Best Book on Flash???

[mom2rtk]

I am still determined to understand flash photography better. I feel like I can walk up to a given situation and choose good settings without a flash, but pretty much go blank and still want to let the camera decide the settings once I decide to use the flash. But I really want to have a lightbulb moment with the flash and "get" it.

Can you guys recommend something that's not too advanced and technical? Is there a "flash photography for Dummies" book??????? Or something along those lines...

 

[JoeDif]

Neil van Niekirk's On Camera Flash Techniques

While not a Dummies book it is pretty straight forward about getting the best from on camera flash photography.

Also, check out the Strobists Blog particularly Lighting 101 & 102

 

[photo_chick]

Hot Shoe Diaries

 

[disneyboy2003]

I hope I'm not hijacking your thread, but I just had an "ah-ha" moment about an hour ago with wireless off-camera flash! I didn't know who else to share it with, so I thought my friends here would best appreciate this.

I have a Canon 7D and a Canon 580EX external flash. I've always known that the Canon 7D can control an external flash wirelessly, but I never got around to trying it out.

Part of me was scared about the requirement for "line of sight", meaning the flash has to be able to "see" my camera in order to fire. So I resigned myself to the fact that I might have to shell out a lot of $$$$$ to buy wireless flash triggers, like those from PocketWizard, if I wanted to do wireless off-camera flash without line-of-sight.

So I decided to finally try this out. Here's my very first picture using wireless, off-camera flash (you never forget your first ):

Yay! It works!

You'll notice that I swiveled the flash head so that the red sensor was pointing toward me so that it could "see" my camera. So the flash had a line-of-sight toward me & my camera.

What if I didn't have direct line-of-sight? I sort of hid the flash under a coffee table, and here's what I got:

WOW! I'm so excited that I don't need direct line-of-sight for this to work!

Then I started to make things even more challenging. I tried my best to "hide" the flash and see how much line-of-sight I really need. I hid the flash in a grocery bag:

I hid the flash in the microwave:

I hid it in the dryer:

I hid it in the other room:

All I can say is WOW!!! This totally opens up a whole new world for me! And to think I've had this capability in my camera & flash for about a year, and I was too reluctant & scared to try it. What was I thinking?!?!?!

At least this tells me that I don't have to spend $$$$$ buying PocketWizards (or any other wireless flash triggers)...at least not for a while. If anything, I might think about buying another flash so that I'll have TWO flashes to control! Or maybe I'll buy an umbrella & a stand for the flash. Oh, the possibilities...

This feature isn't unique to the Canon 7D. If you've got the new Canon T3i or the Canon 60D, you can do this too. Apparently, the Nikon folks have been able to do this for years.

The only annoying thing about this is that I have to use the pop-up flash to control the other flash. The pop-up flash sends out a seizure-inducing burst of light, especially in very low-light situations...but I think that's for autofocus purposes. If there's enough light in the room for the camera to autofocus, then the pop-up flash doesn't do this as much.

Anyway, just wanted to share my enthusiasm. I'm so THRILLED with my new "ah-ha" moment!

 

[mom2rtk]

You know how often people put LOL into what they post........ well, I really AM sitting here laughing out loud! I put it in a bag, I put it in the dryer, I put it in the microwave! It's SUPERFLASH! Able to trump "line of sight" in a single try!!! I'm still laughing.......... And jealous my T2i can't do this!

And no problem hijacking the thread. I already got some good book suggestions.....

Thanks everyone who posted book suggestions!

Feel free to use this as a general flash discussion thread!

 

[disneyboy2003]

You know how often people put LOL into what they post........ well, I really AM sitting here laughing out loud! I put it in a bag, I put it in the dryer, I put it in the microwave! It's SUPERFLASH! Able to trump "line of sight" in a single try!!! I'm still laughing.......... And jealous my T2i can't do this!

And no problem hijacking the thread. I already got some good book suggestions.....

