand theeffectsitcreates.

Tip#2:Don’tShootinRAWWhenLearning.WefindthatshootingintheRAWformatoffersourstudentsanexcusenottoconcentrateonsome very vital parts of message-building. Shooting RAW files offersthemameansofcorrectingtheirimagesafterthefact,weakeningtheir

resolveandgivingthemanexcusefornotcreatingaperfectimagewhilein the field. As their instructors, that’s not something we want tohappen. Instead,weaskour students tomakemistakesand learn fromthemwhile in the field—to fix things immediately and do everythingmanually. (This, as you can imagine, also eliminatesmost of the timespentatthecomputer—anaddedbonus!)

Admittedly,thisisadifferentapproach,butit’sonethatworkswell.Ithelps our students become the artists they want to be, carefully andconsciouslydialing-intheirownwhite-balance,contrast,saturation,hue,andsharpnesssettingsbefore theycreatetheirmessage. If theyweretoshootinRAW,thoseimportantoptionswouldbeputonholduntiltheygothome.Whendoyouthinkyou’remoreintouchwithhowsomethingmakesyoufeel—whenit’srightinfrontofyouorafewdayslater,whenyou’resittingathomeinfrontofacomputer?

TheJourneyAhead

Whathappensnext is exciting.Anamazingworldof optionswill soonunfold—sowillalternativesyou’veneverseenandchoicesyou’veneverimagined. You will learn to anticipate the impossible and demandperfection.Flashphotographywillchangewhoyouareasapersonandwhatyouexpecttocaptureasanartist.

Withenoughpractice,theadditionoflightwillhappenquickly—nomatterwhattypeofcamerayou choose touse.Thekey is allowingyourself to fail—thenpush forward andlearnfromeachmistake.

ByshootinginJPEG,notRAW,ourstudentsgarneraninsightintorealmessage-building.Without the “crutch” of postproduction, they are forced to contend with their ownweaknesses.Themoremistakestheymake,themoretheylearnwhileinthefield.

2.GettingaGripontheBasics:ThePop-UpFlash

With enough practice and understanding, the lessons learned whenusing your pop-up flashwill blossom into a field of alternatives thathavetobeseen(andphotographed)tobebelieved.

FromZerotoHero

Flashphotographyischallenging.Nolongerareyoujustfindingthebestlight foryourmessage,nowyou’re intentionallycreating it—takingonetierofgraphicinformationandmakingitbrighterthananother.

Muchofwhatyouneedtoknowaboutflashphotographycanbelearnedfrompracticingwith your camera’s pop-up flash. Power settings, aperture considerations, and flash-to-subjectdistanceallhavetobeaccountedforandadjustedtoyourtaste—evenwhenusingsuchasmalllightsource.Togetasmuchasyoucanfromtheexperience,it’sbesttobeinfullmanualcontrolofyourcameraandflash.Ifyouhaven’tmasteredthecontrolsforyourpop-up,it’stimetodigoutthemanual.Thephotographersshowninthisimage,andtheoneontheright,aretrainingwithaLumiQuestpop-upflashdiffuser,asmallmodificationtoolthatsitsonthephotographer’scamera.—Thecamera’sLCDmonitorgivesyouinstantaccess to yourmistakes, allowing you to grow as an artist at an exponential rate—onemistakeleadstoadifferentdecision,whichthenproducesanotherresult.

Inthetopphoto(madewithoutflash),anapertureoff/8andashutterspeedof1/100secondwerechosen.Thebackgroundislitwell,butoursubjectislostinshadow.Choosingaslowershutterspeedresultsinoursubject being lit well but the background being too bright (middlephoto). This is not a contrast problem; it’s a tonal issue. The gapbetweenbrightanddarkistoogreatforaninternalcontrastadjustment

tofix.It’stimetoaddsomelight.Returningtothefastershutterspeedandaddinglightfromthecamera’spop-upflash(withthepowersettingadjustedtotaste)resultedinabetterimage.

(Note:Atierofgraphicinformationisanygroupingofgraphicelements—lines,shapes,colors,patterns,andtones—thatspeakasoneunit.Thiscouldbeabuilding,a tree,ahouse,aperson,car, flower,ora fence.)Thistakesguts,thistakesnerve…andittakesasolidunderstandingof

theequipmentyouown.Wesuggeststartingwithyourcamera’sbuilt-inpop-upflash.

—Most flashes, including your built-in pop-up flash, allow you tomanually adjust the physical flash output. This is usually done inincrements,whichvarybycameraandflashmanufacturer.Gettoknowwhatyour flashoffers.These images illustrate thevarious“degrees”oflightingofferedbyastandardpop-upflash.

Try taking a few test shots—with the sole purpose of figuring outhowmuchpowertheflashoffers.

GettingtoKnowYourFlash

Aswithanynewtool,it’simportanttogetafeelforwhatthisoneoffers.The pop-up flash is powerful and can emit a burst of light that willbrighteneventhedarkestshadow—aslongasthatshadowisfairlyclosetothephotographer.Obviously,thereisarangeissuewhenusingsuchasmallflash;it’snotgoingtomakeitacrossasoccerorfootballfield,butit can light up most everything close to the photographer—plants,people,cars,pets,andbabiestomentiononlyafew.

Using it wellmeansmore than just turning it on and pointing it atsomething nearby. There are power issues, diffusion options, anddistance equations that must be thought of—each being just asimportantastheother.Thenicethingistheseflashoptionswillremainthe same nomatter what type of flash you use. Everything you learnwith your pop-up flash can be transferred to yourworkwith externalflash,whetherit’sattacheddirectlytoyourcameraornot.Everylessonlearned here becomes a valuable resource and will give you theexperienceandconfidencetopushonwithyourflashphotography.

Power Settings. Begin by reading about your pop-up flash in yourmanual.Learnhow tomanuallyadjust itspower settings.Often,you’llbeaffordedtheopportunitytovaryitsoutputdramatically.Eachcamerawill have different ways to do this—and some are easier to find thanothers.Usuallyit’sjustafewclicksandmenusaway.

Trytakingafewtestshots—withthesolepurposeoffiguringouthowmuchpowertheflashoffers.Keepthingsconfinedandthenaturallightat a minimum. Use just the flash, turning it to full power and thenslowly dropping the output. Your aperture and shutter should remainconstant.Somecamerasoffertheabilitytoadjusttheflashpowersettingfromfullpower(1/1)allthewaydownto1/128power.

Variablepowersettingsarealsosomethingyoushouldlookforwhenpurchasinganyadditional(muchstronger)externalflashesunits.Thesewill usually allow for the same type of power adjustments, using thesamenomenclature(1/1[full]to1/128)power.Keepinmind,though,

that not all external flashes offer the same thing.Many give far fewerpowersettingstochoosefromandsomemaynotofferanyatall.

Youcanalsousea reflector toadd light toa subject.Relatively inexpensive,a reflectorwill kick back a certain amount of light if it’s placed correctly. Usually, this requireshavinganassistantoranextralightstandavailable.

In your test shots, take note that a lowered power output does notnecessarily soften or diffuse the light the flash is producing. It simplycuts thedistance it travels.To trulymodify the light,youwillneed toreflectitoffofasurfaceorputsomethinginbetweenitandthesubject;thiswillbecoveredlaterinthechapter.

TheAperture

There is only oneway to directly affect the actual power output fromyour flash: adjusting the power setting of the flash itself. There are,however,severalwaysofadjustingtheapparentoutputofanyflash.Youcan alter the light directly by attaching various light modifiers thatenlarge, contract, and diffuse it; you can adjust the physical distancebetweenyourflashandwhatit’shitting;oryoucansimplychangethesize of the aperture you are using. By shrinking or enlarging theaperture, the opening through which light passes on its way to yourcamera’s sensor, you can give a “boost” to any flash—or strip its

effectivenesscompletely.

Witha largeropening (smallerFnumbers), themajorityof the lightyouarecreatingmakes it toyour sensor. Ifyouusea smalleropening(largerFnumbers),lesslighthitsitsmark.Imagineyouaretryingtofillupagascanwithafunnelovertheopening;nomatterhowmuchgasyoudumpoverthecan,onlyasmallportionwillevermakeitthroughthefunnel.It’sthesameaswhenusingaflashbutshootingwithasmallaperture;thelightisbeingproduced,it’sjustnotgettingwhereitneedstogo.

When smaller apertures are used, the photographer needs toremembertoincreasethephysicaloutputofhisflashtocompensateforthis apparent loss. The problem for photographers using their pop-upflash is that it doesn’t produce thatmuch light tobeginwith—makingthechoiceofverysmallaperturesnearlyimpossible.Ofcourse,therearealways exceptions. If your subject is extremely close to the flash, thenyoumay still have enough apparent power to lightwhatever it is youwant. (And remember: this flash is still harsh and unmodified; if youdecidetomodifyit,thatwillfurtherdecreasetheapparentoutput.)

Theapertureandshutter speedwerechosen, first, togarner thebackground light (top).Thepop-upflashwasthenaddedtoilluminatethemodel(middle).Finally,thelightwasmodifiedwithapop-upflashdiffusertosoftentheoutput(bottom).

Flash-SyncSpeed

Flash-sync speed is an important concept tounderstand right from thestart—evenwhenusingthepop-upflash.Mostcamerastodayuseafocalplane shutter. This shutter is made of two blades (or “curtains”) thatfollow each other when the shutter button is depressed. The gapbetween the twoblades is determinedby the shutter speed chosen.Atslower shutter speeds, this gap is large (often as wide as the sensoritself). At faster shutter speeds, this gap becomes quite small (smallerthan the sensor itself). At these faster shutter speeds, the image iscapturedonthesensorasthenarrowslitbetweenthebladesmovesfromoneendoftheframetotheother(usuallyhorizontally).Thinkofitasifthecameraisscanningtheareainfrontofyou.Thefastestshutterspeed

atwhichthegapencompassestheentiresensoriscalledyourflash-syncspeed. At this shutter speed (or below), the entire sensor cansimultaneouslybeexposedby the light fromyour flash. Ifyouwere toshootatanyspeed faster than this,however, theburst light fromyourflashwouldn’thiteverythingwithintheframe;partoftheframewouldbehiddenbytherearshutterblade.

To find your camera’s flash-sync speed, simply adjust your shutterspeed to its highest setting (either 1/4000 or 1/8000 second) andactivate your pop-up flash.The shutter speednowgiven is your flash-syncspeed;typically,itwillbe1/250secondorslower.

For pop-up flashwork, the camerawill not allow you to adjust theshutter speed past this point. What you should be concerned with,however, is your loss of options. By employing the pop-up flash, youlimittheshutterspeedsyoucanapply.Forexample,imagineyouchosea large aperture to blur a background and that decision rendered ashutter speed of 1/1000 second. Employing the pop-up flash wouldmakeyouroriginalvisionimpossible;thecamerawouldslowtheshutterspeed to the flash-sync speed, letting in way too much light. Mostphotographers would simply compromise their vision and reduce thesizeoftheaperture.Luckily,however,thereareotherwaystoeliminateexcesslight—withoutevertouchingtheaperture.

CuttingtheLight

Asanartist,youshouldnevercompromiseonyourvision—especiallyifallyouneedislesslight.

Neutral Density Filters. Through the use of several neutral-densityfilters, you can easily strip an image of light without changing theaperture. A neutral-density filter is a small piece of glass that screwsonto the front element of your lens. These filters come in differentdensitiesandcanbestackedone-upon-anotheruntilthedesiredamountoflightistakenaway.Neutraldensityfiltersareinexpensiveandshouldbeineveryartist’scamerabag.Notonlydotheyallowyoutokeepyouraperturewhereyouwant it, but theyalsogiveyouawayof strippingambientlightandshootingwithslowshutterspeedsonpurpose.Bearinmind,however,thatthiswillhavesomeeffectontheapparentoutputofyour flash, so you may have to increase the power setting tocompensate.

Neutraldensityfiltersareonewayofcuttingexcesslightfromanimage.Theycomeinavarietyofdensitiesandfiltersizes.

The cross-polarizing technique is a highly effective method of eliminating excess lightfromanimage.

Youcanalso employa classic “darkening” trick that requires twolinearpolarizers.

Polarizing Filters. You can also employ a classic “darkening” trickthatrequirestwolinearpolarizers.Simplystacktwotogetherandattachthem to your lens. Then, turn the bottom polarizer to eliminate anyexcess glare and rotate the top polarizer to eliminate ambient light asneeded.Thiscross-polarizationtechniqueworkslikeacharm,givingyouavariableneutraldensitythatyouhavetoputintoactiontobelieve.

Justaswhenusingtheneutraldensityfilters,youmayhavetoadjustthe physical power output of your flash to offset the apparent loss offlash power when this technique is used. You will also have to be incompletemanualcontrolofyourcameraandflashforthistricktowork

—andyouhavetousethecorrectpolarizers.Inourexperience,onlytwolinear polarizers work; crossing a circular and linear or two circularpolarizerswill not give thedesired effect.Usually all youwill get is avery pretty color shift—which is useless when you want to spin yourwaytodarkness.

