Flash Photography E-Book

Terry Hewlett

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 290

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014

Beschreibung

Good lighting is fundamental to creating great images. This new book provides a roadmap for producing creative images with a flashgun. It introduces lighting principles and then advises on more complex lighting sets and situations. Techniques to create professional effects such as film noir and Hollywood lighting, high-speed synching and handling reflective surfaces are covered. Practical instruction and advice throughout apply the principles, and explain how photographs are taken and stunning results achieved. Includes a guide to the main characteristics of light - intensity, direction, quality and colour - with advice on modern flashguns and their features, and has practical examples, from portraiture to product photography. Illustrated with 276 colour photographs.

Leseprobe

Flash Photography

Terry Hewlett

CROWOOD

First published in 2014 by

The Crowood Press Ltd

Ramsbury, Marlborough

Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2014

© Terry Hewlett 2014

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 84797 767 0

Frontispiece: A location shot for Swindon Audi of the RS4 using three speedlights placed around the vehicle. ƒ13 @ 1/125s ISO 200

Acknowledgements and Thanks

A very big thank you to the following for their continued support in producing this book.

Brian Collier and Chris Whittle, The Flash Centre (www.theflashcentre.com); Hardy Haase, Flaghead Photographic Limited (www.flaghead.co.uk); Lastolite (www.lastolite.co.uk); Wescott (http://fjwestcott.com); The Mayfield House Hotel; Stanton Manor; Audi Swindon; Richard Stork, Gunsmith; Harriet James, Sundials; Hector Cole, Arrowsmith; Ian Murray-West, Woodturner; Ian Sherman, Bath Aqua Glass; Linda Rees, Eco Sculptress; Tim Parry, Weaver; Vivien Sheriff, Milliner; Gordon and Dorothy Whittle, Spinner; Hart Silversmiths.

CONTENTS

Introduction

1In the Beginning there was Light

2Camera Flash, Triggers and More

3Modifying the Light

4Flash Functions

5Key Shifting

6Depth of Field

7Portraits

8The Hollywood Influence

9Dealing with Black and White

10Reflective Surfaces

11Shooting an Interior

12High-speed Flash

Index

Introduction

Nowadays almost everyone owns a camera. The inevitable result is that more than 300 million photographs are uploaded to Facebook every day, making it the most constantly updated photo album on the planet. Even though images taken on camera phones with automatic flash functions are hideously lit, they still generate ‘likes’ that dumb down the viewers’ expectations, a situation that cannot be good for the art of photography.

Fig. 0.0

Fine dining. Taken during a Chef v Chef competition where it was not possible to set up an array of lights, so on-camera flash was used, bounced from the surrounding white walls and ceiling. ƒ2.8 @ 1/400s (High speed sync activated) ISO 400

Cameras available range from simple camera phones, through point-and-shoots to mid- and high-end DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras. Most, if not all, have a flash unit either built in or available as a non-dedicated or dedicated flashgun, often called a Speedlite (Canon), Speedlight (Nikon) or just plain strobe. Large numbers of owners, though, are dissatisfied with the results they obtain from their flash or they are using it in a way that produces no effect whatsoever.

Fig. 0.1

Digital cameras range from small point-and-shoot camera phones through to sophisticated all-singing, all-dancing models with varying options for flashguns.

It is common to see flashes firing in a large stadium environment where the owners of compact cameras, with in-built flash, have not disabled the flash function or do not understand their cameras’ functions. The camera will automatically fire the flash in low light, but this has no impact whatsoever on the intended subject more than 100m away, only succeeding in overexposing the back of the head of the person seated or standing in front. This is due to a simple law – well, maybe not so simple – called the inverse square law (see Chapter 1) and how light falls aways exponentially.

Fig. 0.2

Compact cameras and camera phones have a built-in flash unit that produces a very small and hard light source.

