Book or articles on flash techniques?

[dtrayers]

I've been experimenting with using my 420EX as a slave with my 550EX. I got a nice family group shot with the 550 bounced on the ceiling and the 420 with an Omnibounce pointed up at the group from under the tripod. It took some dialing in with the flash ratios though.

Anyway, I'd like a little jump start in learning about flash placement, how to shoot informal portraits, interior architectural shots, room illumination, etc.

Any suggestions of a book or some articles on this subject are welcome.

[Jim_T]

Here's a link to get you going.. (lots of reading)

http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/

[dtrayers]

Yes, I'm very familiar with that site. It's a must read for anyone using E-TTL.

I was looking for less nuts-and-bolts and more practical information, like how to place lighting, lighting for different subjects, the best way to balance fill and natural light, etc.

[gogo]

Basic studio lighting from Tony L. Corbell.
Help me because is got a lot examples but is only basic lighting setup.For some advance photography is best to take a photocamera and shoot because no book can tell you ultimate solution.

[DaveG]

dtrayers wrote:
Yes, I'm very familiar with that site. It's a must read for anyone using E-TTL.

I was looking for less nuts-and-bolts and more practical information, like how to place lighting, lighting for different subjects, the best way to balance fill and natural light, etc.


I don't think that the multiple flashes would be something that I'd see a lot of utility in trying to fill flash. But if you wanted to do this, just keep dropping the shutterspeed until the flash and the ambient light are balanced.

I like to light podium type commercial shots with the second flash - the 420 - on a light stand. The use of a light stand provides some repeatability that a friend holding the second flash won't give you. I position this stand as the room dictates, but it is remarkable how "on the other side" of the subject I can get it.

The flashes, both the 550 and the 420 are aimed directly at the subject without any light modifiers like umbrellas or such.

I'll often turn off the main flash tube on my 550 to just illuminate the subject with the 420. Imagine the subject speaking and looking directly forward. To his left at about 11:00 is the 420, about three or four meters away. To his right at about 2:00 is me with the camera and the 550. If the light is only coming from the 420 then this would be described as short lighting and is highly dramatic. I'll take some like this and then turn the 550's flash tube back on and mess with the ratios. I'll even change the shooting position from 2:00 to 3:00 of even 4 or 5. The main thing is that I get to see what happens from shot to shot.

I did modify the 420 slightly in so far as I've added Velcro to the sides of the flash head. This is the self adhesive "soft" part of the Velcro. I then put some hard Velcro strips on black cardboard cards. I use these cards on the 420 to flag the light. The flag closest to the camera would prevent flare.

If you add a second flag to the other side of the flash it'll also prevent the light from spashing onto the background. In effect you've built a directional snoot for the flash. It wouldn't take a lot of brains to figure out that this would be a down and dirty way to make a hair light either!

I'm sure that you know this but you should point the body of the 420 back towards the 550. Not only will the 420's sensor pick up the TTL signal better but the 420 body throws out this red light that would be very distracting if it was to fall on the subject, since it blinks on and off.

The 420 also likes to go to sleep if you haven't used it for a few minutes. The red light - really the LACK of the red light - is a signal to me that the 420 has gone for a snooze. Just press the test button to wake it up. The test flash will fire and then there will be a distinct pause - a second or so and the 420 will spit out a little pulse of white light and the red light starts blinking again.

As for the rest just use good rules of flash. Keep the 420 high so that shadows look normal. Don't have the 420 flash so close to the camera that it throws a side shadow. On that point use a bracket to support the 550 so IT doesn't throw a side shadow when you are shooting a vertical.

[scottbergerphoto]

Mastering Flash Photography by Susan McCartney. A great book to learn various aspects of flash photography.
Scott