AFewWordsAboutContrastSettings

Shadowsareanormalpartof life. It’swrongtothinkthatyouneedto“fill” thesewith light all the time.As a creative photographer, part ofyourmessage-buildingprocessistoadjustthecamera’sinternalcontrastsettings before you take your picture. This, when coupled with theexpert use of a polarizer,will usually take care of any heavy contrastpresent and “illuminate” anything that might be hidden by a peskyshadow. If youhaven’t playedwith this cameraoption,nowwouldbethetime.Useit,insteadofyourflash,thenexttimeyou’reatthebeachorinthesnow.Youwillbeshockedatwhatitoffers.

Here is an example of what’s offered through the use of the camera’s built-in contrastoptions.The first imagereflects thehighestcontrastsettingavailable.Themiddlephotoreflectsanaveragechoice,whilethefinalshotshowswhathappenswhenalowsettingisapplied.

—Did you know that a flash isn’t always needed just because a shadow “seems” to behiding detail? Often, this issue can be dealt with by simply adjusting the in-cameracontrastsetting.Thebelow-leftimageshowswhathappenswhenthecamera’scontrastisadjusted to its medium (or normal) setting. The below-right image illustrates whathappenswhenapolarizerisusedwhileonthissetting(noticetheglarehasdisappeared).Theimageonthefacingpageshowsthecombinedresultoftheproperuseofapolarizerandalowerinternalcontrastsetting.Therereallywasnoneedtoaddflashtothisimage,eventhoughitwasshotatthebeachinthemiddleofabright,sunnyday.

LightModification

Lightfromapop-upflashcanbeharshwhenpointeddirectlyatasceneorsubject.Glarewillbeyournemesis.Thisisdueinparttothefactthatthelightbeginsverysmall.Lookatthephysicalsizeofyourpop-upflashcompared to a normal external flash and youwill seewhatwemean.This concentrated power hits your subject quite hard, bouncing back

intothecamera’slensinaveryunpleasingway.

Photographershavelearned,though,thatbyenlargingthelight,theycan tame thatunyieldingpower, spreading itoutanddiffusing it.Thissoftenstheblowimmensely—andthelargeryoucanmakethelight,thesofteritbecomes.

CommercialProducts.Youcanpurchaseapop-upflashdiffuserthatsitsatopyourcamera(usuallyattachedtothehotshoe),thenwrapsupand around to land in front of your flash. It’s usuallymade of frostedplastic and provides amuch larger light source—usually five to seventimesthesizeoftheoriginal.Thelightproducedbyadevicelikethisismuchmoreflatteringthantheunmodifiedflash; the increasedsizeanddiffusion sees to that. Happily, the diffusers are also inexpensive andtakeuplittleroominyourcamerabag.

Light fromapop-upflashcanbeharshwhenpointeddirectlyatasceneorsubject.

Do-It-Yourself Modifiers. Many photographers today like to maketheirownmodifiers.Theinternetisfullofverycraftypeoplewhohavemadeanartoutofdesigningflashmodificationequipment.Often,thesehomemade tools createa light thatcaneasilyhold itsownagainst themostexpensiveexternalflashunitsavailabletoday.

Youhaveoptionswhenitcomestothepop-upflash.Youcanchoosetoadjustitspowersettings in thecameraoryoucanmodify the light itemits.Here,aLumiQuestmodifieroffersnicesoftnessanddiffusion.

Whetheryoumakeyourowndiffusionpanelandattachittoyourcamera’shotshoe(asseenabove)orsimplygrabapieceoftissuepaperandtapeitdirectlytotheflash,youaregoing to want to modify the light your pop-up produces. Keep in mind that this doesweaken theapparentoutputof the flash.Whenamodifier isused, largeraperturesandhigher power settings should be considered if faced with a loss of light that isunacceptable.

BreakingtheRules

Many great photographers shun the use of modifiers and use theresultingimagestoshocktheirviewersintosubmission.Byplayingagainstcertainlearnedhumanbiases,anartistcanpushsocietyoutof its comfort zone. Amazing explorers of light and the humancondition,suchasDianeArbus,did just that.Theybroketherulesanddidn’tcareifwelikedordidn’t liketheirimages.Theyusedaflash on-camera, shoved light directly at their subject, and nevermodifiedorbouncedit.Theylittheirsubjectsthewaytheywanted

—andaslongastheirtruemessageandintentwasilluminatedwell,they were happy. They believed, as many artists do, that justbecauseeveryonedoessomethingonewaydoesn’tmakeitright.

Asanartist,youtoocanbespecificwhendesigningyourimagesandyoutoocanmakethedecisiontobreakfromthenorm.Keepinmind,though,thatifyouthrowouttherulebookwhenitcomestoon-cameraflashphotography,youruntheriskofpeoplenotlikingyour pictures. Societal biases are a strong deterrent to artisticexpression—andourowndesirestobelikeddooccasionallyget inthewayofcreativefreedom.

Withthepropermodification,poweroutput,andaperturechoices,youcancreateaworldofamazinglightingoptionsusingjustapop-upflash.Itisapowerfultoolandshouldn’tbeoverlooked.Here,thephotographersandwichedtwo-plytoiletpaperoverthepop-upflashtodiffusethelight.

Usingasquareoftwo-plytoiletpapertodiffusethepop-upflash.

MakingYourOwnPop-UpDiffuser.Often,amodifiedpop-upflashcanbetheanswertodelicatelightingproblems.Oncediffused,thelightitproduces isactuallyquite flattering toasubject.Photographershavelongusedthesofteningpowerofasimplesquareoftoiletpaperforthispurpose.Thisinexpensivetoolnotonlydiffusesthelight,italsoenlargesit—makingitanearperfectaccessoryforyourpop-upflash.Ofcourse,youdohavetowalkaroundwithapieceoftoiletpaperonyourcamera

…andyouwillneedtokeepasparesquareortwoinyourcamerabag.Inallhonesty,though,theslightembarrassmentisnothingcomparedtothestartlingdiffusionpoweritoffers.(Inourexperience,thebesttoilet-paperdiffusionbrandisCharmin’sUltraStrongtwo-ply.Asshownintheimagesonthefacingpage,youcansimplypullitapartandslipitoveryour flash. TheUltra Strong variety holds firmly in place, even in thestrongestwind.)

Againwe see the effects of choosing a small aperture (f/10) and a shutter speed (1/80second)tocapturethebackgroundaswewantitlit(topphoto).Becauseoursubjectisinashadow,sheappearstoodark.Addinglightthroughtheuseofalargeraperture(f/2.8)resultedinabrightersubjectandbrighterbackground(middlephoto).Toilluminateoursubjectandkeepthebackground intact, theaperturewaschangedbackto f/10andthecamera’s on-board flashwas employed. To soften the light, a homemade (toilet paper)diffuser was placed over the flash. The effect is obvious; the light is soft and pleasing(bottomphoto).

Theaboveimageshowsastudentusingthescatterbox;theimagetotheright illustratesthepowerandeye-pleasingqualitiesthatagoodscatterboxoffers.

Forgentle light,youneed tocreateavery large scattering surfacewithyouraluminumfoil.Thesizeofthescatterboxshouldbeatleastthesamesizeasyourcamera.

MakingYourOwnScatterbox.Whileit’struethatyourmessagesareyourownandyoucanaddlightinanyfashionyouwish,humanbiaseswilldictatehoweasilyyourmessageisread.Thepop-upflash,whileanamazingly effective tool, alsoproduces light froman anglewearenotfamiliar with: straight from the viewer’s point-of-view. This is notnaturalandisthemainreasonwhymostseriousphotographersdon’tusetheircamera’sbuilt-inpop-upflash.Fortunately,justaswedicussed,thislightcanbediffusedandenlargedtomakeitabitmoreagreeable.Butthereisanevenbetterwayofusingthepop-upflash—awayofmaking

thatone small light source intoagiant (off-camera) light source that’shandy, versatile, and flattering. It’s called a “scatterbox.” Thishomemade modifier offers increased size and a highly scattered lightsource—withlittlelosstothephysicalandapparentpoweroutput.Plus,the photographer suffers no ill effects from glare, since the light isscattering inmultiple directions all at once. This simple tool can trulyevenouttheoddsintheworstlightingsituations.

Unlikemodifiers that simplydiffuseorenlarge,a scatterbox livesupto its name, taking the majority of the light from your flash andscattering it in all directions. The light it produces evenly caressesanythingittouches—nomatterhowcloseorfarawayyoursubjectis;ifthelighthitsit,it’sgoingtolookgreat.Withascatterbox,you’llevenbeabletoshootreflectivesurfaces,creatinglittleornoglare.

When creating your own scatterbox, you’ll want to use a heavy-duty aluminum foil.Thinnerfoiltendstocrumbleunderthepressureofphotographyinthefieldanddoesn’ttakekindlytoremolding.

Keepinganextrapieceoffoilfoldednicelyinyourcamerabaggivesyouaquickwayto

createdramaticlighting.

Sincethelightcomingfromascatterboxisnotdiffused,onlyenlarged,youwillnotloseanywherenear theamountofpoweryoudowithothermodification tools.Trybendingthefoilandaimingyourflashatanearbywall.Thiswillenlargeyourlightsourcefurther,creatinganevenbetterandmoreintriguinglightsource.

Evenwhenshotfromjustafewfeetaway—ascatterboxproducesvirtuallynoglare.Thiswillcomeinveryhandywhencreatingindoorportraitsofpeoplewhowearglasses.

OurcatMaggieisnotmuchforphotosandtakesagreatdisliketomostflashes.However,thescatterboxissomethingshedoesn’tmind.Becauseofitslargesizeandvarieddirectionof light, it goes virtually unnoticed by her. The scatterbox also eliminates red-eye (orgreen-eye,inMaggie’scase);withoutglare,red-eyecan’texist.

Tomake your own aluminum foil scatterbox,we suggest using heavy-dutyaluminumfoil.Tearoffalargepieceandwrapthefoilaroundthepopup, anchoring it to the flash. Youwill thenwant to create a largebounce sourcenear the frontof the flash thatdirects the lightupwardtoward another, much larger, bounce area. The idea is to bounce thelight from the pop-up flash up into another reflective boxwhich thenshovesitoutinalldirections.It’sanamazingtoolwhenmadewell—andwhileyoumightnotlook“professional”whenusingit,yourresultswillmostcertainlyreflectyourdedicationtothecraft.

Twostudentstacklethechallengesofworkingoutdoorswithascatterbox,bouncingtheirflashoffanearbywall(bottom).Theeffectsofthebouncedflasharequiteextraordinary(top).

Inthehandsofanartistlookingforanswers,thepop-upflash(withtherightaccessory—suchasthescatterbox,aswasusedhere)maygiveyouexactlywhatyouneed.

Expectthefirsttimeyoumakeascatterboxtotakeawhile.Oneofthetoughestobstaclesyou’llcrossisbuildingtheanchor;becauseofitslargesize, your scatterbox needs a firm base. You’ll need to wrap thealuminumfoilaroundthebaseofyourflashtightly.From,theresimplywraptheremainderofthefoilaroundthebase,infrontoftheflash,andback around to create the hood portion. Then, keep molding thescatterboxuntilit’sperfect.

Close-UpWorkwiththePop-UpScatterbox.Macrophotographygetsanaddedbonuswhenthephotographerusesapop-upscatterbox.Sincethe light is so large and scattered, it runs through your image andtouches justabouteverything fromthe frontof the lens to thebackofthe scene, no matter how aggressive the photographer gets with hispowersettings.Keepinmind,aswell, that thealuminumfoilwillkickouteverydropof lightyourpop-up isproducing; it’snotdiffusing thelight, it’s scattering it. There is a large difference. Scattered lightproduceslittletonoglare,whilediffusedlightcan.Adiffuser,asyou’velearnedinthischapter,willcuttheapparentpoweroutputofyourflash.A scatterboxwon’t.This is amajor revelation for close-upartists.Thismeanstheynowhavealightsourcethatprovidesevenlighting,doesn’tcostanythingextra,andaffordsthemtheopportunitytouseverysmallapertures when shooting things that are very close—a necessity whenyouwantanincreaseddepthoffield.

Withascatterbox,thefrontofyoursubjectsislitthesameastheback.Becausethelossoflightislimited,verysmallaperturescanbeusedtomaximizeyourdepthoffield.

Youmaynotappearallthatprofessionalwhenusingapop-upscatterbox,andpeoplewillundoubtedly look at you oddly. But keep inmind that it’s the results that count—andtherearenootherpop-upflashmodifiersthatcancomeevenclosetocompetingwithawell-made,aluminumfoil,pop-upscatterbox.

weseehowthesceneappears ifno flash isemployed.Theabove-right image illustratestheseverityofusingthepop-upflashwithoutanymodification.

It’sstartlingjusthowsoftandpleasingthelightfromapop-upscatterboxcanbe.Ifyourscatterboxfailstoliveuptothisstandard,re-moldyourtool.Usuallyit’ssimplystraylightescapingfromsomecornerorripinthefoil.Takeyourtimewhencreatingthescatterboxandpayparticularattentionnottoallowanyholesforthelighttoleakoutof.

