RSS
 

Posts Tagged ‘Flash’

killer fridge creative flash photography tip by Dom Bower

12 Jan

www.dombower.com In this video i show you another creative lighting technique with my nikon d300 or fuji s5pro and my speedlight sb900 with a colour filter gel on the front. using a cls system and off camera flash to make an interesting dramatic photo.
Video Rating: 3 / 5

 
 

Do You Get the Most Out of Your On-camera Flash?

08 Jan

Life is happening all around you. Every day is full of amazing, once in a lifetime moments that you can’t wait to capture and share. Unfortunately for us as photographers, the moments we most want to capture often happen in less than ideal lighting conditions. This is why flash photography is a great tool to have in your arsenal. Flash Continue Reading

The post Do You Get the Most Out of Your On-camera Flash? appeared first on Photodoto.


Photodoto

 
Comments Off on Do You Get the Most Out of Your On-camera Flash?

Posted in Photography

 

orbis® ring flash episode 004 – Off Camera Cord Basics

30 Dec

The basics of using an off camera cord; why you’d want to and how simple they are to connect, with some examples of off-camera cord photos with and without the orbis™ ring flash. Be sure not to miss using the orbis(tm) as a small softbox featured at the end, for directional light that isn’t harsh. Thanks to Anita, the model, from issis.co.nz for her help. Next video, setting up Nikon’s CLS system !

To watch those video samples in 1080p visit my channel. Feel free to like my facebook page to see the photos behind the videos. www.facebook.com
Video Rating: 4 / 5

 
 

New Years Flash Guide: 7 Simple Tips for Great Flash Photos

26 Dec

Extra photos for bloggers: 1, 2, 3

New Years means three things: dancing, champagne, and lots of photos to record the blurry memories.

If it weren’t for your trusty flash, those photos would turn out just as blurry!

Have no fear fellow party monsters because we’ve put together a guide to flash photography guaranteed to keep your photos sharp as a tack and shiny as a disco ball.

Check out these 7 simple tips, and by midnight we’ll have you ready to kiss blurry goodbye.

7 Simple Tips for Great Flash Photos

p.s. We’re having our first ever sale today in the shop! Hurry on over before we change our minds 😉

Why it’s Cool:

ingred-smFlash tends to get a bad rap.

Many people associate it with dark shadows and washed out colors.

In a perfect world we could use ambient light all the time, but nobody wants to miss capturing the party just because the light’s gone low.

In this guide we’ll show you how flash can help avoid motion blur, balance for unusual lighting, fill in dark shadows, accentuate movement, and offer tons of creative control.

And what’s awesome is that when done just right flash looks really good!

In fact, most people won’t even be able to tell you’re using it.

Diffuse the Situation – Flash Diffusers

paint-smDirect flash can be over-bright, harsh, and create some nasty shadows.

But, flash diffusers help soften the light from your flash by either shooting it through some transparent material or bouncing it off a reflective surface.

We like the Lightsphere from Gary Fong for even soft light, and The Flash Bender and Diffuser when you want a little more creative control with your lighting.

For this shot, we angled our flash slightly backwards so that light popped forward through the diffuser to shine on our subject and also kicked off the wall behind us to spread our light evenly.

Glitter Bomb – Using flash to Freeze Action

paint-smWhen the ball drops, don’t drop the ball with blurry pics, use your flash to freeze the action!

To take advantage of flash’s action grabbing potential, make sure you set a minimum shutter speed of at least 1/60th of a second.

Because of a fancy rule called the inverse square law (which basically says the power of your flash doesn’t travel very far), you will want to get as close to your subject as possible.

A wide angle lens will help capture your entire scene.

We took this shot at 1/250th of a second, f/4, and ISO 1000, fast enough to keep background light from messing up our freeze.

Also, a super wide 21mm focal length helped keep the camera close and still squeeze it all in.

Ghosts in the Night – Using Slow Sync

paint-smThe slow sync setting leaves your shutter open longer, and lets your camera pick up the ambient light in your surroundings.

