Originally posted by Dartmoor Dave Speaking as someone who avoids flash at all costs, I'm fascinated to watch your evolving technique with your lighting experiments. Do you prepare the set-up first with modelling lights before switching to flash, or is it flash all the way? I'll admit that I'm decades out of date when it comes to studio lighting: back in the eighties, when I learned my photography, it was all photofloods and classic lighting techniques like Rembrandt and Paramount. Stone-age stuff my modern standards.
Remember sucking at something is the first step at getting better :P
I've avoided flash too as it was just all to confusing / dense / scary / etc etc. Turns out it's not that bad.
Strobist was / is my starting point. There is enough in there to encourage anyone along and keep them interested along the way.
No modelling lights here in my make shift studio.. aka the computer room, or aka the shed. Quick and easy hack is to work out the correct exposure, then dial out as much of the ambient as you care for, then introduce a flash on a low setting and adjust from there. It has been a lot of walking back and forward from the LCD and trying again, but it's been great.
Don't be scared. treat yourself to some kind of flash with manual output settings, some kind of cheap ebay special wireless triggers, a cheap light stand, an umbrella and you are already there
Honestly, Classic lighting is still where I'm at. In experimenting I'm trying to clone the light work in paintings. once I have some literacy then I can begin to explore further.
Get yourself a few little flashes
You already have a good eye for composition and a command of the exposure. You would pick this up in no time.