Struggling to learn flash

beyond the blue

beyond the blue

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Neil
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I have a Nikon D90 and a Nikon SB 910 speedlight and I haven't a clue what I'm doing:shrug: The only thing I can do is put it on the camera or extention chord and put the camera on Auto, other than that it's a complete fog to me.

I cannot understand the manual so I bought the Blue Crane DVD it's supposed to be for people that don't understand the manual but I don't even understand the DVD. Where can I turn for help? If I join a college course I can imagine it will be for beginers that can't even use a camera. I have no problem using the camera I just need hands-on 1-1 tuition for the flash.
 
Hope I'm pitching this right and I hope that I've got the facts right - if not, somebody please jump in and correct me...

A flash varies its output by lengthening or shortening the burst of light. The burst will be a lot shorter than your shutter speed - so if you set your flash to ETTL (so that it selects the flash output to according to the metering and your settings) then you are pretty much at liberty to change your shutter speed and your aperture to get the desired effects/results.

Using ETTL or manual flash output, you can change your shutter speed to control the exposure from the ambient light (because it will practically always be long enough to capture all the flash output and so varying it will effect the ambient light captured only). In manual flash output, you can use the aperture to control the flash exposure and the shutter speed to control the ambient light exposure.
 
There are some excellent flash tutorial videos on the Nikon UK web site - well worth taking a look :)
 
Bristolian said:
There are some excellent flash tutorial videos on the Nikon UK web site - well worth taking a look :)
Click to expand...

I've found this one that looks good, unfortunately it's in London, if it was nearer to home I'd be on it in a (flash) pun intended.

Steve, Just had another look but can't see any video tutorials!!
 
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I nearly jumped in and shouted shoot a roll of fp4 and experiment but it still rings true I think for digital experiment with your gear write everything down take a few shots. Dont discount the local photo courses its amazing what you can pick up on the most basic of courses.
 
phototut said:
I nearly jumped in and shouted shoot a roll of fp4 and experiment but it still rings true I think for digital experiment with your gear write everything down take a few shots. Dont discount the local photo courses its amazing what you can pick up on the most basic of courses.
Click to expand...

I've experimented until my fingers are sore but still 75% of it I can't understand. Any setting other than full auto is a waste of time I'm afraid. I can't get any decent results from using TTL or TTL BL in aperture priority mode at all without having to alter flash compensation all the time which seems to defeat the object of having it. I might as well shoot everything in manual setting on both the camera and the flashgun. I really don't want to give up but feel it's likely I will, at least for the time being.:(
 
I was in the same boat until I discovered Neil van Niekerks fantastic Tangents website.
http://neilvn.com/tangents/
Check out the sidebar on the right.
He has a very easy to undersand way of explaining things. Coupled with his website and his On camera flash book I have a much, much better understanding of how to use flash.
I've been bouncing flash for years but never in a creative way. Now it all makes sence.

I tried the Strobist website but found it quite confusing, and seemed to deal with a lot of things that I wasn't looking for (still a fantastic source of info though).
 
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