your videos are truly inspirational! Im so lazy to make tutorial videos because I dont have a model, I dont have someone to hold the camera, I dont have someone to hold reflectors and blah blah blah! while you dont use anyone other than yourself! pretty good man! thanks so much for sharing.
PS: you can actually use a higher shutter speed, as long as you leave enough space to crop the black lines in photoshop :-)
Thank you Mark, this was a very good tutorial. However, I do have a question. I have a Nikon SB 800 and I am curious as to whether there is a setting other than TTL that would allow me to easily underexpose the background as you did here. I am planning a photo shoot soon and would very much like to try out this technique. I have not used the Sb 800 much so I do not know how to use it well as of yet. I will be using it with a Nikon D80. Thanks again and I have rated your tutorial 5 stars.
@wondnaereh I don't have much experience with the SB800 but I can tell you that though I have a few Canon flashes I use most of my flashes in manual mode to have 100% control over my flashes. You can do the same thing in TTL mode. I have done this with my Canon Camera set to Manual and the flash on eTTL. Meter and set the camera to underexpose by 1-2 stop. Then use flash exposure compensation to add more or less flash power as needed.
Joe, you can actually get by with a shoot through umbrella (at least a 43") and the same flash up one stop and eliminate the shadows. You don't need big softboxes or powerful lights to get good results. The advantage of having more powerful lights (monolights w/ batteries) is of course more power and faster recycle between flashes.
Prefocus: If you notice in the first part of the video there is a black white and grey target on a light stand. That's where I focused. There is a stick on the ground so I knew where to stand. I purposely made sure my f/ stop was 5.6 so even if I was off from the target a bit everything would still be in focus. Also I have the autofocus assigned to a button on the back of the camera. This way when I press the shutter it doesn't refocus and I don't have to switch to manual mode on the lens.
So basically, we can assume that ambient light with flash set to that reading acts as a fill flash - or a reflector where no reflector would be possible. And shutter speed will control brightness of background ambient light on the print (up to shutter sync-speed) or strobe light fall off - whichever occurs first.
Depending on conditions, this could make for some very dramatic sun set portraits with flash acting as primary light source, and sun in the frame
Max, You've pretty much got it but let me add this. Flash at the same f/stop and below acts as fill flash. So let say I set my flash to be f/4.0 but still took pic with the exposure of 1/60 @ f/5.6. The flash will act as fill and be less apparent. Once the flash is more than the ambient light then you're over power the ambient. The shutter will only control the ambient light and not the flash fall off. Flash basically acts as the shutter speed because of the shortness of the burst of light.
You may often hear that shutter speed is irrelevant when it comes to flash... except when it comes to ambient light! Of course you must stay withing the acceptable flash sync range. Flash falloff is dependent on the power of the flash and how far it travel. When I shoot kids I like to shoot with the flash under the ambient to provide a bit of fill. It makes the kids look more natural.
Hi Mark, thanks for your tutorials, I really like learning from you. Lighting is one of the most important bits in photography. Greetings from Spain.
rafvaldemoro 6 months ago
your videos are truly inspirational! Im so lazy to make tutorial videos because I dont have a model, I dont have someone to hold the camera, I dont have someone to hold reflectors and blah blah blah! while you dont use anyone other than yourself! pretty good man! thanks so much for sharing.
PS: you can actually use a higher shutter speed, as long as you leave enough space to crop the black lines in photoshop :-)
aquaphotoboy 1 year ago
Good video, Mark. Very good startpoint for newbies on flash photography. Thanks a a lot!
lampiew 2 years ago
Thank you Mark, this was a very good tutorial. However, I do have a question. I have a Nikon SB 800 and I am curious as to whether there is a setting other than TTL that would allow me to easily underexpose the background as you did here. I am planning a photo shoot soon and would very much like to try out this technique. I have not used the Sb 800 much so I do not know how to use it well as of yet. I will be using it with a Nikon D80. Thanks again and I have rated your tutorial 5 stars.
Craig
wondnaereh 2 years ago
@wondnaereh I don't have much experience with the SB800 but I can tell you that though I have a few Canon flashes I use most of my flashes in manual mode to have 100% control over my flashes. You can do the same thing in TTL mode. I have done this with my Canon Camera set to Manual and the flash on eTTL. Meter and set the camera to underexpose by 1-2 stop. Then use flash exposure compensation to add more or less flash power as needed.
markhyo 2 years ago
Love your tutorial :)
martinSaC 2 years ago
Great Video Mark, keep up the great tutorials.. Love it :)
bestmansix6 2 years ago
You rule! LEGEND
morpheus1870 2 years ago
Nice video!
paulpker121 2 years ago
Hi Mark! Just wanted to say thanks for the tutorial.
You made it easy to understand the exposure calculator on the vivitar flash. Thank you!
nuclearpsyche 2 years ago
Very good information for me as I am starting out on flashes now.
rsquaredmedia 2 years ago
very helpful... thanks
tomtailford 2 years ago
Love your videos! Thanks a lot!
ChibaCityBlues 2 years ago
Awesome vid. Thanks for sharing. Found it by way of POTN.
flipmarc69 2 years ago
Nice tutorial! Thanks!
nvrmndknasen 2 years ago
Nice video Mark.
WIth a more powerful light and a big softbox, would that remove the shadow behind you?
Im also interested in how you prefocus. I have been doing a million shots and just doing it as trial and error!
lol
SL33PYJ0E 2 years ago
Joe, you can actually get by with a shoot through umbrella (at least a 43") and the same flash up one stop and eliminate the shadows. You don't need big softboxes or powerful lights to get good results. The advantage of having more powerful lights (monolights w/ batteries) is of course more power and faster recycle between flashes.
markhyo 2 years ago
Prefocus: If you notice in the first part of the video there is a black white and grey target on a light stand. That's where I focused. There is a stick on the ground so I knew where to stand. I purposely made sure my f/ stop was 5.6 so even if I was off from the target a bit everything would still be in focus. Also I have the autofocus assigned to a button on the back of the camera. This way when I press the shutter it doesn't refocus and I don't have to switch to manual mode on the lens.
markhyo 2 years ago
thanks!
sulci 2 years ago
yea I was wondering about the prefocus too please reply 5/5
seth0923 2 years ago
See above on prefocus :-)
markhyo 2 years ago
how did you pre focus? i've been trying to do some self portraits but am having problems getting perfect focus on me...
sulci 2 years ago
See above on prefocus :-)
markhyo 2 years ago
Great job, this helps a lot.
So basically, we can assume that ambient light with flash set to that reading acts as a fill flash - or a reflector where no reflector would be possible. And shutter speed will control brightness of background ambient light on the print (up to shutter sync-speed) or strobe light fall off - whichever occurs first.
Depending on conditions, this could make for some very dramatic sun set portraits with flash acting as primary light source, and sun in the frame
maximumgravity 2 years ago
Max, You've pretty much got it but let me add this. Flash at the same f/stop and below acts as fill flash. So let say I set my flash to be f/4.0 but still took pic with the exposure of 1/60 @ f/5.6. The flash will act as fill and be less apparent. Once the flash is more than the ambient light then you're over power the ambient. The shutter will only control the ambient light and not the flash fall off. Flash basically acts as the shutter speed because of the shortness of the burst of light.
markhyo 2 years ago
You may often hear that shutter speed is irrelevant when it comes to flash... except when it comes to ambient light! Of course you must stay withing the acceptable flash sync range. Flash falloff is dependent on the power of the flash and how far it travel. When I shoot kids I like to shoot with the flash under the ambient to provide a bit of fill. It makes the kids look more natural.
markhyo 2 years ago
Thanks Mark - good tips to keep in mind.
maximumgravity 2 years ago
thanks Mark... I am going outside today to try this.. show you the shots on Facebook.
M
gingerkitty4 2 years ago