Thanks everyone who posted book suggestions!

Feel free to use this as a general flash discussion thread!

Thanks! I'm STILL jumping up & down with my new discovery. Stuff like this makes me want to take even MORE pictures and re-kindles my love for photography.

 

[mom2rtk]

Thanks! I'm STILL jumping up & down with my new discovery. Stuff like this makes me want to take even MORE pictures and re-kindles my love for photography.

That's awesome! I'm sure your mind is in overdrive trying to find ways of putting it to use! Maybe add some color gels like someone did with Cindy's fountain at night??????? Of course, then you don't want your pop-up to have to fire..... Hmmm.... have you figured out a way around that yet? Just how far CAN you dial it down?

 

[disneyboy2003]

That's awesome! I'm sure your mind is in overdrive trying to find ways of putting it to use! Maybe add some color gels like someone did with Cindy's fountain at night??????? Of course, then you don't want your pop-up to have to fire..... Hmmm.... have you figured out a way around that yet? Just how far CAN you dial it down?

Oh, man. My head really IS spinning with all the possibilities. Those gels are a GREAT idea. I actually ordered some about a year ago, but never got around to putting them on my flash. I guess I'm still deciding how to attach them onto my flash (ex. do I really want to put velcro stickers or tape or other sticky stuff on my flash).

These are the gels I got. They're $2 at B&H and they're always out-of-stock. I've got them in my "Flash Wishlist" on B&H, in case I want to order more:

Oh, and the beauty of wireless off-camera flash is that I CAN control the power output of the flash directly from my camera! Deep in my camera menu options, I can tell the flash to not fire as much. I can set the Flash Exposure Compensation (FEC) from -3 stops up to +3 stops...all directly from my camera. This means that I never have to walk back to the flash to set the FEC / power output of the flash and then walk back to the camera. Oh, the convenience! Oh, the laziness!

<-- I don't know why this banana's dancing, but this is exactly how I feel right now.

 

[disneyboy2003]

you don't want your pop-up to have to fire..... Hmmm.... have you figured out a way around that yet? Just how far CAN you dial it down?

Oops! I mis-read your question, and I answered something else.

Yes, I have the option of not having the pop-up flash fire for the photo, so that only the off-camera flash is firing.

However, the pop-up flash still has to fire before the photo so that the off-camera flash can receive the info from my camera. This all happens within a span of milliseconds.

It can be confusing if I'm taking a picture of a person, and the person blinks immediately after the pop-up flash fires, thinking that the camera has already taken the picture.

 

[mom2rtk]

Oops! I mis-read your question, and I answered something else.

Yes, I have the option of not having the pop-up flash fire for the photo, so that only the off-camera flash is firing.

However, the pop-up flash still has to fire before the photo so that the off-camera flash can receive the info from my camera. This all happens within a span of milliseconds.

It can be confusing if I'm taking a picture of a person, and the person blinks immediately after the pop-up flash fires, thinking that the camera has already taken the picture.

GOT it! Sounds like a lot of fun. I just love when something happens when a whole new world of creativity opens up.

 

[pgowder]

This isn't a book, but it is the best off camera flash instruction I've seen!

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2011/01/introducing-strobist-lighting-in-layers.html

The way he goes through each step makes it very easy to understand.

He intro DVDs are also great:
http://www.mpex.com/browse.cfm/4,10149.html

 

[photo_chick]

disneyboy2003... I think we have the same couch. LOL And you should do a whole hidden flash series.

 

[disneyboy2003]

disneyboy2003... I think we have the same couch. LOL And you should do a whole hidden flash series.

LOL. Oh, don't tempt me! Already, I was feeling like Dr. Seuss when I wrote that post. Hmmm, but you've really got me thinking about it...

Here's a photographer with an assistant who has to hold both a silver reflector AND an off-camera flash. (WARNING: May not be safe for kids...well, maybe it's ok)

picture 1

picture 2​

 

[disneyboy2003]

Ok, I just found a situation where my camera's pop-up flash can't control the off-camera flash.

