[redcat]

I'm thinking about my next purchase, the first flash of my life ^^
Before buying one, I really want to know what can I (you) can do with one flash, "you can do many things" is not enough information
Some ideas in my head, again with just one flash :

• Create silhouette (with flash) :
• Cast design shadow on/beside a subject
• Make zebra stripes on a subject
• Correctly expose a subject on a bright/dark background (expose/underexpose the background as wanted, fill flash on subject)
• Low key (light on subject and fall off to a black background)
• High key (light behind subject for a white background) :
• Two lights experiments at different angles (the sun : main light, flash : second light/rim light/fill light)
• Beauty shoot (flash off camera 45° up, pop-up flash fill)

Some ideas added by other members in this thread :

• Freeze the moments (ex: water drops), freeze motion with blur from the background (ex : cars)
• Colored lighting (ex: tungsteng WB + orange gel flash => sunset photo)
• Macro, close-up
• Bounce flash, balance with ambient light (using shutter speed, 2nd curtain sync)
• Bright window light on the right and bounce flash on the left. Off camera flash above and slightly to the right with a silver foil reflector (car windshield shade) on the left. Off camera flash on the right with no reflector.
• Close range sports
• Catch light in portraits (with bounce card or flash directly)
• Balance with flame
• Turn day into night (with the help of a neutral density filter)
• Split lighting portraits (half face bright, half face dark)
• Multi-pulse strobing (stroboscopic effect : continuous motion is represented by a series of short or instantaneous samples)
• Back lighting portrait (nimbus simulating)
• "double" a single light using a reflector
• Overpower the sun (flash : main light, sun : hair light)
• Flash composites (ex : expose for background, flash on bride, flash on groom; merge in PP)
• Black foamie thing (block the direct flash & bounce off the ceiling)
• Bounce off white T-shirt of your assistants (or white curtain, fabric...)

<to be continued>

Please share your experience with your flash, what's in your mind ^^

Many thankssssss



Quote of the day : when was the last time you do sth people are not used to seeing in a photo ?

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Last edited by redcat; 07-22-2015 at 12:44 AM.

[08amczb]

In general I use my Metz 44-af1 for correctly expose people in a room. It has a fully swivelling reflector, so I can bounce the light. (It makes softer lighting.) I olso use it for macro photography whith a cheap wireless trigger.
It can freez the moments (1/15000s I think) which can be used for water drops for example. I have a cheap flash color card set too so I can make colored lighting too. My flash can't do rear curtain sync which would be useful for slow sync flash photography and can't do HSS which would be useful in bright sunlight. It is very usefull for indoor photography. I would like to get an umbrella for softening the light now.

[Kozlok]

Strobist 101 is your friend;

Strobist: Lighting 101

[asp1880]

Bounce flash for those crisp indoor shots. You can balance the window light using the shutter speed.







Catchlight in the eyes in portraits. On-camera bounce flash again:







Close range sports!:










And of course fill flash for sunny ourdoors shooting. Put a 1/4 orange gel on the flash to give people a nice tan.


Regards,
--Anders.

[redcat]

It can freez the moments (1/15000s I think) which can be used for water drops for example. I have a cheap flash color card set too so I can make colored lighting

interesting, I added this to the first post, thanks a lot ^^

Strobist: Lighting 101

reading this and taking notes ^^

---------- Post added 05-27-15 at 01:59 PM ----------

Bounce flash for those crisp indoor shots. You can balance the window light using the shutter speed.
Catchlight in the eyes in portraits. On-camera bounce flash again:
Close range sports!
And of course fill flash for sunny ourdoors shooting. Put a 1/4 orange gel on the flash to give people a nice tan.

I added these ideas to the first post, thanks a lot ^^ the photos are awesome btw

[Oldbayrunner]

When you get done with 101 continue with 102, that portion is where the real learning begins through practice exercises.

[atupdate]

I'm usually to lazy to set up more than one flash unless the picture is really important.

Bright window light on the right and bounce flash on the left.


Off camera flash above and slightly to the right with a silver foil reflector (car windshield shade) on the left.


Off camera flash on the right with no reflector.


