Using a Flash

[rookies]

Can you guys help me getting the best out of the Flash.

Ive a Canon 5D MKIII with a 430 EXII flash. People say bounce the flash. I find the pictures boring. Is there any tips to get good photos with this only Flash I have and is there anything I can add onto the flash to help make good photos>?

 

[deputy dawg]

get yourself a copy of speedliters handbook by syl arena or google strobist 101 or niel vN all a very good reference point

 

[alexam]

Hi Andrew,

the best way is to get the flash off the camera. That way you can develop shadows and make your images interesting and more lifelike.

You can do this either with a cable, or by using triggers. The triggers available can vary from £20 to £150 or more, but all have the basics of allowing the flash to be fired when you take the photograph.

The Speedliters handbook is good, but there are loads of video instructions on the internet, just google Adorama TV for starters and look at the videos produced by Mark Wallace.

Hope this helps.

 

[HoppyUK]

Can you guys help me getting the best out of the Flash.

Ive a Canon 5D MKIII with a 430 EXII flash. People say bounce the flash. I find the pictures boring. Is there any tips to get good photos with this only Flash I have and is there anything I can add onto the flash to help make good photos>?

Easy way to add a bit of sparkle to ceiling-bounce pictures is to use a bounce card. Even the little pull-out panel that most flash guns have works well - the one that Canon thoughtfully failed to fit to your 430EXII. Just get a white index card or similar about the size of a cigarette packet and attach with a rubber band - like this www.abetterbouncecard.com

Recommend the book above by Syl Arena.

 

[ohara]

The presence of the white catch light card, 180 degree unidirectional rotation, rapid fire mode and spring loaded battery door make the 580EX II worth the extra money over the 430EX II. If you're in a room with low, light coloured ceilings, shooting with the flash at 90 degrees (vertical) and the white card out is guaranteed to get you a decent photo.

But since Canon omitted the white card from the 430EX II, your best bet is to bounce the flash.

 

[EOS_JD]

Can you guys help me getting the best out of the Flash.

Ive a Canon 5D MKIII with a 430 EXII flash. People say bounce the flash. I find the pictures boring. Is there any tips to get good photos with this only Flash I have and is there anything I can add onto the flash to help make good photos>?

No1 - Get it OFF the camera.

 

[HoppyUK]

The presence of the white catch light card, 180 degree unidirectional rotation, rapid fire mode and spring loaded battery door make the 580EX II worth the extra money over the 430EX II. If you're in a room with low, light coloured ceilings, shooting with the flash at 90 degrees (vertical) and the white card out is guaranteed to get you a decent photo.

But since Canon omitted the white card from the 430EX II, your best bet is to bounce the flash.

That's true, and so easy, though attaching a small piece of white card to a 430EX with a rubber band, as I suggeested above, is not difficult. Big soft light from the bounce above, then a dash of fill-in from the highlight card lifts shadows under eyes and chins and puts a sparkle in the eyes. Or a Stofen works in much the same way - Stofen clones from Amazon/e bay work just as well for a couple of quid, or for the finishing touch, use a yellow/orange one so the colour of the flash matches the colour of tungsten room light, for when you drag the shutter to pull up the ambient http://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-Speed...?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1356518661&sr=1-48

The big advantages of the 580 over 430 is both a bit more power and master controller functions for remote guns.

No1 - Get it OFF the camera.

Or more precisely, get the light off-camera. When you're bouncing, position of the actual gun doesn't matter and far easier when it's sitting right there in front of you.

If you can't bounce though, probably becuase you're outdoors, then gun on a short extension cord held above and a bit to one side in your left hand makes a huge difference. You also retain full E-TTL control on a cord too - you can get them up to 10m long.