I was trying to light the interior of my car, so I put the external flash inside the car. I stepped out in front of my parked car to take the picture, and it doesn't work. If I step a little closer, like right near the bumper, then the flash in the car will fire, but only with direct line-of-sight.

Then again, I'm trying this out during the day, so this line-of-sight thing decreases significantly outdoors during the day. I guess I'll have to try again at night.

*sigh* I guess those Pocketwizards are calling for me. I'm holding out as long as I can. Right now, it's more of a "need vs. want" thing, leaning more toward want.

 

[bob100]

Ok, I just found a situation where my camera's pop-up flash can't control the off-camera flash.

I was trying to light the interior of my car, so I put the external flash inside the car. I stepped out in front of my parked car to take the picture, and it doesn't work. If I step a little closer, like right near the bumper, then the flash in the car will fire, but only with direct line-of-sight.

Then again, I'm trying this out during the day, so this line-of-sight thing decreases significantly outdoors during the day. I guess I'll have to try again at night.

*sigh* I guess those Pocketwizards are calling for me. I'm holding out as long as I can. Right now, it's more of a "need vs. want" thing, leaning more toward want.

it doesn't have to be expensive or complicated. Some of us have simple cameras and use a cheap RF wireless trigger, e,g, RF-602 ( $25) You have to set the flash power manually but how hard is it to push one button? And you can fire the flash 400 yards away because it's on "RF" frequency, not infra-red !

 

[JoeDif]

it doesn't have to be expensive or complicated. Some of us have simple cameras and use a cheap RF wireless trigger, e,g, RF-602 ( $25) You have to set the flash power manually but how hard is it to push one button? And you can fire the flash 400 yards away because it's on "RF" frequency, not infra-red !

The new Cactus V5's have gotten some really good reviews as well.

 

[wenrob]

Hot Shoe Diaries

This is a great book but it doesn't give any technicalities. He tells you what he did to get the look but he doesn't get down to the details. Fine if you're confident with a flash but I personally wouldn't recommend it for a beginner to flash.

I actually started using my flash by reading Mark's tutorial here on the board and then visiting various blogs. One board had a thread about 100 pages long and I spent days reading it. Tons of great blogs on flash out there, most already mentioned. What helped me the most was buying a book specifically for my flash system. Once I learned how to work the flash the techniques came easy. I'm pretty handy with a flash but I still reference it. That said next book on my hit list is the 'On Camera Flash Techniques' by Neil what's his face-

 

[disneyboy2003]

it doesn't have to be expensive or complicated. Some of us have simple cameras and use a cheap RF wireless trigger, e,g, RF-602 ( $25) You have to set the flash power manually but how hard is it to push one button? And you can fire the flash 400 yards away because it's on "RF" frequency, not infra-red !

Thanks for the suggestion. I actually have read about the cheap radio (RF) triggers from China, and I know that a lot of people do great work with them. You're right in that they're super cheap (especially compared to PocketWizards) and have an excellent range.

I guess I've focused on PocketWizards because:

1. Strobist 101 tells me to (link to Strobist, for anyone interested),
2. PocketWizards are the industry standard (not that I'll ever be getting into the "industry"),
3. I'm not confident in my ability to set manual flash exposures, so I totally depend on TTL (the flash's "auto" mode), probably as a crutch. The new PocketWizards offer TTL, although I know that RadioPoppers do, as well. A cheap alternative with TTL would be the Pixel Knight radio triggers (link).

Plus, I'm still very cautious about that "RF interference" that limits the new PocketWizards' range...unless you use the "sock" to cover your flash. (link to PocketWizard regarding this issue)

Anyway, it'll probably be a long long LONG while before I get into radio triggers / PocketWizards. In the meantime, I know I'll have a LOT of fun testing the limits of my current "line-of-sight" system.

Hmmm, where else can I hide my flash?