If your camera allows you to create in-cameramultiple exposures, you’ll lovewhat thescatterboxaffords.Tocreatethedreamyimagebelow,twoseparateexposureswerelitbythemodified pop-up flash. The top-left photo showswhat the first exposure contained.Noticetheblurryflower intheupperright-handcorner.This(asseeninthebottom-leftphoto)wasthenputintofocusinthesecondexposure.Bothwerethencombinedbythecamera itself (checkyour cameramanual to see if it offers thismagnificentoption).Theevenandsoftlightingcouldnothavebeenaccomplishedwithouttheaidofthescatterbox.While this effect could bemimicked in the computer, itmeans something special to beabletodoitimmediatelywhentheideastrikes.(Besides,don’tyouhavesomethingbettertodowithyoureveningsthansitatacomputereditingphotos?)

Scattered lightproduces little tonoglare,whilediffused lightcan.

KeyPointsforChapterTwo

Tocontrol theamountof lightyour flashproduces,youhave fouroptions:

1.Adjustthepowersettingintheflashitself.

2.Adjustthedistancebetweentheflashandwhatitwillbehitting.

3.Adjusttheaperture;smallerapertureswillnotallowasmuchlightintothecameraaslargeronesdo.

4.Modifytheflashitself.(Inthecaseofthepop-upflash—thescatterbox,LumiQuestpop-updiffuser,andCharmintwo-plyUltraStrongtoiletpaperseemtoworkthebest.)

Anddon’tforget:

A.Adjustingthepowerontheflashdoesn’tenlargeordiffusethelight,itjustchangesthereachofthelight.

B.Youhaveaflash-syncshutterspeedthatyouhavetobeawareof.Gettoknowwhatthatisandtrytoincorporatethisknowledgewhenbuildingamessage.

W

3.ExternalFlash

Whenthepop-upflashfallsshort,it’stimetocallonmorepower.

ithout a flash, you are confined to the world of natural light,manipulatingandadaptingto“natural”lightingconstraints.Thisdoesn’tmeanyour imageswill lackpunchor that thequalityofyourmessagewillwane,butitdoeslimityouroptions.Withanexternalflash,thingsaredifferent.Allofthe“natural”rulesoflightinggooutthewindowandanewandvibrantsetofalternativesshinesforth.

PumpinguptheVolume

Youroptionsasanartist-with-a-cameraclimbwiththeadditionoflightfromanon-cameraexternal flash.The reachof the light increases, thecoverageextends,and—mostimportantly—thepowertobouncelightoffwallsandceilingsnolongerrestswithhowwellyoucanmoldaluminumfoil.

It’s important for the on-camera flash photographer to workwithnaturallight,notagainstit.Whiletheideaofeliminating

shadowsisadmirable,shadowsareanimportantpartoflife.It’snot always necessary to destroy them. Through the use ofspecializedmodificationequipment(eitherhomemadeorstore-bought), you can add just a touch of light to anything—notdestroyingtheshadowsbutsimplyworkingwiththem.

LumiQuestmakesmanydifferentmodifiersforexternalflashunits.OneofourfavoritesistheBigBounce.Thisamazingtoolnotonlybouncesthelightcomingfromaflash,italsodiffusesit.

Whenusingflash,it’snotsomuchabouttheamountofilluminationyou’readdingasitisabout the quality of light you’re producing. A large, diffused light sourcewill create amoreagreeableandpleasinglightthanonecomingstraightfromaflash.Inthisimage,aLumiQuestsoftboxwasusedtogentlyaddlighttothesubject.Byenlarginganddiffusingthelight,youcanconfidentlyuseyourexternalflashon-cameraandexpectgoodresults.

There are a few issues, though. The light from a camera-mountedexternalflashisharshanddirect.Additionally,it’sstillcomingfromthewrong direction; it’s thrown straight at a subject—and now it’s even

strongerthanthepop-up!Justlikethepop-up,thelightfromthisflashwill have to be controlled if you hope to make your images moreagreeabletoviewers.

Ifyou’veneverusedacamera-mountedexternalflash,setsomethingupthatrequiresyoutoaddlight—astheseimagesillustrate.Inthetopimage,ashutterspeedof1/125secondandaperturef/2.8wereusedtotamethesunset.Thisleftourmodelasilhouette.Theon-cameraflashwasthenengagedtobrightenupthesubject(bottomimage).

Changingthepoweronaflashisnotthatdifficultaprocess.Iftheflashoffersthisoption,youwillbeabletosettheoutputinincrements—goingfromfullpower(1/1)toitslowestpossiblesetting(sometimes1/128).

PowerSettingsandAngleofCoverage

You have several options when it comes to the power output of anexternal flash.The first is to simplyadjust the flashunit itself. Just asthe power on the pop-up flash is adjusted, you can adjust the flash’spower setting from full power (1/1) to oneof its other lower settings.

Again,thepowersettingswillvarybyflashandmanufacturer,butyoushould have aminimum of four choices (1/1, 3/4, 1/2, 1/4). If yourexternalflashlacksthisbasicoption,itmaybetimeforadifferentflash.

Youcanalsoadjusttheangleofcoverageoftheflashunit.Thisgivesyou another method of increasing or decreasing the apparent flashoutput. Sometimes referred to as “zooming” your flash, this featureallows you towiden or narrow the beam of light that your flash unitproduces.Thisisaprettyvaluableoption—notjustforon-camerawork,butforoff-cameraaswell.Again,ifyourflashismissingthisverybasicoption,itmaybetimetogoshopping.

Beingabletocontroltheflashoutputisamajorconcern.Duetospacelimitations,desired

perspective,orfast-movingsubjects,it’softenimpossibletomovebackandforthtoadjusttheapparentpowerofyourflash.Therefore,it’svitaltobeabletochangethisoutputatitssource.Here,averylowpowersettingwasusedsothatthelightfromtheflashwouldmerelytouchthemodel,notengulfher.

Part of mastering your flash means actually touching it. Spend some time with yourmanuallookingforthepoweroutputandzoomingcapabilitiesofyourflash.Then,learnhowtoadjustthemquicklybyhittingabutton,turningadial,ormovingtheflashhead.

Asamanualshooter,youwillbeabletousebothofthesefeaturesto

adjust the distance your flash reaches, maneuvering each setting tomatch your vision. If you need more distance or more power, you’lleither increase the power setting or narrow the angle of coverage,zoomingyourflashtoreachthesubjectorwideningthebeamtopullitback.Botharestrongoptionsandyouneedtobecomeproficientatusingthem.

Ifyouneedmoredistanceormorepower,you’lleitherincreasethepowersettingornarrowtheangleofcoverage.

We recommend that you spend several hours playing with each ofthese features. For these experiments, use a tree as your subject.Withenough practice, you will develop an instinct for what settings willaccomplishwhat.Inyournextoutdoorsession,testyourknowledgebyswitchingfromatreetoamovingperson.Trytoquicklyshootaseriesofimageswithyourflash,adjustingboththepowerandzoomsettingstokeepupwithyournewtarget. It’schallengingtosaythe least,but therewards are far-reaching.With this newfound confidence, you will befreetomoveontomorecomplexsituationsandlightingproblems.

Older flashes will offer the same power and zooming options as newer units. The controls,however,areboundtoappeardifferent.Ifyou’restumped,checkthemanual.Ifyounolongerhaveit,thendoasearchonline.Mosteverymanualforeachflashcanbefoundthere.

Thelocationofthepowerandzoomfeaturesvarybyflash.Onolderflash units, youmayhave to extend the flash head itself to adjust thezoom feature. On newer units, the control can easily be found in theelectronic flash’smenu system. (Note: If you are planning on using anolderflashunitatopyournewdigitalcamera,bewaryofvoltageissues.Olderflashesusehighervoltagesthansomedigitalcamerascanhandle.Be smart; check to see if the voltage is compatible before firing yourflashon-camera.Afrieddigitalcameraisnotaprettything.)

Thepower options can also varydramatically depending on the ageand brand of the flash. Some older flashes may even employ a colorpower scale, with certain colors corresponding to different poweroutputs.Ifusinganolderflashunit,makesuretofindthemanual;you’llwant tobecomeacquaintedwith its features(and,asnotedpreviously,

checkitsvoltageoutput).

High-SpeedFlashSync

Theuseofanexternalflashbringswithitanotheroption—onethatisasgroundbreakingas it isuseful.Previously,wediscussed the limitationsbrought on by the camera’s limited flash-sync speed (see chapter 2).Mentionedweretwowaysofdealingwiththis:theneutraldensityfiltersandcross-polarization.

Onnewer flashunits, thepowerandzoomfeaturescanbe found in themainelectronicmenusystems.Spendsome time learningwhere these settingsare.Keep inmind that ifyou’re in any setting other than manual, you may not be able to access these veryimportantcreativefeatures.

Whenthehigh-speedsyncoptionisputintoplay,evenmoreoptionsbecomeavailabletothe forward-thinking flashphotographer.These includeunlimiteddepthof field choicesandtheabilitytocaptureanytypeoffastaction—nomattertheambientlight.

Now, several camera/flash manufacturers offer a system thateliminates the issue of flash-sync speed altogether, allowing forunhinderedflashwork—aslongasyouuseoneof theirspecial flashes.Nikon refers to this system as an FP (focal plane)mode,while CanonsimplyusestheletterH(HighSpeedSync)ontheirflashtoindicatethisability.

Inhigh-speedsyncmode,whattheflashdoesisquiteamazing.Whenashutterspeedabovethecamera’sflash-syncspeedischosen,theflashemits several bursts of light, essentially filling in the gaps left by thetravelingshutterblades.Thankstothisoption,wecannowshootflashimageswithanyshutterspeedwewish—andwithoutusingfilters.

Thishighly specializedoptionhas itsdrawbacks, though.Thehighertheshutterspeedchosen,themoretheflashhastofire.Theseburstsaresofastthattheyappearasonesolidflash,buttheyarenot.Thequick,multiple bursts put a strain on the flash, resulting in less availablepower. This means that as the shutter speed increases beyond thecamera’sflash-syncspeed,thepoweroftheflashdwindlesquickly.

With the elimination of the camera’s flash-sync speed limitation, your imagination cantrulysoar.Intheimagesonthisandonthepreviouspage,weseethegentlecaressofanon-camera, softboxed flash with the shutter speed set to 1/1000 second—several stops

pastthecamera’stopflash-syncspeed.Theaperturewasawhoppingf/2.8.

Usinghigh-speedsync,photographerscanfreelychoosethelargestaperturestheywishsothattheirbackgroundsremainblurredanddistant.Theusualneedtoshootwithsmallerapertureswhenaflashisemployeddisappearsasyourshutterspeedoptionsreappear.

Also, flashes that offer this option can get expensive. It’s quite theproprietary system. If you own a Nikon, then you must purchase theNikonflashthatallowstheoperation.Canonownerswillfollowsuit.

LightModifiers

As most flash photographers soon discover, there is no power, zoomsetting, or even fast-sync option that changes the real quality of thelight. Turning the power up or down, making the beam wider ornarrower,orfiringoffseveralflashesatoncedoesn’tdiffuseanything—itjust changes the distance the light travels. As a result, all seriousphotographerswhouseaflashon-cameramodifythelightinsomeway.To soften your flash, you will need to add a tool that modifies orredirectsthelightyou’reproducing—orgetusedtobouncingyourflashoffwallsorceilings.

Must-HaveModifiers:ASoftboxandaSnoot.Youcanmodifyyouron-cameraflashintwoways.First,youcanplacesomethinginfrontofyourflashthatdiffuses,softens,scatters,enlarges,orconstrictsthelight.Second, you can bounce the light off of awall, ceiling, or an on-flashmodification tooldesignedspecifically tobounce light.Which toolyouemploywillvaryasmuchastheintentofyourmessages.Eachoffersitsownuniquesetofadvantages.

These are three of our favorite large LumiQuest modification tools. Each provedinvaluable in themaking of this book. The top two images show the Big Bounce. Themiddle two images show the SoftBox III. The bottom images show the classic PocketBouncer. For more information on these modification tools and other gear that werecommend,checkoutourgearlistonpage116.

For the beginner, a softbox is usually a great place to start. Werecommendthesetoallofournewflashstudents.Thisdevicesimplysitsatop the flashandbothenlargesanddiffuses the light itproduces. It’susuallymadeofplasticwithafrostedportionfoldeddowninfrontoftheflashhead.Softboxesareamazingtoolsandwillmakeahugedifferenceinyouron-camera flashwork.The increased size cuts downon excessshadowsandthediffuserpanelhelpsfighttheunwantedeffectsofglare.

When introducing light fromacamera-mounted flash,youwillbeproducingglare.Thisglare,unfortunately,can’tbeeliminatedthroughtheuseofapolarizer;it’ssimplycomingfromthewrongangle.Inthisseriesofimages,asoftboxmountedontheflashmagicallystripped themajority of the glare. The shutter speed, aperture, angle of flash coverage,andflashpowersettingswereallsettotaste.