This helps keep color natural instead of just picking up the light from your flash which is tinted a little blue.

Slow sync can open a pandora’s box of possibilities, from light painting with sparklers to incorporating background movement into the mix.

Our example was shot using rear curtain sync option.

This means the shutter will open, gathering ambient light and allowing anything moving to blur, and then right before the shutter is about to close the flash will fire, freezing the action.

If we had used first curtain sync instead, the flash would’ve fired as soon as the shutter opened and then stayed open to gather light.

Notice the ghostly light passing through our subjects, and the glowing trails of their movement.

Flash Filterz – Using Colored Gels

paint-smColoring doesn’t have to stop when you outgrow your 24 pack of Crayolas.

Flash filters are super easy to use and can be a fun way to add creativity to your shots.

Using flash filter can also help balance for ambient lighting conditions.

For instance, a yellow flash filter balances for the amber tint of candlelight.

We used a couple filters from The Universal Flash Filter Kit for this shot.

To use these filters, simply snap the included rubber band around your flash head and attach the colored gels.

Cranking up the saturation in your settings will make these guys shine, and for extra creative points try combining flash filters with double exposures.

Bounce House – Bouncing Flash

paint-smBouncing is a technique for diffusing the light from your flash.

Instead of pointing your flash directly at your subject, you tilt your camera’s flash so it bounces off another surface such as the ceiling, which illuminates your subject with the reflected light.

Bouncing flash keeps your subjects from looking like a deer in headlights, and gives you super creative powers.

For this technique, imagine you are playing a giant game of light pinball.

Aim your flash forward, backwards, or to the side, to bounce your ball of light off different surfaces and at different angles, creating unique looks and eliminating harsh shadows.

For this shot, the flash was angled up and just a little forward so that the light bounced off the ceiling just in front our subject and filtered down onto her face.

Off Roading – Using Flash off Camera

paint-smWith this technique, you’ll be taking your flash on safari with an off camera excursion.

You will need an external flash unit for this one. If you don’t already have one, this flash from Sigma can be picked up for a pretty good price and is made for all major camera manufacturers.

Many external flashes can be triggered wirelessly by the pop up flash built into your camera.

To do this, simply set your flash into slave mode, set your camera’s flash as the master commander (Muhahaha), and make sure they are on the same channel.

You can set your camera’s built in flash just to trigger the external flash unit or to fire along with it.

This shot was created with the flash pointed straight at the camera and placed behind the disco ball. When fired, it created shiny sparkles and consequently reminded us of our middle school dances.

Off camera flash can also be used to fill in dark shadows and balance for other light sources that are striking your subject.

I Can See Your Halo – Using Ring Flash

paint-smRound pupils, round face, portraits were just made for circular flash!

Ring flashes attach around your lens and light up like a big glowing halo for glitzy circular catch lights in the eyes.

We used The Ring Flash Adapter for our example, which attaches to the flash you already have saving you some solid buckeroos.

To use the Ring Flash Adapter, you will probably need to turn up the exposure compensation on your flash as it works by bouncing light down a mirrored tube.

We found between +1.3 and +2 stops worked best for a nice bright exposure.

Taking it Further

  • Head outside and try a flash portrait at sunset.
  • Get wet with some water drop photos.
  • Can’t afford a fancy diffuser? Print this bounce card for free!
  • Create a DIY square ring flash.
  • Head over to Joann Fabrics and pick up some cloth backgrounds for a New Years photo shoot. Right now Crushed Panne Velvet is on sale! (FYI, they totes didn’t pay us to say that. It’s just rad.)
  • Related posts:

    1. Alternative Prom Photography — Ideas & Tips for Truly Great Prom Photos Extra photos for bloggers: 1, 2, 3 Prom photo-ops have traditionally come in…
    2. Halloween Photo Tips — Our Ghoulish Guide to Scary Snaps How can you not love a holiday that encourages you…
    3. The Pop-Up Flash Bounce – Perfect Lighting with Your Camera’s Own Flash! Your pop-up flash’s measly spurt of light and shadowy results…