After disappointing results, with subjects over-lit and hard shadows thrown both on and behind the subject, not to mention the demonic red-eye, many photographers prefer to avoid the use of flash. You need to have a clear understanding of what the flash can produce. Unlike studio lighting or ambient light photography, you cannot see the end result until you have taken the shot, as there is no usable modelling light. The phenomenon that is Facebook has led to a common, almost resigned, acceptance of posting badly lit photographs online. It can be argued that many photographs do not require additional lighting from a flash unit and indeed an image can be ruined because flash produces undesirable results. In these circumstances the photographer may resort to the get-out clause available on all flashguns, the off switch, or just leaves it in the bag.

Fig. 0.3

Red-eye is produced when the flash is very close to the lens axis and light bounces back from the blood vessels at the back of the retina. Cameras such as the iPhone that took this shot also characteristically produce a hard shadow behind the subject, just visible in this image. ƒ2.4 @ 1/20s ISO 80 – AWB (Auto white balance)

As light travels in straight lines, firing a flash directly at a reflective surface will result in the light flaring back at the camera. This happens when a compact flash fires straight at a person and the light reflects back from the blood vessels in the retina, causing red-eye because the flash is so close to the lens axis.

Modern cameras have built-in red-eye reduction created by firing a pre-flash to close up the iris of the eye, so reducing the amount of light that is reflected back. As the light hits a reflective subject, however, it is reflected back at the same opposing angle as it has struck the subject, much like a tennis ball bouncing; in other words, the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection.

The vocabulary of photography is writing or scribing with light (from the Greek photos for light and graphos for drawing), but it is shadows that give shape and form to a subject. Without shadows the subject will appear flat and uninspiring. It is the shadows that give shape, depth and form to a subject. That is why careful control of the flash is critical because of the harsh shadows created by its small light source.

Light itself has four main characteristics: intensity, direction, quality and colour. (There are more, but we will concentrate on just these.) A comprehensive and detailed understanding of these principles is essential if you wish to get your head around the complexities of flash and produce creative images. The complex matrix of controlling the lighting environment with a light you cannot see, emitted from a strobe, combined with the intricacy of modern flashguns and their ever-expanding menus, appears somewhat daunting, even without taking the eternal triangle of ISO, shutter speed and aperture into account. A back-to-basics approach is required.

Fig. 0.4

This portrait of a wood turner was lit with several lights. One was high and to the right, while another was low and on the right, next to the shooting position, from where I was covered in wood shavings. ƒ8 @ 1/125s ISO 400

Once the raw principles are mastered, the use of flash will enable you to transform your photographs to another level, balancing the flash with the available light, filling the shadows to control the contrast range, or lighting for impact with multiple flashguns. As soon as you learn to ‘see’ the light by pre-visualizing its shape, intensity, direction and quality, you will become the maestro, conducting the light into a symphony of creativity and expression.

The early chapters explore a great deal of technical issues that can be skipped if you are familiar with all the theory, moving on to the more creative examples of using camera flash. The book is choreographed to move from a fundamental introduction to more complex lighting sets and situations, developing your understanding of how the lighting works.

Chapter 1

In the Beginning there was Light

Before we penetrate the mysteries of flashguns, often referred to as Speedlights (Nikon), Speedlites (Canon) or strobes, a short introduction to light is called for. A clear understanding of its properties and how it impacts upon your subjects is central to the art of creating great photographic images.

Fig. 1.0

This was taken on a location shoot using three speedlights to illuminate the model and surroundings. A variety of modifiers were used: honeycomb, soft-box and a 7" can. ƒ8 @ 1/125s ISO 400

Light is electromagnetic radiation, 390nm to 740nm in wavelength, comprised of photons. When these strike the sensor in your camera it produces a small electrical charge that is converted into a voltage, or digital data, to produce an image. Light illuminates all that we see around us and we would not exist without it; this invisible radiation, which travels in straight lines, becomes visible when it is reflected back with part of the spectrum being absorbed, depending upon the subject it is striking. We see a red flower, for example, because the blue and green parts of the electromagnetic spectrum have been absorbed. If we see white it means that all the spectrum colours have been reflected back, with little or none being absorbed, depending on the shade of white. If we see black that means all the light has been absorbed.