BuyWhatYouNeed

Soft and gentle light, usually produced with a light modifiers, isalways theway togowhen the flash ison thecamera.Otherwise,theadditionalilluminationwillcalltoomuchattentiontoitselfand

quickly drownout your original intent.However, there is nothingworse than having a huge collection of flashmodifiers that nevergetused.Youshouldonlybuyamodificationtoolwhenyouknowwhyyouneedit.

Another tool that will come in handy is a simple snoot. Thismodificationtoolcompressesthelightintoatightcircle(orothershape,dependingonthesnoot),allowingyoutodirectasmallpinpointoflightatyourtarget.Thiswilldecreasethecoveragearea,ofcourse,butitwillalsogiveanapparentboostofpowertoyour flash.There isa learningcurve involved here, depending on the snoot. You may have to gothrough a bit of trial and error to effectively direct the small beamoflight.Snootsalsocreateharshershadowsthanthosefromasoftbox.Still,asnootisafantasticoptionwhenjustabitmorelightisneededononlyasmallportionofyourimage.

Smaller softboxes often come in handywhen the amount of light needed is small. TheLumiQuestMiniSoftBoxisaveryversatiletoolthatcreatespleasing,evenlightingonbothlargeandsmallsubjects.

Snooting a flash is a funway to explore your creative vision. The LumiQuest Snoot isdesignedtocompress the light fromyour flash,yieldingasmaller,muchmorepowerfulbeamoflight.Thiswilltakesomepracticetomaster,butit’sworththetimeandmoney.

MakingYourOwnModifiers.Therearemanymanufacturersofflashmodification equipment—including softboxes and snoots. LumiQuestmakesavarietyofflashmodificationtoolsthatwe’vetrustedforyears.You can, of course, strike out on your own and make your ownequipment—after all, only you knowwhat type of light yourmessageneeds. Not only is this approach fun, but there is a serious feeling ofaccomplishmentwhenyouknow thatyour image couldnothavebeen

createdhaditnotbeenforyourslightlymodifiedpotato-chipcanisterorthe frosted three-ring binder divider you turned into a diffuser. (Note:Manyflash-modificationengineerssharetheirinventionsandinsightsontheinternet.Aquicksearchwillaffordthousandsofmodificationideas.In particular, the blog Strobist.com is home to some of the mostdedicated flash photographers on this planet; their insight and kindsupport have helped thousands of new flash photographers grow asartists.Ifyouhaven’tcheckedoutthissite,do!)

Ifyouintendtocreatebeautifulon-cameraflashimages,thenthelightmustbemodified.Leftunchecked,anon-cameraflash(nomatterwhichpowersettingorangleofcoverageischosen)producesaseriousamountglare.Byattachingalightmodifiertoyourflashyoucansoftentheimpactofthisglareonthesubject—sometimes(asshownintheseimages)eliminating the effects completely.Keep inmind,however, thatwhenyouenlargeyourlight source you are affecting the apparent power output. You will have to make theneededadjustmentstocompensateforthismissinglight.

Modification Problems. Be wary: as the size of the modifierincreases,theamountofusableapparentflashpowerwilldiminish.You

canmakeupforthis“missing”lightbychoosinglargeraperturesettings,byincreasingthepoweroftheflashunit,orbyzoomingtheflashhead.You can also vary the distance you stand from your subject. Gettingcloserincreasestheapparentoutputofyourflash;backingupreducesit.Keepinmind,though,thatifyoudochoosetheseextremeoptions,yourperspective,depthoffield,andoriginalintentmaybecompromised.

BounceFlash.Bouncinglightoffersevenmoreoptionswhenitcomesto generating a pleasing photograph. By simply swiveling your flashheadandpointing it at awall orup to the ceiling, youare creating avery large light source that mimics natural light. Most photographerschoose to modify their flash in this way since it requires no extraequipmentandproducesanevenlarger lightsource(resultinginfewershadowsandsofterlight).

Whenbouncingyourflashoffawallorceiling,thedistancetraveledto the reflecting surface must be included in your calculations of thepoweroutput requirements; even thoughyour subjectmayonlybe sixfeetfromyourflash,thebouncedlightwillhavetotravelmuchfartherthanthattoreachthem.Thesurfacetextureofyourbouncelocationwillalsoplayarole.Aporoussurface,nomatterhowrough,willscatterthelightmoreeffectivelythanasmoothone.Choosingtherightsurfacewillprovecriticalwhencreatinganatural-lookinglightsource.

In order to bounce your external flash, itmust be equippedwith a rotating and swivelhead.Ifyourflashfallsshortonthis,itmaybetimeforanewflash.

Agentleapproachisneededwhenpointingyourflashdirectlyatasubject,butbouncingyourflashoffofawallrelaxesthatrequirement.Lightcomingfromthesideofsomethingis seen as quite natural, giving you free reign to increase the power to your heart’scontent.

TheImportanceofaPolarizer

Glareisnotsomethingthatcanbetakencareofafterthefact.Computer

programscannotstripglarefromanimage—thisisimpossible.Youhaveto fix it before it happens.As a result, there is no toolmorepowerfulthan a polarizer when it comes to capturing amazing color. To trulygraspallofthecreativeoptionsaflashoffers,youmustmasterthismostbasicphotographictool.

Whenyoudon’t strip theglare (above), the resultsarenotaspleasingas theycouldbewiththeadditionofapolarizingfilter(left).Forpolarizationtowork,youneedtobeata90degreeanglefromthelightcausingtheglareandyouhavetorotatethepolarizer.

Inthetop-leftphoto,thephotographerdialedinthelightingforhisbackground,butsince

hissubjectwasinashadow,sheappearsdark.Inthebottom-leftimage,youseetheeffectof dialing in a slower shutter speed. Even though our subject is now lit well, thebackgroundistoobright.Theonlywaytocapturethisimagewell(withboththesubjectand thebackground litevenly) is tousea flash.For theabovephoto, thephotographerused the original settings (from the top-left photo), then rotatedhis polarizer correctly.Flashwas added to illuminate the subject, butnoother adjustmentsweremade for thebackground;thestrikingdifferenceisduesolelytothepolarizer.

AMessage-BuildingProcess

As an artist-with-a-camera, your goal is to create an image thatillustrateshowyoufeelaboutsomething.Weofferourstudentsasimplestrategyforcreatingamazingimageswithaflash.

Beginbyadjustingyourcamera’swhitebalance,contrast, saturation,hue, and sharpness settings. Thisway, therewill be no need to adjustanythingafterthefact.(Ifyoupracticeenough,thiswillbecomejustasnaturalaschanginglenses.)

Intheleftphoto,anapertureandshutterspeedwerechosenthatallowedforthelightinganddepthof fieldseen.Apolarizerwasalsoemployedtoenrichthecolors.Noticehowdarkthe facesofourmodelsare.Adjustingtheshutterspeedtobrightenthoseshadowswouldhaveaseriousside-effect:thebackgroundwouldalsogainlight.Changingthein-cameracontrastsettingwouldcompromisetheblazing-richcolorsinthebackground.Thebestoptionwastoaddlightwithaflash.Inthiscase,thepowerandzoomsettingswerethen dialed in and the flash was modified with a softbox. The right image shows theresult.Message-buildingisabouthavingavisionandnotlettinganythinggetintheway.

Beginbydialing-inthelightforthebackground,adjustingtheshutterspeedandapertureuntil it looks just right. This gives you the base light. From there you candecidewhatneedslightandhowmuchitwillrequire.

Youcannotchangeyourcamerasettingswithoutcompromisingyouroriginalintent.Thisimageshowswhathappenswhentheshutterspeedisslowedtoaddlightonthesubject.

Withtheoriginalsettingsreapplied,asoftened(modified)flashwasaddedtotheshot.

Next, choose a location from which to shoot. This decision will bebased on a desired perspective. This is very important, since it’s thisdistancethatdictateshoweachgraphicelementrelatestooneanotherintermsofsize.

Onceyourshootinglocationhasbeenchosen,thelensrequiredwillbeobvious. The focal length simply reflects your desired crop factor. Theaperture will then be picked based on the needed depth of field; theshutterspeedwillbebasedonhowyouwantyourmessagetobelit.

Thenextstep iswhereall themagichappens. If,underyourcurrentsetofrequirements,naturallightjustdoesn’taffordyoutheilluminationyouwant,thenchangeit.Addlightwithyourflash.

UsingYourFlashatNight

Evenwhen thesunsets,youstillhave toplayby therules. In theinsetimage,weseewhathappenswhenthecameraandon-cameraflash are set to automatic exposure. The large photo shows whathappens when the photographer manually dials in his exposureusingavery slowshutter speed tobringout thebackground, thenfires his flash to brighten his foreground subject. Again, thephotographer worked from the back forward, taking care of thebackground (areas the flash couldn’t touch)with his aperture andshutter speed, then lightinghis subjectwith the flash. This is real

message-building.Itwillchangeyourlifeandyourimages.

Usingaflashon-cameragivesyouagreatopportunitytomaintainthedetailofclosetiersofgraphicinformation.Inthisimage,bothourmodelandtheforegroundplantsreceivedasplashoflightthathelpedbringthedetailtolife.Asmalleraperture(f/9)waschosentohelp with depth of field and a fast shutter speed (1/250 second) was picked to helpmaintainarichskyandfrozenmodel.

Whenusingawider-anglelens,bewaryofanydistortionitmaycause.Here,youcanseea severe curvature running throughout. While it proved an effective tool in theseparticular images, that may not be your intention when creating your messages. Lookcarefullythroughyourviewfinder.Ifyoudon’tlikewhatyousee,changethelens.

With thepolarizer turnedanda smaller aperture chosen, all thatwas leftwas toaddatouchofsoft,modifiedlighttoourmodel.Here,asmallsoftboxbathedourmodel,neveronceoverpoweringher.Oneofthekeygoalswhenusingaflashon-cameraistomakeitlooklikeyoudidn’t.

Intheaboveimages,youcanseehow—evenwiththeintroductionoflightwithaflash—theshadowsonthewallbehindourmodelnevergavethesecretaway.Thekeytousingon-cameraflashistokeepitlargewiththehelpofamodifierandtokeepitclosetoyoursubject.Thebiggerandcloseryourlightistoyoursubject,thefewerandlessharshyourshadowswillbe.

Morethananything,remembertohavefunwithyourcamera,flash,andfriends.Keepeverything lightandcarefree,andyour imageswill showthejoyofthemomentandthespontaneityof life.Stagingyourimageswillstagnateyourviewofbothphotographyandwhat itmeanstocallyourselfaphotographer.

Whenusinga flashmountedonyour camera, a gentle approach isneeded.Don’t put astranglehold on your background with too bright a subject; the light simply needs tocaress your subject, not overpower it. In this image, a LumiQuest softbox was used togentlyaddlighttothesubject.

Youcan,ofcourse,simplyshrinkyouraperturetostripanyexcesslight.Thiswillhaveanextreme effect on your background, keepingmost of it in sharp focus. As these imagesillustrate,sometimesthatworksouttoyouradvantage.

Largeraperturesproduceblurrierbackgrounds,that’sagiven—butwiththis larger aperture comes the potential for blowing out yourbackgrounds if you can’t overcome your camera’s flash-sync speed.Remember, you have several choices for eliminating excess light: youcanusethecross-polarizationtechnique;employseveralneutraldensityfilters;orpurchaseacameraandflashsystemthatoffersthehigh-speedsyncoption.

To achieve the blurry background, a larger aperture (f/2.8) was chosen. This, in turn,called for a fast shutter speed (1/1000 second). The high-speed sync option was thencalledintoplaytokeeptheapertureandshutterspeedsettingswheretheywere.

Eventhoughthemodificationandhigh-speedsyncoptioncuttheapparentpoweroftheflash,thelargeraperturebalancedouttheequation,offeringjustenoughlighttobringourmodel and her splashes happily out from the shadows. FACING PACE—Using a large,modified light source on-camera will keep things light and friendly during your photoshoots.Withouttheharshflash,yourmodelsaremorelikelytorelaxandjusthavefun.Inthisseriesofimages,theLumiQuestBigBouncewasused.

Poweroutputwillaffecttherecycletimeofyourflash.Ifyou’replanning

oncreatingaseriesofquickimagesusingyourcamera’smotordrive,it’sbest to use a lower power setting on your flash; this will allowmoreshotsusinglessbatterypower.Alargeraperturecanalsobeemployedtohelpregainsomeofthemissinglighttheloweroutputcauses.

KeyPointsforChapterThree

With the introduction of an external flash, you gain two possiblenew options for controlling the physical and apparent output ofyourflash.Youcannowusetheflashes’zoomfeaturetoincreaseordecreasethedistancelightfromtheflashwilltravel.Wideningthespreadwillweakentheblast,whilenarrowingthebeamwillgainaconsiderable amount of travel distance and apparent power. Youcanalsoemploythehigh-speedsyncoptionthatmanynewerflashesand cameras offer. This gives you the option of shooting at anyshutterspeedyouwish,nevercompromisingyourvisionbecauseofsimplemechanics.

