Speedlights & Speedlites

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It should also be noted that many modern flashes contain a built-in optical slave, which eliminates the need to add an optical slave; they are mostly for use with older flashes or in circumstances where you might need an especially highly sensitized slave.

One other note regarding optical slaves is to account for the pre-flash that will occur when using TTL flash metering. Some optical slaves have a function to automatically ignore this pre-flash, while on others you must manually disable the pre-flash, either through your camera or the master flash you are using to trigger the optical slaves. The other method of wireless triggering is through the use of an infrared or radio system. One of the main advantages of these is that you do not require a hard-wired flash in order to trigger a group of flashes or even a single flash wirelessly; your entire lighting setup can be controlled from a transmitter connected to your camera.

When working with a wireless transmitter and receiver system, you will connect one unit to each flash needed and one to your camera; this provides a remote method of communication between your camera and flashes to trigger flashes, and sometimes a means to even control the power output of individual flashes. Another benefit to these triggering systems is that some flashes contain a built-in infrared receiver, saving you the need to attach an auxiliary one.

When working with radio transmitters, it is less common for flashes to have built-in receivers, unless working with proprietary transmitters and higher-end flashes. An infrared triggering system is similar to an optical method, but as the name implies, it utilizes infrared wavelengths to transmit the flash signal. This has a benefit over an optical trigger, as you do not need an on-camera or directly tethered flash to trigger your exposure, which can affect your exposure and limit the means of how you light your image.

An infrared transmitter is essentially a low-powered flash with an IR filter over the front of it; when it emits a burst of light, the IR filter attenuates most of this light and converts it to an infrared signal. With these drawbacks in mind, IR systems do have the advantage of being able to handle extremely fast sync speeds, due to the lack of time needed to compensate for a radio transmission.

The last, and most sophisticated method of wirelessly triggering flashes, is through the use of a radio transmitter and receiver system. Radio remotes have the advantage of being completely non-reliant on optics and do not require a line of sight or certain lighting conditions to function properly. They can operate across numerous channels, which greatly enhances photographing with wireless flash in situations where multiple photographers are working.

Their other main benefit is that some radio systems integrate full TTL compatibility, which gives direct connection between the flash and your camera for controlling flash exposure. Many radio slaves also have dual functionality, deeming them transceivers, which allows the same units to be placed on either cameras or flashes. Transceivers can usually be set to transmit or receive, which helps to further dial-in the specific purpose of them under certain circumstances.

As previously mentioned, one of the defining characteristics of an on-camera flash is a self-contained power source. This power source, often comprising AA batteries , is stored inside the flash and can be replaced easily during the course of a photo session. This convenience is certainly appealing when compared to portable strobe packs featuring batteries that alone can weigh more than 20 lb; however, AA batteries are also not that powerful. Flash is a power-craving tool that requires battery power and quantity in excess of typical camera batteries.

Rather than favoring a dependency on numerous AA batteries, it is beneficial to use an external battery pack if you use flash on a regular basis. Auxiliary battery packs are often compact in size, for carrying in a pocket or attaching to a belt, and connect to your flash via a dedicated cable.

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Packs contain an internal, rechargeable battery; a removable, rechargeable battery; or in some instances, are simply a means to bundle several AA or other common battery type together to provide longer battery life more efficiently, versus changing out batteries from the flash itself. In addition to longer battery life, battery packs also often allow for faster recycle times—meaning you can fire your flash more rapidly with less time between bursts.

Often only higher-end flashes will support the use of an external battery pack, since they are more typically subjected to longer shooting times and more strenuous conditions. Additionally, some companies produce dedicated accessories that will take advantage of the battery ports on some flash units. These accessories include small rechargeable batteries that, when plugged into the socket, can halve the recycle time of the flash at full power. As it would when looking for any other camera equipment, purchasing a flash should be heavily dependent on your needs to ensure it has the features you will use and will best suit the applications for which you intend to use it.

