Photography Blog DigitalPixels.net

"When shooting portraits outdoors, it is often necessary to control or modify the natural light in order to achieve the most flattering results. In a high contrast, outdoor lighting situation, many photographers resort to using fill flash to reduce contrast and bring detail into the shadow areas."

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" One of the first hurdles in learning off-camera flash photography in the manual mode is knowing where to set your flash for that first test exposure. For beginners, it can almost seem arbitrary or random.

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"The aim of this article is to introduce you to the versatility of your new Paglight whilst exposing the secrets of good lighting in such a way that you can continue to build on your skills and enjoy the situations and challenges that beset all photographers."

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I've done comparison testing with all 18 of the possible ambient / fill metering combinations on my Canon 20D and having been shooting seriously since the late 1960s using every meter type and method there is including Sunny 16. Regardless of the metering mode we select with our in-camera Through The Lens (TTL) metering getting the exposure correct is a three step process 1) let the camera metering make its best guess, 2) evaluating that guess, and 3) second-guessing the camera.

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"Light ratios are confusing because there is more than one way to describe the difference in intensity between lights and because incident readings used to infer reflected highlight-to-shadow ratios. So first let's start by defining terms:"

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"We discuss three lighting options with our portrait studio continuous lighting kit. The kit consists of 3 lights including the "key", "fill" and "back" or "hair" light. The "key" and "fill" lights use "bounce" umbrellas to soften the light and reduce shadows. The "back" light does not use an umbrella and can be used as either a hair highlight and background light. Using Barndoors on the back light can help narrow the light for specific lighting control like a "hair" light and other effects. "

continue at AlzoDigital

"Have you ever sat down to a plate of food and thought, "This would make a great photograph"? When the food, setting and lighting all come together, the combination can make for a beautiful scene worth photographing. Some photographers are so inspired by such scenes that shooting food is all they do.

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Photos with the speedlites and the softbox :

click continue for more photos and flash set-up images.

Flash is set on ETTL , compensated between 1/3 and 2/3, ambient is underexposed by one stop on the portrait below the set-up shots :

It's easier with a studio strobe, but the speedlites should not be underestimated, nor their mobile functions.

Using the 70-200mm 2.8 Is L lens for a nice background blur :

exif photo 1 : 1ds II camera - 1/250 sec - f/4 - AV mode - ISO 200 - 73 mm with 70-200 mm 2.8 L IS lens

exif photo 2 : 1ds II camera - 1/250 sec - f/4 - AV mode - ISO 200 - 153 mm with 70-200 mm 2.8 L IS lens

added photo :

previously : 'speedlite with softbox'

previously : 'speedlite with silver umbrella'

Shooting with speedlites on the beach video

click continue for set-up and additional photos.

We moved the flash from frontal position to a position of 45 degrees from the model, direct light.

"The thing that should strike you from this exercise is just how different a three-dimensional form can look when lit from different angles.

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The Ray Flash is the first commercially produced ring flash adapter designed to turn a speedlight into a ringflash. While ringlight is nothing new around here, up until now you have had to either go the DIY route, or lug around a much bigger piece of gear.

continue at Strobist

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“The Ray Ring Flash creates a unique ring flash lighting effect: a three-dimensional shadow-wrapped look around the subject. Because ring flash light originates from a circle around the lens, it produces a virtually shadowless look on the front of your subject, while producing a soft even shadow around the edges. ”

Ray Ring Flash Adapter for Canon and Nikon at Expoimaging.

Full press release :

WATSONVILLE, CA, April 7, 2008—ExpoImaging Inc., developer of innovative camera accessories, including the ExpoDisc Digital White Balance Filter and the ExpoAperture2 Depth-of-Field Guide, today announced the U.S. availability of Ray Flash: The Ring Flash Adapter. Designed as a portable and lightweight adapter for a hot-shoe flash unit, the Ray Flash replicates the unique lighting effect produced by heavy, tethered, powered studio ring flash units.

“The Ray Flash: Ring Flash Adapter is truly unique because it creates ring light lighting effects simply by attaching it to your existing hot shoe flash,” said Erik Sowder, president of ExpoImaging, Inc. “Lightweight and portable, the Ray Flash is the only product of its kind. It’s a great accessory tool for your strobe because it enables the photographer to easily achieve a high fashion, studio portrait look while on location.”

Because the ring flash light originates from a circle around the camera lens, the Ray Flash creates a distinctive lighting effect, producing a virtually shadowless look on the front of the subject, while leaving a soft, even shadow around the edges. The versatile adapter is ideally suited for fashion, wedding, portrait, journalist and macro photography, as either a main or fill-in light.

“The Ray Flash is one very cool piece of gear,” said lighting expert David Hobby in his review of Ray Flash on Strobist.com. “It’s small, lightweight, maintains all of the flash’s TTL functions. Best yet, [the latest Ray Flash design] loses only one stop of light as compared to direct flash. That last bit alone puts it head and shoulders above any [Do It Yourself] versions I have seen or tried. With that kind of output, it is even usable outside during the daylight at modest portrait distances.”

The Ray Flash relies on the hot-shoe flash to generate its light and automatically takes advantage of a camera’s TTL metering capabilities. The adapter easily slides over the front of a camera’s flash unit and locks into place for easy, secure use. Weighing only 16 oz., the Ray Flash contains no electronics, batteries or flash tubes and does not require any cumbersome cables.

Current models of the Ray Flash are designed to fit the Canon 580EX (MKI & MKII) and Nikon SB800 flash units. With a 4 1/8” internal diameter, the adapter is large enough to accept almost all professional lenses from both Canon and Nikon. The Ray Flash will retail for $299 and is distributed exclusively by ExpoImaging, Inc. in the U.S..  The Ray Flash will be available through photo dealers nationwide as well as at www.expoimaging.net.

About ExpoImaging, Inc.

ExpoImaging Inc. develops and markets innovative camera accessories and is the pioneer in digital white balance filters. Ray Flash: The Ring Flash Adapter, ExpoAperture2 Depth-of-Field Guide and ExpoDisc Digital White Balance Filter are available at select photography dealers worldwide, or online at www.expoimaging.net.

Shot with a beauty dish lately, here's a sample photo :

click continue for video fragments of beauty dish and softbox shoot.

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