Six Days of Speedlite Tips: Day 5

Canon STE-2 and Westcott 6-in-1 Reflector/Diffuser Kit

For more detailed lighting tips, see my apps.

For hand-on learning, check out my workshops.

Explore the light,

Rick

P.S. Here is a link to a post on Plug-ins for Portraits. Check it out.

Six Days of Speedlite Tips: Day 4

August 01, 2012 in Canon 580 EX II Speedlite, Photographs workshops

It's Day 4 of my Six Days of Speedlite Shooting tips.

Today's tip: Create Dramatic and Colorful Silhouettes.

Concept: Set up a speedlite behind the subject and out of the camera's view. Use a grid on the speedlite to concentrate the light, and use a colored gel to change the color of the background.

I took the images for this post at Photo Plus Expo in the Canon booth. See! You don't need a fancy studio to get cool shots.

Gear

Honl Reda and Blue Gels

Honl Grid

For more detailed lighting tips, see my apps.

For hand-on learning, check out my workshops. We have a blast. Below are two images from my Master Your Flash workshop in Croton on Hudson, NY.

Bonus tip: When you think you need two lights, use one light. Above: one of my workshop participants is holding a reflector to bounce the light from the softbox onto the shadow side of the model's face.

Explore the light,

Rick

P.S. Here is a link to a post on Plug-ins for Portraits. Check it out.

Six Days of Speedlite Tips: Day 3

July 31, 2012 in speedlites

It's Day 3 of my Six Days of Speedlite Shooting tips.

Today's tip: Light Up the Background.

Concept: Use a second speedlite to add some light to the background. This background light is also called a separation light because it separates the subject from the background. Above: Susan Sammon is holding a flash that is fired through some artificial palm leaves. For the opening shot for this post, the flash was fired through the cardboard cutout on the floor behind Susan.

My cardboard cut-out was also used on the two images below. Honl gels were used to add the color.

Gear

Honl Reda and Blue Gels

Honl Grid

For more detailed lighting tips, see my apps.

For hand-on learning, check out my workshops.

Explore the light,

Rick

Six Days of Speedlite Tips: Day 2

July 30, 2012 in speedlites

It's Day 2 of my Six Days of Speedlite Shooting tips.

Today's tip: Create Terrific Top Light.

Concept: Position the light directly above the subject. Use "voice activated" light stands to save on real light stands. Use a softbox to soften and direct the light.

I used this technique when I photographed photographer Catherine Hall at Google.

Gear:

Westcott 6-in-1 Reflector/Diffuser Kit

Tether Tools Table

Tether Tools Cable

For more detailed lighting tips, see my apps.

For hand-on learning, check out my workshops.

Explore the light,

Rick

Six Days of Speedlite Tips: Day 1

July 29, 2012 in Canon Speedlites, Westcott

It's Day 1 of my Six Days of Speedlite Shooting tips.

Today's tip: Create Cool Rim Light.

Concept: Position the subject slightly in front of a softbox, as illustrated above. Photograph the subject looking straight ahead (in the opposite direction in which the softbox is facing) so you get a profile. Basically, you want the light coming from slightly in front of and behind the subject.

In the shot above, I am positioning the model. For the end-result shot, I was positioned to the model's left side.

You need to experiment with subject position and flash output to get the shot you want.

BTW: A softbox is a very important accessory. It allows you to control the light to a greater degree than an umbrella or an octodome. More on that in future posts.

Gear: