Photography Tips: How I Use Speedlights
I am somewhat known for not being a fan of using flash. Just never liked the look they give. I do not know where this idea or belief has come, but I remember being back in college in the mid 80s and my colleagues and I kind of photographers who use classify this type of light that the shooters announcement is not serious. Not fair, I know, but nevertheless, I was young and impressionable and the idea has stayed with me over the years. However, over the last two or three years I have been incorporating flashes with my other light source, if I “m using natural light or studio flash as my Profotos. And what I mean is that integrate I use the flash to beautify the main light on my tray. So let me explain it more clearly.
Say I’m shooting outdoors with the sunlight available and I want a hard edge light or light hair back. I’m having one of my assistants to keep the flash either by hand or with a light foot and angle it exactly where I want the light to strike. Flashes are perfect for outdoor use because they run on batteries, they are lightweight and easy to pack. But for me to get them to do what I want is the hard part. We use all sorts of things in terms of light, like cupping a hand over it to create a barn door or even taking cardboard and holding a portion of the light so that we can control where it hits . Or to put it behind something to add a touch of light in the background. For example, on the growth of the Genlux Grey’s Garden, inside the bird cage is a SB 800 wrapped in a scattering material that I normally put on a big umbrella, just to disseminate the latest light from the flash. The light created just enough light inside the cage, adding depth and drama of the picture without taking over or compete with my key lights. He “embellished” the shot. He ignored the sudden he just finished shooting.
Hush Magazine
On a recent editorial shoot for HUSH Magazine, a new magazine out of Belgium, we used a speedlight on a stand, place behind the windows and aimed it towards the back of the models head to recreate a sunburst of light, backlighting the model and pumping in a bit of light on the background to create a more interesting shot. The main light, though, was one profoto head with a beauty dish directed on the front of the model. Or the shot of Eugenia on the beach with the sun setting behind her. That’s not actually the sun, we used a speedlight to mimic the sun, creating a fabulous lens flare and hair light. We only use the speedlights as accent lights. I have never used a speedlight on top of my camera. I know other photographer’s do, using all kinds of diffusion kits and tricks to create these lovely images but you’ll never find me doing that on any fashion shoot. Well, never say never……I think I should have learned that one by now. But I can pretty guarantee I probably will never use one on top of my camera as the key light. If I wanted that stark overlit look, I would use a ringflash as oppose to a speedlight, I think.
I can’t speak for Canon, but I know that the Nikon speedlights can sync with your camera or you can use TTL metering when they’re off the camera however I never use them this way. I sync it with my pocket wizard and control the light manually as I would with my regular strobe heads. That way I have complete control of my light instead of letting the camera “guess” for me, which is common and easy to do when you’re working with speedlights. It’s important to me to always have control of my lights. Always. Your lighting is what conveys your vision and your vision is what ultimately speaks through your photographs. I use speedlights sparingly and carefully to enhance the overall lighting on my shoots. And for this, I think they do indeed get the job done
