PhotoMasterclass
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FF-CAMERA FLASH CAN be
a transformative addition to a
portrait photographer’s arsenal.
It’s like having a much, much
cheaper, lighter and arguably
more versatile studioflash in the palm of
your hand to use anywhere and at anytime.
These powerful, portable lights have taken
the photography world by storm since their
inception, have given birth to a new breed of
photographer – called strobists – who find
boundless creativity in combining flashguns,
modifiers and various lighting effects, and
has handed creative lighting to the masses.
We won’t spin you a story about how
easy it is to master off-camera flash or how
even beginners will grasp the basics with
ease – although it is probably much simpler
than you think. Off-camera flash is an art that
gets developed over time but is accessible
to all, and even the most basic set-ups and
techniques have the power to transform your
portraits with relative ease. Whether you use
a single flashgun or several, you can control
the lighting in almost any location – whether
that’s beautifully illuminating a subject against
a busy night scene, in locations without
ambient light or overpowering the sun, your
options for dynamic images are endless.
By simply disconnecting a flashgun, or
Speedlight as some prefer to call it, from the
camera, your lighting becomes more flexible,
flattering and, put simply, potentially fantastic.
Whether you’re comfortably working withone off-camera flash set to TTL mode
(a flashgun’s version of Auto) or multiple
flashguns with different modifiers and flash
powers, the beauty of flash photography is it
has something for every level of photographer
to benefit from. And, in this month’s Photo
Masterclass, we’ve got the same. From the
basics to give you a firm, uncomplicated
understanding of how off-camera flash
works to techniques that combine the
knowledge, modifiers and manual settings
for more advanced approaches to lighting on
location. As you’ll soon see, there’s no need
for expensive tech; you can do a lot with
the simplest, manually-controlled flashgun,
so prepare to take control and become a
proactive rather than reactive photographer.