1.Learningtocontrolthepowerandzoomsettingsareimportanttoachievingprecisecontroloveryourresultswithanexternalflashusedoncamera.

2.Optingforacamera/flashsystemwithhigh-speedsyncwillincreaseyourcreativeoptionsandcontrol.

3.Unlessyoulikeyourimagestolooklikeyoushotthemwithaflash,youwillneedtomodifythelightsource—diffusing,scattering,compressing,orbouncingyourwaytobetterimages.

4.Designingeffectiveimagesreliesonaprocessofmessage-building.Thismeansmakingconsciousdecisionsaboutyourcamerasettings,perspective,andlensselection,thenworking

fromthebackgroundtotheforegroundwhenconsideringyourlightingoptions.

T

4.TheWiredApproachTakingyourflashoff-cameraopensthedoortoevenmorecreative

possibilities—andtougherchallenges.Communicationandsupportissueswillquicklyrisetotheforefrontofyourmessage-buildingprocess.

he wired, off-camera flash option provides an ultra-reliable andinexpensiveway of triggering your flash. Of course, every rule you’velearnedsofaraboutpoweroutput,flashdiffusion,anddistancevariablesstill applies—but now you’ll have to translate all of that into a flashthat’sthreefeetfromyourcamera.

Taking your flash off-camera frees you to explore your imaginationandcreativitywithout fear.No longershackled toahotshoe,youwillfindanewsetofoptionswaiting—andaunique(andrathersimple)way

ofexploitingthem.Juststretchoutyourarmandlighttheworldasyouseefit,changingeachgraphictiertomatchyourownvision.

Anoff-cameraflashcanbeusedtomimicthesun,lightingyoursubjectfromananglethatappearsnatural.Here,itallstartedwiththebackground.Toachievetheextremeblur,avery largeaperture(f/1.2)waschosen.Thisalloweda lotof light into thecamera,soashutterspeedof1/2000secondwaschosentokeepthebackgroundfromoverexposing.AdedicatedTTLcordwasusedtoconnecttheflashtothecamera,allowingtheflash’shigh-speedsyncoptiontobeused.Asyoucanseeinthesetupshot,theflashwasheldbyanassistantwhoextendedtheTTLcordtoitsmaximumlength.Thisensuredthebestanglefromwhichtoattacktheglarewithanon-camera,lens-mountedpolarizer.

You’reReadyforThis!

With the help of your pop-up flash, you’ve hopefully decipheredwhatittakestocontrolflashoutput.Youunderstandhowaperture

choice plays into flash photography, and how enlarging,compressing,diffusing,andscatteringlightcanhelp.Withtheaidofyouron-cameraflash,you’vealsolearnedhowtofocusthatbeamoflight by zooming the flash head. You’ve practiced bouncing yourflashoffofwallsandceilingsandhaveevenemployedsomeformofmodification—such as a softbox, snoot, or bounce tool—to yourflash.Ifyouhaven’tmadeitthisfar,youmaywanttorethinkyourstrategybeforeprogressinganyfurther.It’simportanttohaveafirmgraspofthebasicsbeforeattemptingoff-cameraflashwork. Ifyouneedtopracticemore,doit.

BeginningAgain

Justwhenyou thinkyou’vegot everything licked, somethingnewandbetter comes along. While the modification options available for on-cameraflashallowforsomeprettyspectacularimages,it’snotuntilyoutaketheflashoff-camerathat thetruemagicofusinganexternal flashunfolds. Using an off-camera flash will give you the best possibleoptions.Itwillalsochallengeyoulikenothingelseeverhas.Itrequiresruthlessdeterminationtomaster,soyouwilleitheruseitwellandmakeitpartofyourregularmessage-buildingrepertoire…oryouwon’tuseitatall.Thereisnomiddlegroundwhenitcomestofullcreativefreedom;youeitherwantitoryoudon’t.

Therealoptionsbeginwhenyoutaketheflashintoyourownhands—literally.Bysimplyhand-holdingtheflash,you’llnowbeabletomakesubtlechangestothelight’sangleanddirection,optionsthatareimpossiblewhentheflashisattachedtothecamera.

TakingControl

Fewphotographersgrapplewiththischallengeforreal;mostallowthe camera tomake some of the decisions for them. Little things(liketheamountoflighttheirimagereceives,thecolorstheirphotofavors,thedepthoffield,theangleofcoverage,theflash’soutput,andevenwhattheirlensfocuseson)aregivenawaytothemachine.Exactlywhatpartofthatisart?Whereistheprideincreationwhenallyoudoispressabuttonandpointacamera?

Despitewhat cameramanufacturerswill try to tell you, there isno shortcut to creativity. There is no automated mode or flashsystemthatwillproduceartful images.Amachine,nomatterhowexpensiveoradvanced,canneverknowwhatyou(theartist)wanttosayorhowyourimageshouldappear.You’llhavetohavesome

faith in yourself and your vision to make it through. Moreimportantly,you’llneedtostoprelyingonthatequipmenttospeakforyou.

Giving away any of your artistic choices kills the real pride increatingamessage.Sure, it’shard to controlallof these thingsatonce,tothinkbeyondsimplyreaction—butanythingworthwhileisworth working for. Fortunately, the rewards come quickly. You’llmakesomemistakes,butyourexperiencewillgrowwitheachone—and,before long,you’llbe taking full advantageof the fantasticoptionsthatonlyanoff-cameraflashaffords.

The creative freedom and lighting options offered by simply moving your armaroundaretremendous.Whenpurchasingaflashcord,makesureyougetonethat’satleastfivefeetlong—oftenyou’llhavefamilyorfriendsholdyourflash.Thiswepromise.

Thewiredapproachcanbetakentotheextremewiththehelpofahand-held“flashstick”(alightstandwithitsbasebrokenoff;seepage99for instructionsonhowtobuildoneyourself) and a reflective umbrella. This is one powerful combination.above—Here, agroupofstudentstacklethetaskoflearningtousetheirflashoff-camerathroughacordedapproach.Whileitmayfeelabitawkward,yourmessagesandyourtrueintentwillshinebecauseof it.Off-cameracorded flashwork isaverypersonalwayofadding light;youbegintofeelmoreapartofthecreativeprocess,sinceeverysmallmovementofyourwristbringsnewandexcitingoptions.

SupportingtheFlash

Taking the flash off-camera brings with it its own set of uniqueconsequences.Oneof these is findingawaytohold the flash inplace.Thereisnorealtrick;justgrabtheflashandpointitatsomething.Youwillhavetodevelopsomesortofconsistentsystem,graspingtheflashinonespotonlyandkeepingyourwristangledinonedirectiononly.Thisshouldtakeamatterof45minutesorsotomaster.You’llalsohaveto

getusedtostretchingoutyourarmandholdingitstill.

Beprepared:hand-holdingaflashisalittleawkwardandwillresultinfailures and bad images in the beginning. With time and patience,however,yourskillwillgrow.Explorethedangerous,learntoaddlightbysimplydirectingitwithyourhands.Sostretchoutyourarmandstartpracticing—you’llbeamazedattheresults.

CommunicationIssues

Youwillalsoneedawayoftriggeringtheflash.Thissimplyrequiresacordthatrunsfromthecameratotheflashunit.Therearetwotypesofconnections available: one takes advantage of your camera’s hot shoe;theotherusesyourcamera’sPCterminal.

ThePCterminal isquicklyspottedon thiscamera; it’s theprotrudingcircularobjectonthe top left side.Notice theconnectionpin in thecenter. (Keep inmind that it isquitepossiblethatyourcameramaynothaveaPCterminal.)

ThePCsyncterminalishidden/protectedonthiscamera.Liftingtherubberflaprevealsit.Notice that it also reveals other ports; don’t mistake these for a PC terminal. Digitalcamerasoftenfeaturevideo-outterminals,USBconnections,andevenaudiojacks.

APCConnection.Let’sbeginwithastraightPCconnectionbetweencameraandflash.(Note:The“PC”acronymstandsforProntor/Compur,astandardizedconnectorforlinkingtwoelectronicdevices.)

Firstyou’llneed toknowwhatyouhaveas farasconnectivitygoes.Takeacloselookatyourcameraandflash,searchforthePCterminal.Thisconnectionisasmallcircularelectronic“hole”thatisusuallyfoundnearthebottomortopofthecamera.Preciselocationsvarybycameramanufacturer.ThePCterminal isusuallyprettyeasytospot—althoughsometimesitwillhaveaplasticorrubberhoodcoveringit.

Your camera and flash may have other electronic input and outputdevicesaswell.Don’tmistaketheseforaPCconnection.Digitalcamerasoftencomewithvideo-out terminals,USBconnections,andevenaudiojacks.Toavoidconfusion,refertoyourowner’smanual.Aquickglanceattheannotateddiagramofyourequipment(whetherit’sforaflashorcamera)willtellyoueverythingyouneedtoknow.

ByusingPCadapters forboth the flash (1) and camera (2) you can easily connect anypieceofequipmentyouhave—nomatterhowoldorwhatthebrandmaybe.(3)YouwillneedtoensurethatthePCcordyoupurchase(4)hasthecorrectconnectorsavailable.Ifyourcameraadaptorhasafemaleend(5)thenyouwillneedacordwithatleastonemaleend(6).Whenallofthecordsmarryup,you’rereadytoshoot(7).

Toblurthebackgroundinthetopimage,alargeraperture(f/1.4)waschosen.Thisforcedtheuseofafastershutterspeed(1/5000second)andanoff-camera,externalflashsettohigh-speedsync.Without the flash, the subjectwouldhavebeen toodark—as shown inthe middle left image. If the photographer had dialed in a slower shutter speed toilluminatehis subjectwell,hewouldhave losthisbackground,as shown in thebottomleft image. A hand-held, ten-foot light stick was used (page 99) and the flash wasconnectedwithtwosix-footdedicatedTTLflash-synccords.Thisisshowninthemiddlerightimage.Thebottomrightimageshowswhatthebackgroundwouldhavelookedlikewith a smaller aperture (f/5) and slower (within sync speed) shutter speed (1/250second).

Depending on the equipment you own, youmay find that you do nothaveaPCterminal.Sadly,manycamerasandflashestodaydonotofferthis option. If you find yourself in this group, no worries; there areplenty of adapters available.While local camera storesmay shy awayfrom selling these classic connection tools, the internet provides aplethoraofinexpensiveoptions.

Gettingconnectediseasy;itsimplyrequiresacord.You’llfindmany

PCcordstochoosefromatcamerastoresandontheinternet—allwithvaryinglengthsandconnectiontypes.Forhand-heldwork,wesuggestacoiled five-foot cord. This will keep your camera bag organized anduncluttered.Straightcords(whilelessexpensive)tendtobecometangledwith other gear. The five-foot length is of major importance. Shortercordsdon’tallow for the typeof creativemaneuvering (featheringandtiering)you’llwanttodo.Don’tshortchangeyourself;buyalong,coiledcord.

When purchasing a cord,make sure itmatches the PC terminals onyourcameraandflash.Forinstance,iftheconnectionsonyourcameraandflasharebothfemale,you’llneedacordthathastwomaleends.Ifyour camera or flash lacks the appropriate PC terminal and youwereforced to purchase an adapter, make sure that the cord you buy willconnecttothisproperly.

Our favoriteway tomake awired connection iswith a dedicatedTTLsynccord…

A TTL Connection. Our favorite way to make a wiredconnectioniswithadedicatedTTLsynccordthatattachesfromthehotshoeofthecameratothefootoftheflash.Thisisthemost reliable connection and keeps any advanced fast-syncspeedoptionsinplay.

Ultimately,awiredorcordedconnectionbetweenthecameraand flashgives theartistawealthofoptions that justweren’tavailable when his tools were “stuck” to each other. Thefreedomof independentactionbetween thecamera, the flash,

and the artistwill open the door to creative possibilities thatfewrealize.

SkiptheFlashBracket

You’llbetemptedtopurchaseaflash-bracketsystem,asupportbasefromwhichyoucancontrolthecameraandflashtogether,havingthemworkasonesolidunit.Onthesurface,thissoundslikeagreatidea…butit’sactuallyriddledwithproblems.Themagic of off-camera flash happens when the flash is actuallyoff-camera—pointedinadirectionthatisimpossiblewhenstuckto the camera. When your flash is mounted to a bracketingdevice, it is still locked into place, giving you essentially thesame options as when the flash was placed directly on thecamera’s hot shoe. Free yourmind and your options—go off-camerawithyourflash,wayoff-camera!

Using a flash bracket is still considered an on-camera flash approach. Thephotographer will still be locked into thinking about his foremost tiers ofgraphic information above all else—missing out on a wealth of othermoredaringoptions.

Even when bouncing, the photographer will still be corralled into thinkingonly about his foreground set of graphic tiers—missing out on a wealth ofothermoredaringoptions.

It will take some time to get used to using a corded flash. It’s not onlyphysically different, it also requires a different way of thinking—but don’tmakeitanymorecomplicatedthanitreallyis.Thisisn’trocketscience,afterall. Take a look at your images; if you don’t likewhat you created, changesomething. Do you need more power? Do you need modification? A fastershutterspeed?Anarrowerbeamoflight?Thinkaboutwhatyou’redoingand

embracethelearningprocess.