We cannot see the light until it has been reflected; however we can record it on film, on digital sensors or a light meter. This ability to record the light fathered photography and has evolved into the modern digital revolution.

Fig. 1.1

A glass blower shot on location at Bath Aqua Glass using two Yongnuo YN560II speedlights placed at the 1 o’clock and 9 o’clock positions, balanced on a 3:1 ratio power setting with both lights modified with a 7in Interfit reflector/can. ƒ11 @ 1/200s ISO 200

On one side there is all this light and on the other a camera that deals in ƒ-stops. The problem is that we do not know how bright, strong or intense the light is without resorting to some form of measurement, unless we are skilled enough to assess it visually. Despite all the technology built into a digital camera, it has limitations when measuring the light and you may need to resort to using a light meter, unless you are experienced in visualizing or sensing the amount of light available. Using meters is often frowned upon nowadays because it is claimed that modern cameras can do it all. That, however, is a matter of conjecture, just as it is true to say that a handheld light meter is not intelligent; it will only perform correctly if used properly.

LIGHT METERS

We first need to examine the uses to which a light meter may be put. Many photographers consider the use of a separate light/flash meter as unnecessary, believing it to be an obsolete piece of equipment taking up space in the camera bag, since the camera’s own meter and algorithms can take readings and sort it all out for you.

The problem is that camera meters only read the reflected light and can be fooled with high contrast and bright subjects, back and side lighting. Using the in-camera spot or centre-weighted mode will darken the image to 18 per cent grey; that is why a camera will more than likely underexpose a snow or beach scene, but overexpose a dark scene or black material as the meter assumes it is grey. The camera meter will provide different readings for subjects that reflect in a different way. A sky may have an exposure of ƒ16, for example, whereas the foreground will require an exposure several stops lower. The camera will make a choice depending upon the predominant element in the scene and the metering mode you have selected. Most modern DSLR cameras will allow you to spot meter, reading about 3 to 5 per cent of the scene, although this is loaded with problems unless you are prepared to take multiple readings and combine them into a usable interpretation.

Many experienced photographers may also dispense with a light meter, as it tends to slow their photography down, and rely upon their experience. That’s all well and good if you have that experience, but when you are starting out a little help and assistance is not a bad thing. It will also help you to understand the ‘trinity’ or exposure triangle, the relationship between ISO, aperture and shutter speed. Understanding this association will help lift your photography to another level.

Although light meters are available in a variety of specifications, you will only need to read the three modes of exposure: reflected, incident and the burst of flash. Some more advanced meters will also calculate ratios as well as spot metering to a 1-degree angle. Some meters have a wireless add-on that can fire either studio or portable battery-powered studio flash units. Using strobes you can fire the flash with wireless triggers, independent of the light meter.

Fig. 1.2

The most popular model in the Sekonic light meter range is the L308s, capable of reading both the ambient and flash light.

Fig. 1.3

Fighting fit. This shot was taken on location at a re-enactment event using a single Canon Speedlite on an extension pole above the soldiers. The flash was balanced to the available light to retain the detail in the sky and shutter speed was used to help control the ambient. ƒ22 @ 1/200s ISO 200

There are many light meters on the market. One of the simplest, most reliable and cost-effective meters for the stills photographer is the pocket-sized Sekonic L308s Flashmate, which is designed to read ambient or flash exposures in either reflected or incident mode, recording in half- or third-stop increments that mirror the exposure settings of DSLR and film cameras. When set to full-stop mode the exposures are displayed in tenth-stop increments with a repeated accuracy of ± 0.1 EV (exposure value). This is useful when using the more advanced portable studio flash units that are available, such as the Elinchrom Ranger Quadra unit, which accurately adjusts to a tenth of a stop.