    Photojojo

     
Comments Off on New Years Flash Guide: 7 Simple Tips for Great Flash Photos

Posted in Equipment

 

When to Replace Your Memory Cards – SD or Compact Flash

25 Dec

www.artoftheimage.blogspot.com – I’ve had quite a few questions about memory cards, their working lifespan, and when should they be replaced. I address that here in this video… When to Replace Your Memory Cards SD or Compact FlashCheck out the new Art of the Image Recommended Photography Gear List at http PS If you have kids or know someone with kids, check out my latest online book, “Diary of a Nerd King” at www.nerdkingdiary.com. It’s funny and it’s FREE! Please pass it along… thanks! PSS If you have toddlers or small children, check out http for my children’s ebooks for Kindle, iPad, iPod, iPhone, laptops, etc! Please pass it along… thanks!

 
 

Joe McNally – Lessons in a Flash at Melbourne DIGITAL SHOW 2012

24 Dec

It would be great if you nice people can like our facebook page: facebook.com Joe McNally – Lessons in a Flash, Melbourne DIGITAL SHOW 2012 Sorry for my shaking hands, coz I was watching, so didn’t pay much attention on recording. 🙂 Record by iPhone4S
Video Rating: 4 / 5

My Promotional EP is available on iTunes! bit.ly Dan Henig performs “Feeling Good” live in his basement. An A Capella looping performance. www.facebook.com/danhenigmusic twitter follow @danhenig Produced, Directed and Edited by Martin Elliot
Video Rating: 4 / 5

 
 

Carlson School of Management Flash Mob, Deck the Halls

22 Dec

The Carlson School of Management received a surprise visit from a saxophonist…and nearly 300 of his friends from the University of Minnesota’s School of Music this November. “Deck the Halls” arr. Francisco J. Núñez and Jim Papoulis from “Coolside of Yuletide” Special Thanks To: Greg Wrenn (saxophone), Campus Singers Maroon, Gold, and Mosaic; Men’s Chorus, Women’s Chorus, University Singers, Kathy S. Romey (coordinator), Judy Sagen and Kelley Sundin (choreography), Phillip O’Toole (audio), Boosey & Hawkes, Northern Lights Video, Michael Teachout, Bryan Koop (director of photography), Steve Rudolph (producer) For more information on the Carlson School of Management visit www.CarlsonSchool.umn.edu
Video Rating: 4 / 5

 

Review of the Flashpoint Remote Flash Trigger Kit

18 Dec

www.WeeklyPhotoTips.com www.ThePhotographyPodcast.com We had the pleasure of getting our hands on the Flashpoint Remote Flash Trigger Kit and started falling in love as we were unpacking it. Once we began actually using the flash trigger kit the love was complete. Head over to the blog and learn more about what we liked, why we liked it, see sample images, and links to where you can get it (with free shipping). See you over there! www.WeeklyPhotoTips.com www.ThePhotographyPodcast.com
Video Rating: 4 / 5

 
 

AurumLight: Mixing Flash and Modeling Lights

17 Dec

One of my New Year's resolutions is to learn to be more creative and adventurous with mixing color and light. UK-based photographer Jarek Wieczorkiewicz's photograph of Jay Jessop does just that—using daylight flash, gelled flash and tungsten modeling lamps.

I love this kind of thing, and would like to evolve my lighting to the point to where I can have the confidence to almost never use just white light. Below, a full BTS video on how Jarek lit this image. Read more »


Strobist

 
Comments Off on AurumLight: Mixing Flash and Modeling Lights

Posted in Photography

 

Nikon SB-700 Speedlight Flash – Much More Than Just An Up-Date to the SB-600

16 Dec

www.artoftheimage.com – Reviewing the impressive new Nikon SB-700 Speedlight Flash and discussing why it’s much more than just an up-date to the SB-600.
Video Rating: 3 / 5