ChangingtheAngleoftheFlash

When the flash was attached to the camera, you could onlylight foreground elements from one angle—or, at the most,bounce the light from a nearby source, spreading the wealthamongst those elements closest to you. While nice, thisapproachislimiting.

With the flashoff-cameraandhand-held,youcannowvarythedirectionofthelightyou’reproducing,fillinginshadowsorcreatingnewones.Bysimplytwistingyourwristandpointingtheflashinadifferentdirection,youchangetheveryheartofyourmessage.Youcandecidetoplaywiththepowerofnaturallight,goingwiththegrain,oryoucanbeamaverickandpushyourflashagainstthenaturallighttocreateauniquesenseofdrama.

Yourarm,hand,andwristwillbecomeanextensionofyourthoughtprocess.You’ll feel likeyou’repushing light,directingit to specific locations;whereveryoucanpointyourarm,youcanaddlight.Thatkindofcontrolisapowerfulfeelingforanartist.You’venowgotapaintbrush thatcanchangereality—andit’sshootingrightoutofyourarm!

With the flash off-camera and hand-held, you can nowvarythedirectionofthelightyou’reproducing…

FeatheringtheFlash.Here’sasimpleexperiment:insteadofaiming your flash directly at your subject, try pointing itslightlytotherightortoleftofit.Allowsome—butnotall—ofthelighttohityourtarget.Whatyou’llfindisthattheedgesofyour flash are soft and offer some of the most pleasing lightyourflashcanproduce.It’sverysimilartothesoftnessprovidedby the pop-up flash scatterbox (see page 37). Using this softedge of your light is called “feathering” the flash. It’s atechniquethatyou’llwanttobecomeveryfamiliarwith.

TieringYourFlash

To growas an artist, youhave tomove beyond your subject-only bias. Think about what could happen if you were toconcentrateonsomethingotherthanthethingdirectlyinfrontof you. Skipping tiers of graphic information with your flashimprovesyourvision.Itforcesyoutolookfortheunusualandto create messages that no one else can. With an off-cameraflashyoucannowdirectyourlightatagraphictierotherthantheoneclosesttoyou.

This is groundbreaking andmarks a pivotalmoment in thelife of an artist with a camera; no longer are you limited tothinking about subjects only. Now your background (orforeground)canbeequally important—andlit toshowit.Youcanstretchoutyourarmandmovetheflasharound,wrappingthat light around the front tiers and pointing it at somethingdifferent.You’ll beamazedatwhatyoucanaccomplishwhen

youputyourmind(andyourforearm)towork.

Ifyou’renewtotheideaoftieringyourflash,you’llneedtopractice. It’sadifferentwayof thinkingandgoesagainsthowmostpeopleapproachtakingaphotograph.You’llneedto“giveup”yoursubjectabitandconcentrateinsteadoncolors,tones,andmeaning.Aimyourflashatthethingsyou’venevernoticedbefore—like your background. Open your eyes to somethingdifferentandopenyourhearttotruemeaning.Ifyou’rehonestinyourpursuit,thenthebeautyofwhat’saroundyouwillfindyou—thiswepromise.

Once the flash is off-camera the need for constant modification decreases.Since the flash is no longer coming straight from the flash, the glare itproducescanbedealtwiththroughtheexpertuseofapolarizer.

When you stop pointing your flash directly at your subject,threeamazingthingshappen.First,youwillneverbebotheredby red-eye again. Second, the light the flash creates will bescattered, resulting invery littleglare.Third,you’llbe free tolight multiple graphic tiers with just one flash. By aimingbetween the graphic elements, your flash can be made toilluminate each with its feathered edges, striking them withsome of the softest light you have ever seen. In the top leftimageweseewhathappenswhentheflash is fireddirectlyatthesubject.Inthetoprightimage,theflashhasbeenfeatheredto the right. In the bottom image, the flash was pointedbetween the model and the advertisement. It was allowed tobatheboththemodelandthewallinlight.Again,thistypeofapproachisimpossibleiftheflashisstuckontopofthecamera.

Thisimagewouldhavebeenimpossiblewithacamera-mountedflash.Instead,the photographer wrapped his flash around the first tier of graphicinformationand shinedhis light on the second.By simplyhand-holding theflashand“skipping”tiersofgraphicinformation,youtakeyourflashandyourmessagetothenextlevel.Youarenolongerjustaphotographerwithaflash,you’reanartistwithamission.

ModificationOptions

Whileacorrectlyturnedpolarizerwilleliminateallglarefromyour flash when positioned perfectly, there will be plenty oftimeswhen that just isn’t possible. It’s then that you can calluponallofthemodificationoptionsyou’velearnedsofar.Sincethe flash is nowoff-camerahowever, you can actually up theante and use larger and even more creative modificationoptions. Many enthusiasts use shoot-through and reflectiveumbrellas, reflectors, or bounce cards—as well as more

elaboratelight-funnelsystems—ontheiroff-cameraflashes.

KeepYourEyesOpen

Lookbeyondwhat’sinfrontofyouandmakeadecisionasto how each tier of graphic information should be lit.Sometimes,youcanlinethingsupinsuchawaythatyouilluminate several graphic tiers at a time with your oneflash.

Again,though,keepinmindthatasyourlightsourcegrowsin size, the apparent output of your flash diminishes. Yourclassicoptionsremainsolid;toregainthelostlight,youcanuselarger apertures, move the flash closer to its target tier ofgraphicinformation,orbumptheISOtoahighersetting.

Somethingmagicalhappenswhenyoubeginaimingyourflashatvarioustiersofgraphicinformation—thingsotherthanyoursubject.You’llbelightingyourintent, not just whatever is in front of you. In the images here, thephotographer decided to light the background colors and shapes instead ofjusttheflowers.

Formany,thesearchforartisticexpressionbeginswiththeirfirsttieredflash.Here,thephotographerusedanextremeblurtoisolatethemoodofthesceneand the colors of the flower. A low-power off-camera flash was featheredacross theplant—and,more importantly, illuminated thebackground,whichwas way too dark for the artist’s tastes. Without an off-camera flash, thefeathering technique,andavision toguide their implementation, this imagewouldnothavebeenpossible.

Most photographers concentrate too heavily on taking pictures of “things.”Here, thephotographer succeeded in takingawell-litpictureofaplant,butthereisnorealexpressiongoingon.

Once you’ve made up your mind to express yourself and have chosen anaperture thatwill allow theperfect amount of blur in your image, then thepower settings, flash distance, angle of coverage, and more will makethemselvesknown.

KeyPointsforChapterFour

Offcamera flashbringswith it fivenewmessage-buildingoptionsandtwodistinctconsequences.

OFF-CAMERAOPTIONS

1.Changingtheangleoftheflash.

2.Featheringtheflash.

3.Usingthepolarizer.

4.Tieringyourflash.

5.Usingevenlargermodificationequipment.

OFF-CAMERAISSUES

1.Supportingtheflash.

2.Communicationbetweenthecameraandflash.

Asnootmadeoutofapotatochipcanisterisseenherezeroinginonasand-brushedboulder. Snoots are effectivemodification tools for off-camera flashphotography, allowing you to point the hand-held flash at something verysmallandaddjusttherightamountoflight.

Even when used off-camera, basic modification tools still hold theireffectiveness.Shownhereare threeLumiQuestproducts: theSoftBoxIII (topleft);theBigBounce(topright);andaSnoot(bottomleft).Thebottomrightimage illustrates the effectiveness of a simple cut-out piece of cardboard,whichisthenattachedtotheflashwitharubberband.

A largeLumiQuest softboxdiffused the light to suchapoint that it’s nearlyimpossible to tell lightwas addedwith a flash.above—Whenusing a largeraperture,theapparentflashpowergrows.Thisenablesyoutochoosealowerflashsetting—which,inturn,allowsforaquickerrecycletimeoftheflash—allowingittokeepupwithafastmotordrive.

For the in-camerablack&whiteartist,off-camera flash shines likenootheroptioncan.Whenaknowledgeablephotographerapplieshiscamera’sinternalfilters (and other in-camera options, such as white balance, contrast, andsharpness) alongwith a colored flash (in this case red), amazing things canhappen.below—Intheleftimage,ared-filteredflashwaspositionedtohitthebacktiersofgraphicinformation.Intherightphoto,theflashwasfiredatfullpowerattheflowersinthefront.Ahighcontrastsetting,lowwhitebalance,low ISO,high sharpening,and red internal filter settingwereall applied in-camera,aswell.This iswhatgave these images theirpowerful contrastandamazingdetail.

T

5.TheWirelessApproachIttakesgutstouseaflashoff-cameraandrequiresskilltomakeitwork,butwithresolvecomessuccess.Themasteryofwirelessoff-cameraflashwilltake

youonestepclosertoyourtruegoalofartisticfreedom.

hechallengesofflashphotographyaregreat,buttherewardsarewellworth the price. If you’ve followed along in the book, you’ve pushedyourselffar,buildingskills,gainingexperience,andfindingpride.Nowcomestheendgambit:doyouhavewhatittakestoputallofthattothetest? Do you have themettle to take your flash andmessage-buildingskills to the limit?Doyou reallyhavewhat it takes to create artwithyourcameraandtotakeyourflashfarfromthecamera?

CommunicationThroughtheAir

There are only two ways of triggering your flash wirelessly: optically(usinganotherlightsourceasatriggeringdevice)orthroughtheuseofaradiotransmitterandreceiver.

RadioTriggering.The radiooption is,by far, thebest; it’s cheaper,easier to use, and more reliable. To trigger your remote flash, werecommendasimpleCactusradiotransmitterandreceivercombination.At less than$40apair, therereally isnobetteroption for themanualoff-camera flash photographer. Attach the transmitter to your cameraandthereceivertoyourflash(anyflash)andyou’rereadytoshoot.Asamanual shooter, therewill benoneed toworryabout cameraor flashsettings;youwillhavealreadydialedthosein.

We recommend using the Cactus radio transmitter and receiver. At $40 a pair, it’s anextremelyinexpensivecommunicationoption.

Off-camerawireless flashoffers theoptimumincontrol.Withyour flashnowpositionedwellawayfromthecamera,thereisnoexcuseforanimagenottoappearasyoulikeit.Fortheseimages,avolunteer(thanksEd)heldaflashandpointeditatoursubjectwhileeachstudentintheworkshopcreatedtheirownversionofthescene—changingthewhitebalance,contrast,saturation,andfocustomatchtheirownuniquevision.

Beyondthis,allofthesamerules,processes,andtechniquesapplyas

before—except that you do lose the high-speed sync option. This isn’tthat big of a deal, since you already know how to employ the cross-polarizingtechniqueortouseseveralneutral-densityfilterstoeliminateexcesslight.

When the flash is set to gently illuminate your subject, it should just caress, notoverwhelm. In the image directly below, we see a perfectly illuminated model. In thebottomphoto,weseewhathappenswhentheflashissettoohigh.

Thereare,ofcourse,otherradiosystemsavailable.PocketWizardisavery popular brand among photographers looking for a way aroundmanual shooting.Theyoffer a transceiver that allows for bothmanualand automatic shooting … but at nearly $200 a unit, this is a veryexpensivewayofgettingyourflashtobehave.Aswetellourstudents,itreallypaystobeaconfidentmanualshooter.

OpticalTriggering.Youalsohaveanopticalchoicewhenitcomesto

triggering your off-camera flashes. This comes in the form of smalloptical triggeringdevices that siton the footofyour flash.When theysenseanotherflashfiringtheysendasmallelectricalsignaltotheflashtheyareattachedtoandforce it to fire.This iscalleda“slaved”flash.Theflashcreatingthetriggeringburstisthe“master”unit.

Thisisaclassicapproach,butithassomedrawbacks.First,itrequiresaline-of-sighttriggeringscenario.Ifthereceivercan’tseethetriggeringflash, it will not fire its own unit. This prohibits certain placementconstructs that you, as the artist, may feel are important—such asbacklighting and complex side-lighting scenarios. Additionally, whileslavedflashesareextraordinarilyusefulindoors,theydon’tworksowelloutside.Ifthereisanexcessofambientlight(suchassunlight)thereisastrongchance the receiverwillnot “see” the triggering flash.Plus, thepricecanbeprohibitive.Agoodopticaldevicewillcost$50ormore…and if you’re going to spend thatmuch on a tool that has limitations,whynotspendlessonaradioversionthatdoesn’t?

Manycameramanufacturerstodayofferanadvancedlightingsystemthatemploysasimilaroptical slave/master technology.This is limited,aswell,byline-of-sightprerequisitesandrequiresexpensiveproprietaryflashunits towork.Again,asimpleradio transmitterandreceiverwilloutperform this advanced system—andwill do it for a fraction of thecost.Thereisnothingadvancedaboutaflashsystemthatlimitsyoutoaline-of-sightfiringscenario.

