42 13 July 2019 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113
FOR MANY of us, our fi rst
encounter with fl ash comes when
we engage the pop-up on our
camera. The initial results are
often dishearteningly poor. Harsh,
frontal light from a pop-up fl ash
is fi ne for snaps in dim interiors
(and at a push, as a subtle fi ll for
outdoor shots). But it destroys any
sense of mood and obliterates the
play of light and shade that gives
form to our subjects.
If the pop-up doesn’t put the
newcomer off fl ash for good, then
the natural upgrade is to purchase
a speedlight, also known as a
fl ashgun. This trusty piece of
kit can be useful for all kinds of
situations. However, if we stick it
on the hotshoe and point it at the
subject the results will be much
the same as the nasty pop-up.
Luckily, we do have other options.LIGHTING equipment can open
up a new world of photographic
opportunities. Suddenly you don’t
have to seek out the perfect light
for your subject: take your lighting
gear on a location shoot and
you can make your own instead.
Whether you want to photograph
a person outdoors, capture an
architectural interior, or lift any
kind of subject, learning how to
light on location can be a powerful
Testbench
The trusty
speedlight
Lighting on
location
weapon in your creative arsenal.
The right kit for location lighting
will vary depending on what you
intend to shoot, and the ambient
lighting conditions. For example,
in some scenarios, an LED (such
as the portable and impressive
Rotolight AEOS) can be a great
location light as unlike fl ash you
can judge the light by eye and
adjust the colour temperature to
match the surroundings. However,LEDs aren’t powerful enough to
overpower the sun, so they’d be
no use for lighting a portrait in
direct sunlight. For this you’d need
a more powerful fl ash.Lighting on a budget
A basic speedlight (such as the
cheap-as-chips, manual-onlyNeewer TT560) is ideal for all
kinds of location lighting, as long
as you have a separate wireless
trigger to fi re it off-camera. A
budget trigger is similar in cost to a
memory card, so it’s a worthwhile
investment. Freed from the
hotshoe, you can place your
speedlight behind the subject orThe castle here is lit with a
speedlight fitted with an
orange gel to match the warm
colour of the sunset. Parts of
the scene were illuminated
over several frames, then
merged together in softwareWith stroboscopic
mode engaged, a
speedlight is capable
of multiple, rapid-fire
flashes for special
effects like thisSome speedlights have a zoom that
changes the spread of light to match
your lens. Here’s the difference
between 24mm and 200mm24mm
200mm