First time using Speed Light

I just got a new Phottix Mitros flash for my T3i, and was playing around with it today. I had my oldest son do some bunny hops on his Subrosa Tiro while I tried to get my settings right. I snapped about 6 dozen pics and managed to catch a few decent shots of him. These are not the best composition in world, but I was more concerned with lighting and exposure. This is my first speed light so I am a total newb with it. Kind of fun shooting with it though. Any advice from SL users would be greatly appreciated.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/n5DV​cD

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/n5DK​F6

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/n5FA​PU

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/n5DG​8K

Fun huh?

Get it off camera and off axis. Start aiming it such that you're the subject, not the foreground.

windpig wrote in post #16831508
Fun huh?

Get it off camera and off axis. Start aiming it such that you're the subject, not the foreground.

Agreed. You really need that light coming off the side, preferably at a believable angle. That'll eliminate or make any shadows that do show up more pleasing.

You want to get a pack of color correction gels if you don't have any. You can get a pack for less than $30 on Amazon. Flashes are usually calibrated for 5400K which is daytime, so when you use an ungelled flashed during the evening you get a 5400K flash + a ~4000K ambient lighting which can make the flash part of the exposure look unnatural.

I agree get it off camera. I purchased a cheap speed light stand kit and some cowboy studio triggers for less than $50.00 on Amazon and that's how I got into off camera lighting.

it's fun to experiment! check out strobist.com too for some info

I have a couple tripods that I can use for off camera setups. As well as a monopod for using it for light painting. I have a Phottix Odin TCU ordered for shooting non line of sight and in bright sun situations. I hope to have that here this week. I have been trying to figure out my exposure settings and get that part understood before I try any off camera shooting. It is proving to be quite the balancing act between ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. Throw in flash zoom, flash power, and the other variables and my brain starts to hurt.

Gels are on my to get list for sure. Tell me if I'm wrong in my thinking here, a yellow gel over the flash would have improved the above shots by better matching the ambient light temp? Also about the gels, are they laid out or marked by color temp? Most product descriptions for them are pretty vague.

I shot the above pics in ETTL mode. I have read that for off camera shots it may be best to use Manual mode. Is that correct?

Getting the light off axis both up and to either side would have provided a better look, even if only off camera a little. Whether to use ETTL or manual depends on how close your bike rider could hit a mark you set up if shooting manual, if you catch my drift.

windpig wrote in post #16833840
Whether to use ETTL or manual depends on how close your bike rider could hit a mark you set up if shooting manual, if you catch my drift.

Meaning keeping the distance between the flash and the subject the same for manual mode? Or am I interpreting that wrong?

Yes.