Fig. 1.4

Sekonic Flashmate L308s Flashmate. The readout, set to 1/50s @ ƒ5.6 with an ISO of 400, indicates that it is in the flash mode. The reading will only display when the flash has fired.

When you hold down the mode button as you switch on the meter, the shutter speed settings can be adjusted to suit your camera settings in increments from 60s down to 1/8000s.

Light meters can be confusing, so we will now discuss incident and reflected light, and how to use flash metering modes. Unlike in-camera light meters, handheld light meters read not only the reflected light from a subject but also the incident light (the light that is falling upon the subject) and the short burst of light from an electronic flash.

It is important to note that all meters are calibrated to assume that the subject in the scene is middle grey to ensure consistency, reflecting about 18 per cent of the light that falls upon it; this value can also be true of colours that reflect in the same way as 18 per cent grey. When you point the handheld light meter at a mid-toned area and press the button on the side to take the reading, the appropriate ƒ-stop or aperture will appear on the meter relative to the ISO and shutter speed that have been set.

Fig. 1.5

The buttons on the Sekonic L308s are simple to operate. The readout displays that the ambient is ƒ16 @ 1/125s with an ISO of 100.

Fig. 1.6

Incident readings are taken with the meter pointing towards the light source and/or the camera reading the light that is falling on the subject.

Fig. 1.7

The lumisphere on the Sekonic needs to be moved to the right for incident light readings, and fully over the sensor for reflected readings.

When switched on, the meter’s LCD screen displays the ISO setting, mode, shutter speed and aperture or EV setting. The first item to deal with is the ISO, the sensitivity of the film or camera sensor you wish to use (see Chapter 5). Having set your ISO, in this case 200, adjust the mode dial to select the ambient option, displayed as a sun symbol in the top left-hand corner alongside the battery symbol. You can now decide upon your shutter speed, remembering that unless you are using a dedicated flash unit you will not be able to exceed your flash synchronization speed, which will be in the region of 1/200s to 1/250s, depending on your camera’s focal plane shutter, if fitted.

If you are taking an incident light reading, which is not available on cameras, slide the white translucent lumisphere dome over the sensor, if it is not already in position. The dome is shaped so that any available light falling on the subject at an angle is recorded, capturing light from many angles. Hold the meter so that it is at the closest point of the subject to the camera, pointing at your camera or shooting position, and then press the top button on the side to record a reading. The display will indicate an aperture for the given shutter speed. If you wish to change the shutter speed, press one of the toggle switches on the side of the meter: the upper one to increase the shutter speed and the lower to reduce it. As you change the shutter speed the ratio between it and the aperture will be maintained, demonstrating the relationship between shutter speed and aperture. If you now adjust the setting from ISO 200 to ISO 400, by pushing the ISO button on the front, you will notice that the aperture reading also changes. For example, if you have a reading of ƒ2.8 at ISO 200 and want to increase your depth of field (DOF), adjusting to ISO 800 will increase the aperture two stops to ƒ5.6. Increasing this to ISO 1600, which can provide acceptable results with modern DSLRs, will give you another stop to ƒ8, so increasing the DOF.

Fig. 1.8

Reflected readings will vary depending on the light that is being reflected. Dark subjects absorb more light and light subjects reflect more light. This is what an in-camera meter reads.

Next comes the ambient reading, which may not be enough on its own, so you are using flash to either supplement or fill the shadows or just wish to use it creatively. Press the mode button so that the flash symbol with a box around it is now selected and should be flashing, indicating that it is ready. Without changing either the ISO or shutter settings, fire the flash within 60 seconds using a remote trigger, holding the light meter towards the camera with the translucent dome covering the light sensor. You will now have an aperture reading on the screen that matches the ISO setting and the shutter speed you have chosen (although the shutter speed is not really relevant when it is below the flash’s sync speed). You now have to determine the balance between the two. This will be discussed in greater detail in Chapter 3.

The third mode option, the flash with cable symbol, is only required if a cable is attached to the light meter to fire the flash. The process for recording the flash exposure is identical to that used previously for the remote flash.