TomaintainthebeautyoftheskyaboveSanDiego’sskyline,asinglehand-heldflashwasemployed. This extra light, aimed at our model and her concrete perch, enabled thephotographer tochoosea shutter speed thatallowed thebackground to look theway itdoes.Anyshutterspeedslowerthanthiswouldhavecreatedabackgroundthatwasjusttoobrightfortheintendedmessage.

Support

Oncetheflashiscompletelyawayfromthecamera,youwillneedawayto support it. Light stands are a classic option and provide a stablefoundation.Therearemany tochoose from.Ourpreferred light standsareusuallylightweight,collapsible,andeasytopack.Whenusingalightstand,youstandtheveryrealchanceofittopplingover,soafewsmall

sandbags(availableatmostcamerastores)arehighlyrecommended.

Oneofourfavoritesupporttoolsisalongten-foot“lightstick.”Thisissimplyalightweightlightstandwithitslegsbrokenoff.

Lightstandsareaclassicoptionandprovideastablefoundation.

Modification

With wireless control, the flash modification options grow yet again.Sincetheflashcannowbeattachedtoalightstand,socanitsmodifier.Companies such as Lastolite and others make extra-larger softboxes,diffusion panels, and light stand–supported flash reflectors that takeadvantageofthis.Whilerequiringabitmoresetuptime,thelighttheyproduceiswellworththeeffortrequiredtosetthemup.

Asinglewirelesslycontrolledflashshootingthroughanumbrellaisseenhere—alongwithitssupport:alightstick.

Whileyoucanpurchasehand-heldextensionhandles,alightstandwillusuallygiveyouamuchgreaterreach.

Ourfavoritelightstickismadefromaninexpensive(lessthan$30)lightstand.Typically,you’llhavetobreakthebottomlegsoffwithahammer.

Youmayhavetopoundoutanyimperfectionsonthetailendofyourlightsticktokeepitsmooth.

Aten-foot light stick,a reflectiveumbrella,anda simple$40 radio transmitter/receiversetallowsforsomeverycreative,on-the-flyphotography.Thestickisactuallyquitewell-balancedwhenrestingonthephotographer’shipandprovidesforanunbelievableamountoflight.right—Thelightstickhelpstoproducealightsourcethat’ssimplyimpossibleanyotherway.

Ahome-madelightstickwasemployedasameansofraisingthewirelessflashtoamoreagreeableangle.

Once the flashgoeswireless,yourchoicesof supportwillgrow. In thebottom image,aflash has been mounted on a light stand and fitted with a Lastolite Hot Shoe EzyboxSoftbox. Thiswonderful device enlarges the light dozens of times before it strikes yoursubject.Inthetoppairofimages,aLumiQuestSoftBoxIIIisattachedtoaflashmountedonaLastoliteEzyboxHotshoeExtendingHandle.

Inthisscene,thelossofdetailonthebackgroundisstriking(1).Tocorrectthis,wecanaddoff-cameraflashtoilluminatethewall.Asseenhere(2),thegroundsometimesmakesthebest support system.Youcan see the flashwasaimedat thewallandwasenlargedwiththehelpofalargeLumiQuestsoftbox(3).Thefinalimage(4),revealsabackgroundwithmuchmorepleasingdetail.

KeyPointsforChapterFive

1.Ifyouuseopticaltriggering,you’llhavetousealine-of-sightapproach.Thiswilllimityourartisticchoices.

2.Ifyouusearadiotransmitterandreceiver,bewaryofexpensivesetups.Thesearen’tneededifyou’reamanualphotographer.Thereareotheroptions.

3.Whenusingeitheraradiooropticaltriggeringdevice,youwillprobablyloseyourhigh-speedsynccapabilities—remembertousethecross-polarizingorneutraldensityfiltertechniqueswhendealingwithexcesslight.

4.Thinkoutsideoftheboxwhendealingwithsupportandmodification.

O

6.TakingtheNextStepNowthatyou’vegotahandleonthecontrolofyourflashandhowtomodifythelightit’sproducing,it’stimetostartmakingmeaningfulmistakes—errr,

wemeanmessages.

nce you’ve mastered the basics of adding light, it’s time to startplayingoutside.Grabsomegearanda fewfamilymembers, thenheadoutintothegreatunknown.Sure,it’sscarythefirsttimeyoudoit—and,trustus,youwillmakeloadsofmistakes.Butfromeachoftheseyou’lllearn something important. Take your time and explore what yourmonitoroffers.Thetruthandalltheanswerslayburiedthere;don’tletthisopportunityslipaway.

An extra bit of illumination was added to our model to help isolate her from thebackground.Theflashwasmodifiedwithareflectiveumbrella,setatopahomemadelightstick.Thiswasheldinplacebyanassistantandtriggeredwiththeuseofaninexpensivewireless radio transmitter and receiver. All of this was done while the photographerdialed-inhisapertureandshutterspeedtobestlighthismessage—andafterheadjustedhiswhitebalance,contrast,saturation,hue,andsharpnessin-cameratobestbringaboutthe“feeling”hewantedtoshare.Hey,nooneeversaidrealphotographywasgoingtobeeasy.

Studyyourimageswhileinthefieldandtryveryhardtomakealltheneededcorrectionswhilethesituation—yourcamerasettingsandallof

yourmistakes—arefresh inyourmind.There isnobetter teacher thanpureexperienceandyou’llgetanawfullotofitfromdoingthis.

Asyoubegin,don’texpectmorethanoneortwodecentphotographsfrom each of your outings. Rest comfortably with the fact that, withpractice,everyonegetsbetter—theydon’thaveachoice.

Start simply. Create a darker-than-usual background with youraperture and shutter. Place your flash close to your subject, turn yourpolarizer to eliminate any excess glare, and fire your flash. Try to getyour subject to stand out from the background with just a touch ofillumination.Ifyouneedtousealightstickorhaveanassistantholdtheflash,thengetone.Don’tbotherwithkeepingtheflashon-camera,youcandothatathome.Hityoursubjectwithanoff-camerawirelessflashanddon’tlookback.

Whatyou’llquicklydiscoveristhatyoudohavethepowertochangereality,tocreateinsteadofjustcapture.Explorethelessonstaughtinthisbookandyou’llbecreatingyourowndramaticjust-one-flashimagesinnotime.Goodluckandgoodshooting!

Trytogetyoursubjecttostandoutfromthebackgroundwithjustatouchofillumination.

Howtheworldactuallyappears(left)variesgreatlyfromhowitcanbeforcedtoappear(facingpage). It’s thephotographer’sultimateresponsibilitytodecideuponthemoodofhis image.Here,adarker-than-usualbackgroundwascreatedusingcross-polarization.A“sticked”off-cameraflashwasmodifiedwithamedium-sizedshoot-throughumbrella.Thecamerasettingsweredialed-inbasedontaste.

Asyoucanclearly see in these images, thebackgroundwas changedconsiderably fromhowitactuallyappeared.Decisionsabout thebackground—thedarkness levels,contrastsettings, white balance options, and more—should be made before you even beginthinkingaboutusingaflash.

Onceyourbackgroundis litand“feels” thewayyouwant it to,examinetherestof thegraphictiersanddecidewhetherornottheydeserve(orcanhave)anyextralight.Ifyouhaveatleastoneflashandthemeanstoeffectivelydeployit,successwillberightaroundthecorner.

For this series of images, the photographer placed his model directly in front of theblazingafternoonsun.Toeliminate theexcess lightasmallaperture(f/11)waschosen.Theshutterwaslockedat1/200second,sincethewirelessconnectionused(Cactus)didn’tprovide for a fast-speed sync option. In this case, the smaller aperture worked wellbecausethephotographeractuallywantedmoreofhisbackgroundinfocus.Aflashwasthen placed on a light stick and positioned very close to the model’s head. A heavycontrast settingwasapplied in-camera,alongwithawhite-balancesetting thatgave the

sky the attitude shown here.facing page—In the top images you can see how the dayactually appeared. The middle photo illustrates the power of the flash—even whenpointeddirectlytowardthesun.Thebottomtwoimagesshowthedifferencethatjustoneflashmakes.

Intheseimages,themodelwasplaceddirectlyinfrontofthesunagain.Thegoalwastodarkenthesky,yetbringthemodelintothelight.Anapertureoff/14waschosentokeepboththesubjectandbackgroundincrispfocus—andtodarkenthebackground.Awide-angle lenswaspicked,and thepowerof the flashwas turned to full.Thepolarizerwasusedtoeliminateanyman-madeglare.

By first choosinganaperture (f/8)and shutter speed (1/200second) thatallowed foradarker-than-usualbackground,thephotographerhadonlytoemployalight-stickmountedflashtobringthesubjectupfromtheshadows.

Knowwhatyouwanttosaybeforeyousayit.Thisisthebestadvicewecanofferanewphotographersearchingforartisticfreedomwithaflash.Thebackgroundintheseimageswaschosenfirst,thenaflashwasemployedtobringourmodelsoutofthedarkness.

GearInventory

Every photographer has his favorite modification, support, andcommunicationtoolsforflashphotography.Herearesomeoftheaccessoriesweusedinthisbookandfoundhelpful.

PocketBouncer(LQ-101)

The Pocket Bouncer enlarges and redirects light at a 90 degree anglefrom the flash to soften itsqualityanddistribute it overawiderarea.While no exposure compensation is necessary with automatic flashes,operating distances are somewhat reduced. (www.lumiquest.com)

QuikBounce(LQ-122)

Thisuniquedesignoffersdoorsthatcanbeopenedtoallow80percentceilingbouncewhileallowing20percentofthelighttobounceofftheremainingsurfacearea,providingfilllightandmoreevenillumination.Whenthedoorsremainclosed,100percentofthelightbouncesoffthis

surfacearea.(www.lumiquest.com)

ProMaxSystem(LQ-105)

The ProMax System allows 80 percent of the light to bounce off theceilingwhile 20 percent is redirected forward as fill light. The systemincludes interchangeable white, gold, and silver inserts as well as aremovable frosted diffusion screen. (www.lumiquest.com)

Snoot(LQ-114)

TheSnootisolatesthelighttoaveryspecificarea.Automaticoperationmay be affected, as the illuminated area is limited.

(www.lumiquest.com)

BigBounce(LQ-104)

The LumiQuest Big Bounce enlarges, redirects, and softens the light.

(www.lumiquest.com)

MiniSoftBox(LQ-108)

TheMini SoftBox enlarges and diffuses the lightwith the flash in thedirect flash position. Unobtrusive and low profile, theMini SoftBox isideal for press photography and other fast-moving situations.

(www.lumiquest.com)

SoftboxIII(LQ-119)

The SoftBox III is roughly twice the size of the original SoftBox,producing considerably softer shadows. It fits conventional flashes(Nikon, Canon, Sunpak, Vivitar, etc.). (www.lumiquest.com)

SoftScreen(LQ-051)

TheLumiQuestSoftScreenisadiffuserthatisdesignedforthebuilt-inpop-up flash of many digital cameras. (www.lumiquest.com)

CinchStrap(LQ-117)

The LumiQuest Cinch Strap enables the photographer to attachLumiQuest accessories without installing a self-adhesive loop to theirflash. In addition, wrap-around Velcro attaches LumiQuest accessoriesfor a more secure attachment. (www.lumiquest.com)

HotShoeEzyBoxSoftboxKit

The Lastolite Ezybox Softbox offers photographers a portable largesoftbox option. This softbox creates a large, diffused light source forphotographers while in the field. (www.lastolite.com)

LongEzyBoxHotshoeExtendingHandle(LLLS2413)

Hand-held,thisboomallowsfortheadditionofflashesbothatthetopofthehandleandalongitsneck.Lastoliteoffersavarietyofsoftboxesthat

attach,aswell.(www.lastolite.com)

CactusWirelessFlashTriggerSetV4

With the Cactus Wireless Flash Trigger System V4, you can placemultipleflashesatvariousanglesanddistancesfromyoursubject.Eachreceiver works with one flash. You can use as many receivers as youwish, all receiving their signal from one transmitter. (www.harvest-

one.com/cactusfront/html)

Dedicated(TTL)FlashCords

Connects the off-camera flash to the hot shoe of the camera, allowingexposureanddistancedatatotravelbetweengear.Theflashfiresastheshutterispressed.Theseareavailableonlineandatmostcamerastores.

SyncCords

Connects between the flash and the camera, allowing the camera to“talk” to the flash for firing. These are available online and at mostcamerastores.

OpticalSlaves

Allows the off-camera flash to fire when triggered by a burst of lightfromthemainflashastheshutterispressed.Opticalslavesmustbeinline-of-sight of other flashes to work dependably. These are availableonlineandatmostcamerastores.

ConnectorsandAdaptors

Connects various sync cords between flashes for multiple flash work.Theseareavailableonlineandatmostcamerastores.

