Niagara School of Imaging, James Hodgins 2nd ProTip 2009

I see a lot of photographers complicating something that is really not complicated.

A few key steps and you can be adding more impact to your images.

My process for using off camera flash is as follows.

1: Take ambient meter reading
2: Place flashes to illuminate subjects
3: Set flashes to output 1 f:stop more power than the ambient reading.
(My flashes are Sunpack 383 and Vivitar 285's all on manual power output)
4: Set camera exposure to expose for flash settings (not ambient light
settings)

So let's go over this again. The first thing I do is take an ambient meter
reading (yes you can do this with your in camera meter, but I prefer to use
my light meter before hand, that way I am not constantly setting the flash,
checking the LCD, setting the flash, checking the LCD, meter it all once,
and your on your way).

For this article, let's just go with the sunny 16 rule. Not a cloud in the
sky, sun shining bright, the meter reading would be ISO 100 1/125 @ F16. If
that is my exposure for the ambient, then I want my flashes to output one
stop more power, which would be F22. So I place my flashes where I want
them, and meter the flashes until I get F22 output.

I then set my camera to expose for the flashes, so my camera settings would
be ISO 100 1/125 @ F22.

Let's say it's a cloudy day. Ambient Meter reading is ISO 100 1/125 @ F5.6
then I would have my flashes to output F8 and I would have my camera settings
for ISO 100 1/125 @ F8.

You can use any ISO you wish, I like to use the lowest ISO I can possibly
get.

I should also note that I do this all manually. The flashes are all on
manual, and the camera is on manual as well. I use Pocket Wizards II to
trigger my off camera flashes. You can get them at Dury's for an excellent
price check it out HERE

See Photo 1

See photo 2

Take a look at Photos 1 and 2; I used two Sunpack 383 flashes triggered with
with Pocket Wizards. When the exposure of the flashes is more than the
ambient light, the backgrounds go 1 stop darker.
This makes your subjects stand out in the image. It also creates more
defined shadows that add "depth" to your subjects like these:

See Photo 3

See photo 4

Play around with the placement and height of your flashes. You don't need
big output strobes for off camera flashes, nor do you need to break the bank
trying to. Go snag some Vivitar 285's, Sunpack 383's or any other flash and
start getting off Camera.

James “Hodgy” Hodgins