Tim

[redcat]

When you get done with 101 continue with 102, that portion is where the real learning begins through practice exercises.

didn't know about the 102, thanks a lot ^^

Bright window light on the right and bounce flash on the left. Off camera flash above and slightly to the right with a silver foil reflector (car windshield shade) on the left. Off camera flash on the right with no reflector.

thanks for sharing this, I added these ideas to the first post

[BrianR]

Some of my one flash examples, mostly macro stuff: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bprobin/sets/72157651207658384

The uses in macro are myriad - allow crisp handheld shots, allow nighttime shots, allow you to supplement the ambient light or to completely control the lighting (even outdoors in full sun), and more. One flash + a small 5 in 1 reflector and you can pretty much rule the close-up world.

There are also a couple of examples of balancing the flash with flaming things:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bprobin/6329872430/in/album-72157651207658384/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bprobin/4407176779/in/album-72157651207658384/

and a couple combining the flashes freezing power with blur from the ambient

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bprobin/5708483575/in/album-72157651207658384/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bprobin/4407170553/in/dateposted-public/

[redcat]

Some of my one flash examples, mostly macro stuff: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bprobin/sets/72157651207658384 The uses in macro are myriad - allow crisp handheld shots, allow nighttime shots, allow you to supplement the ambient light or to completely control the lighting (even outdoors in full sun), and more. One flash + a small 5 in 1 reflector and you can pretty much rule the close-up world. There are also a couple of examples of balancing the flash with flaming things: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bprobin/6329872430/in/album-72157651207658384/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/bprobin/4407176779/in/album-72157651207658384/ and a couple combining the flashes freezing power with blur from the ambient https://www.flickr.com/photos/bprobin/5708483575/in/album-72157651207658384/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/bprobin/4407170553/in/dateposted-public/

thanks for your expererience and your photos, I added these ideas to the first post

[MPrince]

You can take pictures of pretty flowers:



You can turn day into night (with the help of a neutral density filter):



You can do split lighting portraits:



You can emulate the cover to the "Meet the Beatles" album:

[6BQ5]

I'm surprised that nobody has mention multi-pulse strobing.

I think of a flash as sunlight in a tube that you can regulate, aim, and control. Get a nice manual flash, like a Yongnuo IV and have fun experimenting!

[Outis]

You can make people look like Jesus. Find a dark, preferably slightly dusty environment, stick the flash right behind their head, and have them hold their arms out in that particularly Jesus-y way.

[RAART]

Soon after you get your first flash you will discover that you will need a few more and wireless triggers, and then you will start to discover the strobist world, you just reading about. With the time your photography skills will improve with better understanding of light, shapes and shadows. My suggestion is to look right away for cheap wireless triggers and as some suggested above the Yongnuo flashes. Soon you will find out that there is no options for HSS with wireless triggers and do not worry about it. Everyone hope is that at some point we will get those for Pentax P-TTL but you will learn also to adapt to live without... You are on the right path with Strobist web page and there is plenty of videos on the you tube to help you about, just do not make mistake and look for expensive flashes however you will need one at least to use it on the camera and I recommend the Metz. Look for 58 series or new 64, though I do not had it or maybe 52. Other flashes just get Yongnuo or Cactus, maybe Godox too, depending on your budget. You have great reviews here of those systems.

Here is a just quick sample using only one flash and wireless trigger while I did not had anything else with me and had to improvise in the wild... an older friend who wanted to have pictures while hiking and he asked me for a favor but as it day was setting already I had to use flash to light him up as we were in the forest on the edge of cliff and he wanted the background to be visible. Just remember one flash, off camera used here...

[teoprome]

what can you do with light? (real question)

the problem with external flash is that it forces to think at light, a good thing for every photographer; normally if you come into an ambient with natural and tungsten lights, don't you think:
what can you do with this type of lights?

my experience:

I asked myself : what can I do with the light?
I read some books and lighing 101 at strobist.com
I tried and tried and tried with a manual flash
I did some project that included the use of flash

an example: this shot was taken in a full ambient light with two manual flashes

https://500px.com/photo/107925411

hope this help, have fun!