What taught you the most about using flash?

getting out there and doing it mainly, though with some considerable input from the peeps round here ;) Personally I prefer using it off camera and manually, but no stranger to sticking it on the hotshoe, putting camera in Aperture Priority and shooting away.
 
Strobist really, lots of reading around the net, trying different techniques and approaches, see what worked the best for me.

manual, ttl, off camera, on camera - it all has its uses, and all needs practice :D
 
Flash In The Pan said:
Strobist....
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:plusone:

His blog has so much helpful stuff on there.

His DVD is worth a watch too. A lot of stuff that was a mystery to me before I knew anything other than using on camera TTL became clear instantly after I watched it.

& as Rob said, do lots of online reading (forums, blogs etc - the info is out there) There are video tutorials too on youtube etc.. Read books on lighting too.

and then go and try it. Plenty of trial and error.
 
Strobist for me too. Just read The Moment it Clicks by Joe Macnally too. Well worth a read.
 
Apart from just doing it?

Reading Strobist was what started me off on this route, watching the Onelight DVD made me think beyond small flash.

Joe McNally's books are good inspiration too.

I've only just watched Strobist DVD's this week so a lot of the information was not new, although it's definitely made me go back to looking at small flash again.
 
rowla said:
:plusone:

His blog has so much helpful stuff on there.

His DVD is worth a watch too. A lot of stuff that was a mystery to me before I knew anything other than using on camera TTL became clear instantly after I watched it.

& as Rob said, do lots of online reading (forums, blogs etc - the info is out there) There are video tutorials too on youtube etc.. Read books on lighting too.

and then go and try it. Plenty of trial and error.
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:plusone:
 
Strobist, Zack Arias One Light DVD, Damien Lovegrove and just got Joe McNally's Hot Shoe Diaries which I shall be digesting this weekend.
 
OutLore said:
Where did you guys get the strobist DVD from?
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a magical place of hope and wonder banned from discussion under forum rules

I found my radio slaves to be the most educational thing I've ever bought they gave me so many new options and ideas to try
 
For me it was reading the strobist blog, watching the One Light dvd and getting out and playing with light. Also being part of a small group in the north west that get together and shoot and experiment.
Mart
 
If you like the hot shoe diaries, then Joe's first book (the moment it clicks) is even better and far less Nikon Centric.

Just had it for Xmas....
 
Set yourself an objective, doing it, getting it wrong then doing it again and again and again until you start to get some pleasing results, then up your ante by setting yourself another objective and then doing it all over again, and so on. Add into the mix some of the very good comments and suggestions from here and reading Strobist.
 
The strobist DVD is good, very easy to watch since the guy doesn't droan on like some boring tutorial DVDs do. Although you will need to befriend a man named Bob ;)
 
Dissecting images that caught my eye. If you teach yourself how to recognise how a picture has been lit you will give yourself inspiration, not by copying others' work because you won't know the actual lighting set up, but by giving yourself ideas based on what you THINK the lighting was.

Then go and try it. There are various ways you can light a picture but the most impact comes from CONTRAST. There are several types of contrast too. You can have light to dark contrast, or you can have colour contrast, and then there is shape contrast - which you can do with focus (hard focus against soft background is a form of contrast), line contrast too - outlines/silhouettes......

Just some thing s for you to get your head spinning on. Simple lighting can have arressting effect.
 
Think carefully what needs to be done, - go out and use it and think again and adapt.

Going out and doing it for months can easily save you a few hours in the library, oh wait...!
 
Practice to me .... just keep on trying and you will get there ...
 
Strobist definitely planted the seed for outdoor flash use but just getting out there and doing it has taught me loads. Still got a LONG way to go but I know enough to get what I want. Good gear is of importance; speedlights you can rely on and a triggering system that is reliable is also a big help.
 
Strobist is great for manual flash, and I like Damien Lovegrove and Neil van Niekerk (planet neil) for ETTL work. Lovegrove typically uses direct harsh flash, and NvN bounces.
 
I see there are a couple of Lovegrove DVDs for sale on the forum - the flash one is pretty good. I woudn't buy NvN's book (in case you were tempted) as his blog is much better and the reproduction in the book isn't great.
 
awp said:
LOL probably using flashbulbs and progressing to Nikon CLS - a journey of around 40 years and still learning!
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really don't envy you there, I take CLS or flashes that can keep up with 8fps (at low power, obv) completely for granted, back in the day of flashbulbs it must have been mad...

Having a reliable setup is very important imo, I've got completely hacked off with rubbish triggers or strobes far too many times, if you can just know that you gear will just 'work' then it leaves you to be able to concentrate on doing cool stuff with it.
 
another vote for Zak Arias here, i watched his DVD and it inspired em to turn my garage into a studio, all you need is one light!
 
Another vote for 'Hot shoe diaries' Excellent! .... and of course Strobist blog (or Flickr) is also the place to go ... Don't forget to look at the the discussion threads :thumbs:
 
swaffs said:
...

I also Love Dustin Dias's 365 on FLickr, very inspirational.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/polvero/sets/72157611811908959/

His setup info is great for understanding how to deconstuct a photo.
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I love those, when he sticks one flash through a brolly and gets 19 replies saying, 'great set-up duuude!' ;)

I just go out and do it, I don't think there's that much to it really. Yes, of course you can go massively in-depth, but I do think people, especially on on-line forums, get way too worked up about 'strobist' stuff.

It's just a flash, decide where you want light, decide where you don't want light. Easy.
 
Jayst84 said:
I love those, when he sticks one flash through a brolly and gets 19 replies saying, 'great set-up duuude!' ;)
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Nice Shot! Great capture!

oh I loathe flickr sometimes :P

but yeah, get a reliable flash setup, and play around with it. Light a teddy bear if you can't coax anyone into modelling for you :)
 
tarmac_chaser said:
So what taught you the most about using flash sucessfully?
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practice, practice and more practice and screwing up often.

Then interpreting the outcome and adjusting accordingly to get the picture you want.
 
pulled some useful info from this thread thank you!

I see no-one mentioned the Light: Science and Magic book? Anyone I asked suggested it to me, and it is pretty good, bit theory heavy for me, i'm more of trial till i get the look i want kinda guy, rather than doing some maths.
 
Apart from the obvious (strobist and onelight) if you're new to off camera flash then I recommend giving http://lightenupandshoot.blogspot.com/ a go. Their videos are really quite entertaining, and I really like the way they record the shoots and then you get to see the results.

I second the 'reverse engineer' method. It really helps you understand how to set up the shots. LS&M is good if you want the theory, but not as easy reading as any of McNally's books.
 
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