Additionally, it is usually preferable to work with a flash best suited to the specific camera type you use, either by way of using the same brand or a third-party manufacturer with camera-compatible accessories and connections. Like cameras, too, flash choice should also take into account the build quality and how it will withstand the conditions in which you typically work. Certain flashes feature full weather sealing, which could be necessary for working in adverse conditions.

In addition to directing your light source at something other than your subject, you can also use numerous other tools to affect the way the light strikes your subject. These diffusers work by placing a translucent box or substrate in front of your flash, helping to soften and spread the light a bit more evenly than an undiffused flash head. You will likely lose at least one stop of power from your flash, but your light will have less directionality and a softer, less high-key appearance. A softbox converts your flash into a larger, softer light source to help lessen the intensity of shadows and produce a more wrapped-light quality.

Dome diffusers function in a very similar way, but simply slip onto the flash head to create a larger, softer light source. Speedlight speed rings are available and have the same function as their off-camera flash counterparts: Shoe-mount flash dedicated speed rings usually have the ability to accept multiple speedlights for use in a single softbox, effectively doubling or quadrupling the possible power output of the softbox.

For a distinct light, beauty dishes create a soft, yet contrasty light that falls between direct lighting and a softbox. They produce a wraparound look that can provide a more dramatic effect. Also, they usually have an opaque, though sometimes tinted or translucent cover directly in front of the light, which bounces light back into the reflector and prevents direct light from hitting the subject.

In terms of light quality, a bounce card is something between a diffuser and a soft box. It produces light akin to bouncing your flash off the ceiling or a wall. These reflector cards extend from the top of your flash head and block light from spilling in all directions, and subsequently create a larger, softer light source. The honeycomb pattern helps to limit the overall spread of light and concentrate it into a more organized beam. Grids are often available in an assortment of sizes or degrees, with the smaller measurements referring to a tighter, more refined light spread.

The longer the snoot, the smaller the circle of light will be. Additionally, snoots often feature an attached grid spot at the end for an even narrower beam angle. Both grids and snoots, and a combination of the two, will produce a harder light quality, greater contrast, and more dramatic shadows due to their limiting of the light spread. In addition to snoots, barndoors are available for speedlights, which allow you to control the spread of light and limit where the light will fall on the scene, without directly affecting the quality of light.

An extender is different than a snoot in that it does not merely restrict the light from spilling; instead, it focuses the light into a tighter area to simulate the angle of view of longer lenses. Most flashes emit light that is daylight balanced between and K , which is fine for general purposes.

When working under mixed-lighting conditions, however, such as fluorescent or tungsten-lit rooms, the difference in the color temperature of light between your flash and the ambient lighting will be much more apparent. By covering your flash with a colored gel, you can more closely approximate the surrounding color temperature for more balanced lighting.

These filters, often sold in kits or packs, can contain a range of colors that typically include CTB color temperature blue and CTO color temperature orange filters. A ring light is a unique lighting tool that is doughnut-shaped and goes directly around your lens. This circular light is perfectly aligned with the axis of your lens and helps to provide nearly shadowless lighting, since the light is coming from all angles directly surrounding the lens. When used with more powerful studio-strobe battery packs, a ring light is a popular tool for fashion and portraiture work, but when confined to an on-camera source, the light output is typically fairly limited and best suited to macro and close-up applications.

Since the light is positioned on the same plane as your lens, you are able to light anything on which your lens can focus. These ring lights come with either standard flashtubes or with an array of LED lights and sometimes the flashtube models also have LEDs for use as a modeling light. The flashtube versions function in the same manner as a shoe-mounted flash unit while the LED versions have a couple of distinct differences.

In addition to ring lights, there are also twin-light setups that position two separate flash heads off to either side of your lens, but still on a similar plane as your lens. These dual heads can be positioned to induce a more physical, 3D quality than a ring flash, since they can be tilted or moved slightly to create more dimensionality with objects. Finally, there are also twin-light setups that are attached to a ring light to provide the benefits of both systems, including the flat, even lighting of a ring light but with the available dimensionality of a twin-light configuration.

