Need Help Understanding Off Camera Flash

TangoJuliet

Now that I have the ability to fire my 430EXII from off camera (Canon 7D) I need some instruction/tutorials/assignments on how to really set my flash power for any given situation. I could go through some long learning curve, but it would be nice to at least have a starting point if you know what I mean. Even an explanation of how the flash head works/focus's would be a nice tidbit of info to have an understanding of. Can any one point me in the right direction?

adbsgicom

Check out Neil Van Niekirk's book on using flash. There are quite a few sections here about setting the FEC and getting proper exposure, bouncing the flash (which opens up new options when you have it off-camera as well) and he touches on on and off-camera lighting as well.

I would also suggest the strobist web site as well. Sort of a one-stop shopping location for all things off-camera.

ziggy53

Are you asking for information about setting manual flash power on a simple flash trigger, or E-TTL II settings using using the Canon 7D as master and the 430EX as slave?

TangoJuliet

Thank you both for the responses.

adbsgicom, I'll look for the book, and I have visited the Strobist blog quite a bit and I thought I understood what I was reading, but maybe not.

Ziggy, I guess what I'm really asking is for starting points on setting the flash manually rather than ETTL. I want the control and the freedom that it allows me. I shoot in full Manual now as it is.

The_Fat_Zebra

In the do-it-yourself learning process I found the most challenging part getting the technical part right. I.e. I think Neil van Niekerk's book and strobist.com are great, but there are more basic issues to be dealt with: for example: understanding what flash output is necessary if you bounce your flash over x distance using y aperture and z shutter speed at a certain ISO. Most books I own assume that knowledge (and the books understanding exposure, perfect exposure, etc don't really give you that either!). I have found that some parts of this site were useful: http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/index.html (the part on guidenumbers and such) also a good starting point, not to flash photography, but to what I think you might be interested in: http://www.fredparker.com/ultexp1.htm

Foques

I've started learning strobes just recently myself.

If there is one important thing i've learned, then it is that there is no such thing as one answer to any flash question. The only way to acquire the knowledge is to shoot.

pro's, correct me if i'm wrong.

TangoJuliet

Well, maybe the only way to "get it" is by "doing it". I've seen those websites before. Thanks. I think I just need to play around more with the flash and the camera in a controlled environment and keep shooting varying one element at a time until I start to see the results and can predict them ahead of time.

Foques

practice is the only thing that can get anyone good in anything.

get a few strobes, stands and shooting you go... well, that was the process for me at least.

TangoJuliet

Foques wrote:

get a few strobes, stands and shooting you go... well, that was the process for me at least.

After buying the 7D, I can't afford a second strobe right now, but eventually I'd like to have the 580EX also.

Other than focusing the beam, do the numbers on the flash (24mm or 105mm, or anything in between) have any other relationship to focal length?

Halite

TangoJuliet wrote:

After buying the 7D, I can't afford a second strobe right now, but eventually I'd like to have the 580EX also.

Other than focusing the beam, do the numbers on the flash (24mm or 105mm, or anything in between) have any other relationship to focal length?

You can learn a lot and shoot a bunch of good images using one light off camera. You're on the right track thinking about playing around with the flash varying one element at a time. Start simple with something like a piece of fruit (far more patient than most human models!) and play around with things like distance between flash and subject, adding diffusion (as simple as a piece of white paper), reflectors (as simple as aluminum foil). Take notes as you work and put your output in a gallery with your notes in the captions. Refer back to this gallery often until you memorize it. Then move on to more complex subjects, like a person, and try the same approach.

The numbers on the flash head denote the relative focus of the flash beam. They relate to the lighting coverage the flash is supposed to provide when it's on camera--i.e., the flash spread at 70mm should evenly light a 'typical' subject being shot with a 70mm lens. You can learn a lot about the effect of this by taking pictures of the beam spread on a blank wall with the flash zoom at various levels and the flash at various distances from the wall. Get a good understanding of that and you'll intuitively know how to set your flash when you find yourself in a new shooting situation.

I cannot recommend highly enough working through the Strobist exercises archived on the site. He's also collected his teaching into a DVD set. A great book resource for learning principles of light is Light: Science and Magic. http://www.amazon.com/Light-Science-Introduction-Photographic-Lighting/dp/0240808193/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266592080&sr=1-1

TangoJuliet

Thanks Halite. I'll have to dedicate a day next week to doing just that, shooting at a blank wall and taking notes of the beam spread and power settings. I also need to practice the strobist technique of stopping down on the ambient light, and using the flash beam as the key light. I need to create some home made snoots to focus the beam even more also.

The_Fat_Zebra

I thought I'd contribute by posting my own experimentation towards understanding the strobe.

Set-up: Kit lens at wide-angle (18mm) with Sony HVLF-42AM aimed up at a pure white ceiling corner on tripod from about three meters. I aimed at the corner so that the lines of wall to ceiling would also indicate the three-dimensionality of the whole thing, how the light falls off as you widen the zoom of your flash.

Not sure this is helpful, but it was for me at least

Sequence is 105-70-50-35-28-24-wide.

TangoJuliet

Thanks for posting that Zebra. I've been doing a little shooting at work in the only darkened room I could find, the employee bathroom . I created an el-cheapo snoot with a file folder and pointed the flash at a picture on the wall. I kept lowering the flash output power to an acceptable level and adjusted the zoom to se how it affected the intensity of the snooted beam. When I get home next week, I'll devote more time and creativity to it.

TJ

shniks

I see that you are familiar with the strobist website. I would highly recommend getting David Hobby's Strobist Seminar on DVD. There are 8 DVDs for around $140 with a wealth of information on off-camera flash lighting. Lots of examples etc. I don't think there is anything else that comprehensive out there.

http://www.mpex.com/browse.cfm/4,10149.html


Cheers,

TangoJuliet

shniks wrote:

I would highly recommend getting David Hobby's Strobist Seminar on DVD. I don't think there is anything else that comprehensive out there.[URL="http://"][/URL]

I'd love that set, but I need to start making more money before I spend any more, and I've got my daughter's 18th birthday gift and high school graduation gift to buy yet (she wants a macro and a fisheye lens for her Nikon D60 ).

Art Scott

Read about 1/2 of the first page very quickly......and did not see any thing leading me to believe any had mentioned a flash meter.....
Do you own one?? If not how were you going to hit the correct exposure quickly and easily????

A good meter is a solid foundation to flash shooting......I have used one for over 25+ yrs and I learned a long time ago that I cannot trust in camera meters and they don't meter flash anyway....................

another god book is Joe Mcnally's HOTSHOE DIARIES........................

TangoJuliet

I do not own a light meter, but according to what I've read on the Strobist blog, I should be able to get by without one. In camera metering will get me instantly in the ballpark, then it's just a matter of adjustment from there. Sounds easy enough, it just takes practice and eventually you (I) start to get a feeling for power settings and ratios for a proper exposure. I'll look for the Hotshoe Diaries though. Learning never ends.

The_Fat_Zebra

The hot shoe diaries keep receives recommendations everywhere, but I picked it up and simply could not get past the casual and sloppy style of writing. I'm going the NvNiekerk and strobist route for now.