Index

AAngleofcoverage,flash,51–53

Angleoftheflash,82

Aperturesetting,27–28

Automaticsettings,9–12,18

BBounceflash,61–62

Buyinggear,15–17

CCactusradiotransmitters,93–95

Cameracontrols,masteringbasic,14,17

Close-upphotography,44–47

Contrastsettings,29–31

DDiffusers,34–36,49

Directflash,33

Distanceofflashtosubject,27

EExternalflash,15,48–72,73–104

angleofcoverage,51–53

bounceflash,61–62

buying,15

diffusers,49

(Externalflash,cont’d)direct,49

high-speedsync,53–56

modifiers,56–62

poweroutput,48–49

powersettings,50–53

supportoptions,77,98

tiering,83–85

triggeringwithwiredconnection,73–91

triggeringwithwirelessconnection,93–115

usingoff-camera,seeOff-cameraflash

FFeatheringtheflash,82,84

Fileformat,20–21

Flashbrackets,81

Flashmodifiers,seeLightmodifiersFlash-syncspeed,28,53–56

FPmode,seeHigh-speedflashsync

GGlare,29,58,62–63,83,84

Goals,setting,13,63–65

HHigh-speedflashsync,53–56

Hmode,seeHigh-speedflashsyncHotshoeconnection,73,77,81

IISOsetting,18–20,86

JJPEGformat,21

LLCDmonitor,22

Lightmodifiers,32–47,49,56–62,76–77,85–86

bouncecards,86

commercial,32

diffuserr,34–36,49

home-made,32–47,60–61

lightfunnels,86

powerlosswith,61

reflectors,86

scatterbox,37–47

snoots,57,59,88

softboxes,57–58,59

umbrellas,76–77,86

Lightstands,98

Lightsticks,98–99

MManualsettings,13,14

Message-buildingprocess,63–65

Mistakes,learningfrom,13

Modifiers,seeLightmodifiers

NNeutraldensityfilters,28

Nightphotography,65

OOff-cameraflash,73–104

angleoftheflash,82

featheringtheflash,82

modifiers,85–86,98–104

supporting,77,98

tieringtheflash,83–85

triggering,seeWiredflashtriggeringandWirelessflashtriggering

On-cameraflash,22–47,48–72

PPCterminal,77,78–81

Perspective,controlling,65

PocketWizards,96

Polarizingfilters,29,62–63,64,83,85

Pop-upflash,14,22–47

aperturesetting,27–28

distancetosubject,27

flash-syncspeed,28

learningwith,14

modifiers,32–47

powersettings,25–27

Postproduction,12–13

Powerlosswithmodifiers,61

Powersettings,flash,25–27,50–53

Practicing,14

RRAWformat,20–21

SSandbags,98

Scatterbox,37–47

close-upworkwith,44–47

making,37–43

Shutterspeed,28,53–56

Softbox,15

Supports,flash,77,98

handholding,77

lightstands,98

lightsticks,98–99

TTieringtheflash,83–85

Triggering,seeWiredflashtriggeringandWirelessflashtriggering

TTLcord,73,81

UUSBport,78

VVideooutterminal,78

WWiredflashtriggering,73–91

dedicatedTTLcord,73,81

hotshoe,73,77,81

PCterminal,77,78–81

Wirelessflashtriggering,93–115

Cactusradiotransmitters,93–95

opticaltriggering,96–98

PocketWizards,96

radiotriggering,93–96

ZZoomingtheflash,seeAngleofcoverage

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MasterLightingGuideFORCOMMERCIALPHOTOGRAPHERS

RobertMorrissey

Use the toolsand techniquespros relyon to landcorporateclients.Includesdiagrams,images,andtechniquesforafailsafeapproachforshots that sell. $34.95 list, 8.5×11, 128p, 110 color photos, 125diagrams,index,orderno.1833.

DigitalCaptureandWorkflowFORPROFESSIONALPHOTOGRAPHERS

TomLee

Cut your image-processing time by fine-tuning your workflow.Includes tips for working with Photoshop and Adobe Bridge, plusframing, matting, and more. $34.95 list, 8.5×11, 128p, 150 colorimages,index,orderno.1835.

SoftboxLightingTechniquesFORPROFESSIONALPHOTOGRAPHERS

StephenA.Dantzig

Learn touseoneofphotography’smostpopular lightingdevices toproduce soft and flawless effects for portraits, product shots, andmore. $34.95 list, 8.5×11, 128p, 260 color images, index, order no.1839.

JEFFSMITH’S

LightingforOutdoorandLocationPortraitPhotography

Learn how to use light throughout the day—indoors and out—andmake locationportraits a highly profitable venture for your studio.$34.95list,8.5×11,128p,170colorimages,index,orderno.1841.

ProfessionalChildren’sPortraitPhotography

LouJacobsJr.

Fifteen topphotographers reveal theirmost successful techniques—fromworkingwithuncooperativekids,tolighting,tomarketingyourstudio.$34.95 list, 8.5×11, 128p, 200 color photos, index, order no.2001.

Children’sPortraitPhotographyAPHOTOJOURNALISTICAPPROACH

KevinNewsome

Learn how to capture spirited images that reflect your youngsubject’s unique personality and developmental stage. $34.95 list,8.5×11,128p,150colorimages,index,orderno.1843.

ProfessionalPortraitPosingTECHNIQUESANDIMAGESFROMMASTERPHOTOGRAPHERS

MichellePerkins

Learn how master photographers pose subjects to createunforgettable images. $34.95 list, 8.5×11, 128p, 175 color images,index,orderno.2002.

MONTEZUCKER’S

PortraitPhotographyHandbook

AcclaimedportraitphotographerMonteZuckertakesyoubehindthescenes and shows you how to create a “Monte Portrait.” Coverstechniques forbothstudioandlocationshoots.$34.95 list,8.5×11,128p,200colorphotos,index,orderno.1846.

LightingandPosingTechniquesforPhotographingWomen

NormanPhillips

Makeeveryfemaleclientlookherverybest.Thisbookfeaturestipsfromtopprosanddiagramsthatwill facilitate learning.$34.95 list,8.5×11,128p,200colorimages,index,orderno.1848.

TheBestofPhotographicLighting,2ndEd.

BillHurter

Topprosrevealthesecretsbehindtheirstudio,location,andoutdoorlighting. Packedwith practical tips.$34.95 list, 8.5×11, 128p, 200colorphotos,index,orderno.1849.

JEFFSMITH’S

PosingTechniquesforLocationPortraitPhotography

Usearchitecturalandnaturalelementstosupportthepose,maximizetheflowofthesession,andcreaterefined,artfulposesforindividualsubjectsandgroups—indoorsorout.$34.95list,8.5×11,128p,150colorphotos,index,orderno.1851.

MasterLightingGuideFORWEDDINGPHOTOGRAPHERS

BillHurter

Capture perfect lighting quickly and easily at the ceremony andreception. Includes tips from the pros for lighting individuals,couples, and groups. $34.95 list, 8.5×11, 128p, 200 color photos,index,orderno.1852.

ExistingLightTECHNIQUESFORWEDDINGANDPORTRAITPHOTOGRAPHY

BillHurter

Learn toworkwithwindow light,make themost of outdoor light,andusefluorescentandincandescentlighttobesteffect.$34.95list,8.5×11,128p,150colorphotos,index,orderno.1858.

THESANDYPUC’GUIDETO

Children’sPortraitPhotography

Learn how Puc’ handles every client interaction and session forpriceless portraits, the ultimate client experience, and maximumprofits.$34.95 list,8.5×11,128p,180color images, index,orderno.1859.

MinimalistLightingPROFESSIONALTECHNIQUESFORLOCATIONPHOTOGRAPHY

KirkTuck

Use battery-operated flash units and lightweight accessories to getthetop-qualityresultsyouwant$34.95list,8.5×11,128p,175colorimagesanddiagrams,index,orderno.1860.

FILM&DIGITALTECHNIQUESFOR

ZoneSystemPhotography

Dr.GlennRand

A systematic approach to perfect exposure, developing or digitallyprocessing your work, and printing images that suit your creativevision.$34.95 list, 8.5×11, 128p, 125 b&wand color images, index,orderno.1861.

SimpleLightingTechniquesFORPORTRAITPHOTOGRAPHERS

BillHurter

Make complicated lighting setups a thing of the past. In this book,you’lllearnhowtostreamlineyourlightingformoreefficientshootsandmore natural-looking portraits. $34.95 list, 8.5×11, 128p, 175colorimages,index,orderno.1864.

LightingforPhotographyTECHNIQUESFORSTUDIOANDLOCATIONSHOOTS

Dr.GlennRand

Gainthetechnicalknowledgeofnaturalandartificiallightyouneedto take control of every scene you encounter—and produceincredible photographs. $34.95 list, 8.5×11, 128p, 150 colorimages/diagrams,index,orderno.1866.

SculptingwithLight

AllisonEarnest

Learn how to design the lighting effect that will best flatter yoursubject.Studioandlocationlightingsetupsarecoveredindetailwithan assortment of helpful variations provided for each shot. $34.95list,8.5×11,128p,175colorimages,diagrams,index,orderno.1867.

Step-by-StepWeddingPhotography

DamonTucci

Deliver the images that your clients demand with the tips in thisessentialbook.Tuccishowsyouhowtobecomemorecreative,moreefficient, andmore successful.$34.95 list, 8.5×11, 128p, 175 colorimages,index,orderno.1868.

ProfessionalWeddingPhotography

LouJacobsJr.

Jacobs explores techniques and images from over a dozen topprofessional wedding photographers in this revealing book, takingyoubehindthescenesandintothemindsofthemasters.$34.95list,8.5×11,128p,175colorimages,index,orderno.2004.

TheArtofChildren’sPortraitPhotography

TamaraLackey

Create images that are focused on emotion, relationships, andstorytelling.Lackeyshowsyouhowtoengagechildren,conductfunsessions,anddelivertimelessimages.$34.95list,8.5×11,128p,240

colorimages,index,orderno.1870.

50LightingSetupsforPortraitPhotographers

StevenH.Begleiter

Filledwithuniqueportraitsandlightingdiagrams,plusthe“recipe”for creating each look.$34.95 list, 8.5×11, 128p, 150 color imagesanddiagrams,index,orderno.1872.

LightingandPhotographingTransparentandTranslucentSurfaces

Dr.GlennRand

Learn to photograph glass, water, and other tricky surfaces in thestudio or on location. $34.95 list, 8.5×11, 128p, 125 color images,diagrams,index,orderno.1874.

100Techniques

forProfessionalWedding

Photographers

BillHurter

Top photographers provide tips for becoming a better shooter.$34.95list,8.5×11,128p,180colorimagesanddiagrams,index,orderno.1875.

DOUGBOX’SGUIDETO

PosingforPortraitPhotographers

Based on Doug Box’s popular workshops for professionalphotographers, this visually intensive book allows you to quicklymastertheskillsneededtoposemen,women,children,andgroups.$34.95list,8.5×11,128p,200colorimages,index,orderno.1878.

500PosesforPhotographingWomen

MichellePerkins

Inspiring images, from head-and-shoulders to full-length portraits,and classic to contemporary styles—perfect for when you need alittle shot of inspiration to create a newpose.$34.95 list, 8.5×11,128p,500colorimages,orderno.1879.

MinimalistLightingPROFESSIONALTECHNIQUESFORSTUDIOPHOTOGRAPHY

KirkTuck

Learnhowtechnologicaladvanceshavemadeiteasyandinexpensiveto set up your own studio. $34.95 list, 8.5×11, 128p, 190 colorimagesanddiagrams,index,orderno.1880.

MasterPosingGuideforWeddingPhotographers

BillHurter

Learn to create images thatmake your clients look their very best

whilestillreflectingthespontaneityandjoyoftheevent.$34.95list,8.5×11,128p,180colorimagesanddiagrams,index,orderno.1881.

ELLIEVAYO’SGUIDETO

BoudoirPhotography

Learnhowtocreateflattering,sensualimagesthatwomenwillloveas gifts or keepsakes. Covers everything you need to know—fromgettingclientsinthedoor,torunningasuccesfulsession,tomakingabig sale.$34.95 list, 8.5×11,128p,180 color images, index, orderno.1882.

MASTERGUIDEFOR

PhotographingHighSchoolSeniors

Dave,Jean,andJ.D.Wacker

Learn how to stay at the top of the ever-changing senior portraitmarketwiththesetechniquesforsuccess.$34.95list,8.5×11,128p,270colorimages,index,orderno.1883.

AvailableLightPHOTOGRAPHICTECHNIQUESFORUSINGEXISTINGLIGHTSOURCES

DonMarr

Findgreatlight,modifynot-so-greatlight,andharnessthebeautyofsome unusual light sources in this step-by-step book. $34.95 list,8.5×11,128p,135colorimages,index,orderno.1885.

On-CameraFlashTECHNIQUESFORDIGITALWEDDINGANDPORTRAITPHOTOGRAPHY

NeilvanNiekerk

Use on-camera flash to create lighting that flatters your subjects—anddoesn’tslowyoudownonlocationshoots.$34.95 list,8.5×11,128p,190colorimages,index,orderno.1888.

CommercialPhotographyHandbookBUSINESSTECHNIQUESFORPROFESSIONALDIGITALPHOTOGRAPHERS

KirkTuck

Learnhowto identify,market to,andsatisfyyour targetmarkets—andmake important financialdecisions tomaximizeprofits.$34.95list,8.5×11,128p,110colorimages,index,orderno.1890.