So, consider flash an entire co-existent realm to available-light photography—it can be utilized to better highlight or give a more interesting visual appearance to subjects. Flash can provide additional dimensionality and texture to subjects in a way that cannot be achieved with natural light. An on-camera flash is a practical and lightweight option for using additional light when making photographs, and serves to be much more expansive than a flash that is simply confined to be atop your camera.

When used in conjunction with controlling the power output, light direction, placement, shape, and color of the light output, an on-camera flash is undeniably an important tool to have for many, if not all, photographers. I'm mainly looking for portrait photography. I would suggest sending us an email to askbh bhphoto. Were you looking to shoot portraits on location, or in a studio type setup? Once we have a bit more information we will be better able to make suitable recommendations. Hey, on occasion I see a site error when I view this website.

I thought you may wish to know, best wishes. I'm planning to buy camera for my products and portrait photography. Any suggestion camera model and accessories should to buy? I'm a budgetting for about USD3, See the links below for details on each recommended item:. Thank you for the laugh, John! And, thanks for reading Explora and the comments!

Have a great day! I have three flash heads, all non-TTL. Maximum distance would be 50 feet, and would use and mm telephoto.. With manual flash work and digital cameras these days, the amount of time it takes to zero in on your proper exposure settings are quick and forgiving compared to film days when we relied on a flash meter and then processing of film to see our exposures.

The B&H Speedlight Buyer’s Guide

TTL is great in most instances, but can still in some cases take as much effort to set up and get the exposure right as doing manual work does. Take notes on the settings and save them for the next time you set up similarly…each shoot should only take a few test shots to get the shot right each new time. Otherwise, you could invest in a flash meter and narrow down the proper exposure for each that way but time-wise these days its almost easier to do it the way I have recommended above.

Do you have to shoot in Manual Mode for all flash units? I often shoot in sports mode and am not yet comfortable with manual mode. I have a Nikon D I'm looking for recommendations on an inexpensive flash unit, but I don't understand how to find out if you have to shoot in Manual mode with the flash. Is there some designation for flashes that you don't have to shoot in Manual with? Thank you so much!

TTL type flashes communicate with the camera in most every mode to give the best possible exposure automatically. One does not need to shoot in manual mode to work with a flash on-camera. Any of your "Sports" or other sorts of exposure modes are all variations of Auto exposure mode since your allowing the camera to make exposure calculations and decisions. The book highlights standard lighting techniques which could be used with any type of artificial lighting using speedlights. What are my problems then, you might be wondering. One "problem" with the book is that the author,chapter after chapter, continually attempts to "sell" the reader on the idea that using speedlights is a "great way" of shooting with flash.

His propensity to do this was annoying and left me feeling like I was getting cheated out of more helpful information. Another "problem" was that, like the title says it finally dawned on me I was hoping that this was going to be a tome about off-camera flash using flashes in manual and setting up with shots using wireless triggers and etc. Maybe there would be some exposure tricks and tips that help the photographer get around using a light meter. I was hoping for, well, meat and potatoes Maybe like how to train my eye and to be able to see the forest for the trees and vice versa when it comes to lighting.

Don't get me wrong, I learned some stuff but Interesting but could give more complete info. As a veteran commercial and studio portrait photographer, I found the info in this book to be sound and very digestible-it was a even a "good read. This book easily accomplished that and throws in lighting theory in nice proportion. Excellent flash photography book, not only gives specific shooting information but inspires you to be creative.

Great lighting diagrams and expert shooting advice. Good book for beginners and pro alike. I was expecting much better. The book is badly written and structured and really didn't teach me anything. See all 14 reviews.

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Focal Press books are available at fine bookstores everywhere or through your preferred online retailer. Focal Press titles may also be purchased at: Jones specializes in photo illustration and location photography for corporate, advertising, and collateral projects.

Speedlights & Speedlites

Bob Keenan is a Boston-area photographer. A retired electrical engineer, Keenan spent his career designing and developing radio frequency communications equipment, so working with the wireless speedlights and the concept of light pulses is a natural fit. Steve Ostrowski is an award-winning photographer with over 30 years experience in commercial, editorial, annual report, fashion, portrait, and event photography. Log in or register to post comments.

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