You will get the opportunity to use a light meter later in the book as we work through lighting scenarios, taking meter readings in specific shooting exercises.

FLASH GUIDE NUMBERS (GN)

All flash units have a guide number that provides the user with information about its power. Some understanding of how guide numbers are relevant to your flashgun may be useful, although you are likely to get different results between interior and exterior calculations. You might think that this is irrelevant since your camera works it all out for you using E-TTL, TTL and other functions. You will find, however, that an understanding of Guide Numbers (GN) will help you produce reasonably correct exposures first time.

Guide numbers provide information on the ability of the flash to illuminate a subject at a given aperture (ƒ-stop) and film/sensor sensitivity, conventionally at ISO 100 and with the flash zoom set to 35mm. The formula for this is GN = distance × ƒ-number or, if you want to know the aperture, ƒ-number = GN/distance. So a flashgun with a guide number of 58, such as the Canon 580EX II, will provide a correctly illuminated subject 14.5ft (4.42m) away at ƒ4 (ƒ-number = 58/14.5ft).

Most manufacturers of compact cameras rate their maximum flash output at 6/7m (19/23ft). This is considerably less than the hot shoe flashguns commonly used on DSLR cameras, such as the Nikon SB-900, which is rated at about 34m (111.5ft) at 35mm. According to tables issued by the manufacturers, the guide number will change when used in a high-end zoom from about 200mm (the maximum for a Nikon SB-900) to 56m (184ft), and for the Canon 580EX II it is 58m (190ft) at its maximum zoom of 105mm (hence the model number ‘580’). It can be seen from this that a slavish adherence to guide numbers can be a little misleading, depending upon a number of factors. It is evident, however, that firing a compact camera flash in a large stadium arena is not going to provide the intended illumination on a subject 100-plus metres away.

GUIDE NUMBERS FOR CANON SPEEDLITE 580EX II FLASH

Manual exposure – ISO 100 in metres

INVERSE SQUARE LAW

The law about light falling away sounds formidable and appears quite confusing to the uninitiated, but when you break it down into its simplest form it suddenly makes sense. The inverse square law is a physical law stating that a specified physical quantity or intensity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source of that physical quantity.

Photographers work with light all the time and need to take this law on board as it is central to how flash works. Put simply, the power of the light is inversely proportional to the square of the distance. If you start with a distance of 2m and then square it, the inverse would be 1/4 or a quarter of the original power. If you move your subject 3m from the flash (3 × 3 = 9, so 1/9) the power of the light source will now be a ninth of its original output.

Let’s examine the use of aperture (ƒ-stops) a little further. As will be explained in Chapter 2, your shutter speed is not critical, assuming there is no or minimal ambient light. Set your lights 1m away from your subject and take a flash meter reading to achieve a correct exposure at ƒ22. Now double the subject’s distance from the light source to 2m. Your flash meter reading will now show a correct exposure at ƒ16. At 4m (double the distance again) your correct exposure will now be ƒ8.

If you continue to increase the distance, the rate at which the light falls away will reduce. This can be demonstrated by observing the light from our Sun, which, as our orbit is not circular but elliptical, is between 147.5 million km and 152.6 million km away from us. Light striking us has already travelled a considerable distance: if you were able to take light meter readings simultaneously from ground level and 5km up in the sky, the readings would be virtually identical.

Fig. 1.9

The inverse square law in practice. The three shots here demonstrate the application of the inverse square law, by which light falls away in an inverse proportion to the square of the distance.

INVERSE SQUARE LAW

These findings should be followed only as a guide because the source of the light, such as a narrow focused beam of light from a spotlight, can have an impact upon its intensity, even as it follows the same law.

