Lessons
Class Introduction
06:17 2Defining Flash Photography
09:43 3Camera Setup: Metering
03:58 4Camera Setup: Exposure Mode
04:36 5Camera Setup: Flash Synchronization
06:35 6Camera Setup: Shutter Speed
10:00 7Camera Setup: Aperture
10:22 8Camera Setup: White Balance
10:53Flash Settings: TTL
07:52 10Flash Settings: Manual
06:03 11Flash Settings: TTL Flash Power
02:51 12Types of Flashes
03:10 13Philosophy of Single Flash
08:10 14Considerations for On-Camera Flash
11:44 15Shoot: Common Mistakes
14:03 16Shoot: Using Domes
21:41 17Shoot: Using Flash Benders
04:25 18Shoot: Snoots
04:26 19Shoot: Light Sphere
04:32 20Shoot: Event Photography
09:51 21Understanding TTL Cables
08:58 22Understanding Wireless Triggers
26:15 23Cable and Triggering Q&A
23:08 24Uses of Modifiers: Umbrellas
08:44 25Shoot: Using an Umbrella
27:08 26Shoot: Using a Softbox
31:11 27Shoot: Using an Octabox
06:01 28Shoot: Using a Beauty Dish
17:54Lesson Info
Shoot: Light Sphere
So next is talking about the light sphere and the light sphere is kind of fun and it's exactly as we described it. It actually uses the same, well, this one that I own, it uses the same mount as the Snoot. So this just mounts onto there like this. Okay, light sphere. You can find these on Amazon, and eBay, and Adorama, and B&H. All the places probably have something like that. Again, it just slides on the top of the flash. So let's think, before we take a picture, let's start thinking of some of the logistical issues with shooting with a light sphere. Okay, we think, it's a light grenade. Light's gonna go everywhere. So if you do have yellow walls, this may not be the right choice for an interior shot in a yellow-walled room. But this will work if the walls are a neutral color. Do we have any real directional control? And is it really any different if it's forward or up? Not really, so again, light's gonna go everywhere. So if you need a situation where light does reflect all the w...
ay around the room, this is the tool for you. Let's test it and see what we got. Okay, back to this. And I'm in TTL mode here, but again, just to make the point, I'm gonna switch to manual mode on the flash to show you we can create a nice photo in manual mode. So I'm gonna hit the mode button again, go to M for manual mode, hit OK, and I'm gonna guess from last, I have to guess at a power output. I remember last time, one over one was a little bit too hot. So maybe I start at about half power. Let's see how that works. Okay, there we go. Light sphere, half power, I'm at M56 at a 250th of a second. Okay, my friend, here we go. One, two, three (camera clicks). Hmm, okay. Half power, a little bit too bright. But the overall look, decent, decent. Shadows are okay, they're in the background. If I shoot him that way, you won't get any shadow. So I'm gonna take this one more picture this way and then I'm gonna turn you around that way. That was half power and I think I was standing about here. See, in TTL mode, I didn't have to think through where I was standing. In manual mode, I always have to think, where exactly was I? Was I here or here, because that matters when you're calculating your manual exposure. So I was at half, I'm gonna go to quarter. So quarter power is one stop less of light. That means half the amount of light now is gonna hit him from the previous one. Okay, one, two, three (camera clicks). Alrighty. So here is the first one at half, here is the next one at quarter, and that's looking about right, maybe a little bit less, maybe quarter minus two thirds. So quarter minus two thirds. There we go and push OK. Okay, one, two, three (camera clicks), cool. And then, just to keep things exciting, I'll shoot like this. And one, two, three (camera clicks), okay. I think I was a little bit closer to you on that one. Yeah, I was. That's alright. And actually that's not a bad looking shot. It actually looks decent. Nice color, the background's kind of interesting, so flash sphere. It's okay, has a similar look as to the other products. I think what we're getting to, what we're understanding here is that anything that's like this, anything about this size, will produce approximately the same look for you, okay. My best favorite product is the FlashBender. I'd say my second one is that Harbor Digital Design softbox. But anything around this, you'll get a similar type of result.
Class Materials
Bonus Materials with Purchase
Ratings and Reviews
Yasemin Soyen
First of all I am very happy to discover Creative Live and since then I learned, enjoyed many classes! This week for the first time I was in the live audience and their sincerity, hospitality made the experience even more valuable. About this class, it was a pleasure to meet Mike Hagen. Besides his wide knowledge, creative thinking and information sharing, he was a very humble, nice teacher, with great positive energy. Thanks everyone!
Mark
Fantastic course - Mike is an engaging and entertaining teacher and this course was just what I needed to start using my external flash with confidence. I have had my external flash for a few years but have rarely used it as mastering all the settings was daunting and the results I got were inconsistent. This excellent course changed all that and I'm having great fun taking much better shots with my flash. I highly recommend!
Candy Smith
This class was fantastic. Mike is excellent under pressure when things don't go perfectly, love his style and grace and how encouraging he is to his models, great mentor. I learned so much about using flash, and my pictures are so much better.
Student Work
Related Classes
Lighting