The thing about off-camera flash is that it has the reputation for being complicated but, like all things, once you get the hang of it, it’s one of the most useful techniques you can have. In this video, we step through how to use off-camera flash, how to approach your settings and then show five different creative ideas for using it in the field, from replicating stunning ‘natural’ daylight to theatrical effects with smoke and silhouettes. If you fancy getting hands-on with off-camera flash and don’t know where to start, it’s one of our regular workshops – the next one is on the 20th January, 2025. Come along and get to grips with one of the most creative ways to light your portraits!
Images Created In The Video A few of the images we create in this video:
Transcript
Hello, one and all. In this video, we’re going to explore the many and varied uses of off camera flash, whether it’s for creating flattering light, whether it’s creating effects, isolating subjects, or frankly, a lot of fun and a little bit of theatre. I really, really, really hope you enjoy this video. So with all of the things you have available to you when you’re shooting outdoors, or shooting in a room that already has light in it, why would you bother using off camera flash? Camera flash. Well, it’s really simple is that you can have glorious, beautiful light. Anywhere you go, as long as you’re willing to carry a light in a stand or have an assistant. It means you can create the same light you’d expect to have in the studio, well, right here in the outdoors. So let’s just have a quick think about how it works. And off camera flash is in some senses quite complicated, but in others is really simple. So let’s just deal with the simple. The simple idea is you have a certain amount of light coming from your scene, that’s your background normally, and then you’re going to use off camera flash or a strobe or something similar to throw light onto your subject. You’ve got background light, that’s your first set of light. And then when you’re happy with that, you’re gonna throw a little bit of extra light in to light up your subject. So let me talk it through with a real scene. For this scene. We took Loretta and we just popped her in front of one of our walls in the garden, and I set the camera at about ISO 100. I set it up at about hundred 25th of a second. And when I say about , of course I said it exactly, uh, hundred, 120 fifth a second, ISO 100 at F four. And that gave me a nice darkish.…