How does this affect you when photographing a large group of people, one standing behind the other, when there is little or no ambient light falling upon them? Let us assume the flash is placed where the photograph will be taken from, 2m away from the closest subject. A meter reading for the person closest to you reads ƒ11 at 1/125s, but a meter reading of the third person standing 1m behind at the back of the group suggests that you require an aperture of ƒ8 and run the risk of them being underexposed. The situation worsens if the person at the back is even further away. The correct exposure for them could well be several stops less, as they are further away from the light source. Remember that it is the distance the subjects are from the light source that is relevant, not the distance of the camera from the subjects.

You can control this simply by increasing the distance of the light source from the subjects. If you move the light to 6m away, the variation in exposure between the front and back subject is now less than a third of a stop, too small to worry about. You will, though, need to increase the intensity of the flash to compensate for the increased distance. You can still take the image from your original position, as your shooting distance will have little impact upon the lighting, but moving the light further back will increase its hardness unless you modify it with a large softbox or diffuser.

You can use the inverse square law to your advantage if you do not want to light a background, using the fall-off from the light to place your subject away from the wall and close to the light source. This uses the light’s gradient to darken the background. Conversely, if you place the subjects close to the wall and light them from a distance, both the subject and the background will have an exposure that is very close to one another.

If you have a light source very close to a subject and are shooting from a higher viewpoint, a meter reading at the closest point to the light will give a result greater than at any position further away. This close proximity of the subject to the light source will produce a dramatic decline in the intensity of the light on the rest of them.

Fig. 1.10

According to the inverse square law, the aperture changes by one stop for every metre moved, so for the exposure of the image on the right to match that on the left the aperture will need to be opened up by two stops.

Chapter 2

Camera Flash, Triggers and More

CAMERA FLASH

Modern cameras come with a wide variety of functions and detailed menu systems. Entry-level cameras are the small point-and-shoot compacts that do almost everything for you, even down to face detection and identifying smiling faces, using autofocus tracking and multiple focusing modes. That’s the problem – almost everything has limitations. A point-and-shoot compact, sometimes called an ultra-compact, is designed to be portable. As the name implies, all you need to do is turn it on, point it at the subject and press the shutter button. These small cameras usually come complete with a small built-in flash unit, mounted either just above or alongside the lens, or tucked away in the body, that appears or pops up when required. Some of the more advanced compacts support the addition of accessories, including electronic flashguns on a hot shoe. These little marvels can even determine if the flash needs to fire, but here too there is the problem that they sometimes fire when they cannot possibly illuminate the subject. As photographers we have the opportunity to switch off the flash, but many owners don’t bother to do this. These compacts can produce very good results, albeit with a very weak flash, in situations that are well lit, but they nonetheless fall down on the quality of their lenses. The quality of any image is, in part, down to the quality and price of the camera, but a gifted photographer should always be able to produce a great image irrespective of the equipment used. Stunning imagery is more about the photographer than the tools of the trade.

Fig. 2.0

Taken at a glass blower production unit using two flash units with 7" cans fitted. ƒ11 @ 1/200s ISO 200

Ultra-Compacts

The most common flash unit on the market today is the very small light source, no more than 1–2cm wide, included in most compact cameras. It is usually built into the camera very close to the lens axis and produces a hard light with limited power. Its effect, however, is sometimes surprisingly strong, creating blown-out images providing significant problems for any serious photographer. If you know what you are doing you can always increase the ISO setting to minimize the amount of flash required. Increasing the ISO will increase your aperture, allowing more ambient light to enter your camera and reducing the amount of flash required, provided the ambient light is working for you. When discussing the inverse square law (see Chapter 1) it was mentioned that you can move the flash back to correctly expose subjects with depth. Moving back when using a compact camera and its small flash will also help to produce an acceptably exposed image, but the weak flash and low GN of these units limit how far back you can move.

Fig. 2.1

Ultra-compact point-and-shoot cameras with very small built-in flashes.

Some techniques can be used to help improve the quality of the flash, mirroring what can be done with some of the more sophisticated dedicated speedlights or strobes (see Chapter 3).

