The Flash Light

I just got back from attending the One Light Workshop with Zack Arias, hosted in Los Angeles at the City of Angels Photography Studio. If you haven't seen Zack's work, click on the link to peruse through his portfolio.  He is a huge proponent of getting your flash off-camera, and in his early days set himself apart from other concert photographers by doing so.  Zack has the ability to breakdown the technical jargon and rules into applicable scenarios.

A fair portion of my outdoor and almost all my indoor photography utilizes either a flash or strobe, but I had difficulty in applying my indoor lighting styles to outdoor sessions. So why pay to attend a workshop about off-camera flash when all of of my flash work is photographed using this method of lighting?

For two reasons: 1) Cost: my usual M.O. for outdoor shoots with Nikon Speedlights is to use Nikon CLS and TTL, with lighting adjustments done by raising or lowering Exposure Values on my Camera and on the remote flashes.  Why do I use this method? Because Joe McNally does, and his rationale is why pay the money for Nikon Speedlights and a camera with the capabilities if you aren't going to use them.  Well he is correct, however; he is also sponsored by Nikon.  The cost for Nikon Speedlights with remote control capabilities range from $260 to $449 a piece. Instead, there are cheaper Flashes on the Market for less than $100 that will do the job.

2) Consistency: the problem with TTL is that the camera averages the field of view to make a proper exposure, but that doesn't always translate into creating the proper mood for the shot. So two identical shots framed slightly differently will yield a different outcome and when working in dynamic conditions, you end up "spraying and praying" for "the shot."  Too much stress and frustration.

I'm not going to divulge some of the shortcuts and cheats Zack uses during a shoot, if you want to know then attend his workshop.  It's worth the money and Zack is really approachable and funny, too.

What Did I Learn?

• For me the workshop pushed me to focus on Manual Settings for my remote flashes and to slow down and not be in a rush. Albeit, shooting when Flash Power is adequate for Ambient Light, you'll have to adjust your settings (ISO, Aperture, Shutter, and Flash Power, but it'll be more consistent frame-for-frame.
• Which Modifiers to use and when. We played around with softboxes, grids, umbrellas, etc... and Zack discussed his preferences for each modifier.
• I also was able to understand the Inverse Square Law and how to apply it in my pictures.

All in all it was a very good workshop that I would recommend if you use on-camera flash. In addition, the networking was enjoyable.  As an aside, I just finished a shoot this past Saturday using my Studio Strobes in bright daylight and got fairly decent results.  So more practice, practice, practice and That's A Wrap!!!