There is no doubt that ultra-compact cameras have their place due to their portability and convenience, fitting into a small pocket and providing immediacy, spontaneity and convenience. The advent of camera phones has also added another dimension. Almost everyone has a phone with a camera and can produce an image in an instant, uploading it to the internet with little regard for quality or lighting.

The small flash units inevitably produce a small and unattractive catchlight in the eyes. Their limited power means that the light travels barely any distance. There are many occasions when it would be better to switch off the flash and work with the available light, providing it is adequate to capture the image. Before switching on any flash unit when shooting in conjunction with ambient light, you should look closely at how the existing light is working for you, since using flash may not be prudent or necessary. Modern compacts have tried to address some of the problems of shooting in low light by ‘dragging’ the shutter, a process by which the shutter is held open longer than the flash fires, capturing more of the ambient light. You would, however, need to use some form of support or tripod in this situation to eliminate any camera shake due to the slow shutter speed.

The small flash will try to make a reasonable stab at balancing any bright sunlight, but its considerable limitations, due to its size, output and range, mean that it is not powerful enough to compete with very strong ambient light.

Compacts

Fig. 2.2

The next step up from ultra-compacts comprises compact cameras with a hot shoe facility to take a separate flash. The examples shown here do not have built-in flash units.

The compact cameras at the next level are more sophisticated than the ultra-compacts, but they have similar limitations despite supporting a higher-quality lens and incorporating more advanced back-end technology that assists the photographer in demanding situations. The small built-in flash has all the disadvantages discussed above. Most support a small pop-up flash that improves the situation marginally by moving the flash away from the lens axis, although this is still not far enough to overcome the possibility of red-eye. Most compacts also provide a hot shoe to attach a strobe or speedlight.

Intermediate DSLRs

Beyond the compacts, intermediate DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras provide a pop-up flash when required. The pop-up flash unit, while slightly larger than those in the compacts, still suffers from the same problem in that it is small and attached to the camera. An entry-level DSLR camera, however, has the advantage of accepting a dedicated flashgun, fastened to a hot shoe on top of the camera, to enhance its flash power. If you invest in an appropriate remote flashgun that can be triggered with the built-in optical slave, the pop-up flash on the camera acts as the commander unit when fired and will remotely trigger the standalone strobe, provided the receiving flashgun can see the triggering flash. If you use this procedure you may need to set the built-in flash to manual mode to prevent any TTL (through the lens) pre-flash being emitted and turning the power down to about 1/32 power, although the distance between the pre-flash and strobe will have a bearing on the power required.

Fig. 2.3

An intermediate DSLR is the first step towards a Digital Single Lens Reflex camera. Some models have a pop-up flash unit and others a hot shoe for a dedicated flashgun.

DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex)

Finally there are the full-blooded and top-end DSLR cameras that support dedicated flashguns configured to work with the camera either from the hot shoe or remotely. The dedicated strobe will allow you to introduce flash compensation (FC) and control the output from the flashgun when the camera and flash are talking to each other. This communication is achieved either from a dedicated infrared or wireless trigger or from one built into the camera itself.

These features allow you to take the flash away from the camera and start being creative with the lighting. It provides the opportunity to add a wealth of modifiers to control the quality, intensity and shape of the light.

Fig. 2.1

High-end DSLR cameras represent the ultimate for most enthusiasts. Robust and with a high build quality, they offer a range of functions required by the professional market.

TRIGGERS

As soon as you remove the flash from the camera when seeking creative freedom, you will need to trigger it. The market is full of wireless and non-wireless triggers that provide degrees of sophistication and control, including cameras with built-in triggering systems. Most cameras will accept attachments to their hot shoe, but some cameras, such as those in the Sony range, will require a hot shoe adaptor if they are to receive most of the fitments and triggers.

It is the lighting that has the greater significance in any image, not the lens or your camera. Lighting can make or break any image, no matter how complex and expensive your equipment might be, so the ability to take control and remove the flash from the camera will have a huge impact on your creativity.

Cables

Fig. 2.5