Photography Blog DigitalPixels.net

Speedlight Pro Kit’s latest innovation, a flash-mounted 46cm beauty dish, is being launched in Europe.

Designed for portraiture, the beauty dish consists of two key elements; a large white collar and an inverted silvered cone mounted within.  The dish is fixed to the flash so that its light is bounced back off the cone’s silvered surface onto the white material giving an even and flattering lift to the subject. The opaque central portion of the cone diverts away light from the centre, thus eliminating hotspots and harsh shadows.
(more...)

I got myself a universal off camera shoe cord at Calumet that should be compatible with ALL the speedlites.

It's a handy tool for shooting off-camera, and a nice balancing effort while holding a 1ds mk II with a 24/70 in the other hand. ETTL shouldn't be an issue.

(more...)

The new flash gun from Nissin, the Di866 Professional Speedlite, is now available to UK photographers, as first announced by Kenro at Focus on Imaging earlier this year.

The Di866 is available with either a Canon or Nikon fitting. The Canon version is compatible with Canon Digital SLR and Powershot hotshoe cameras using ETTL and ETTL-2 systems, while the Nikon model fits Nikon Digital SLR and Coolpix hotshoe cameras using i-TTL. The unit carries a SRP of £369.95 including VAT.
(more...)

This snoot making article has one of the best effort to result ratio. You usually use a snoot when you want only a small part of a scenario lighten, while keeping the rest of the scenario light free see the picture at the end of this article.

In this article Leann Wrightsman will show you how to make a "Snoot" for your speedlight flash with easy to find items you may even have around the house!

(more...)

So, we already know that direct flash from your built-in flash gives unflattering results, to say the least. Using your speedlight in the same way won’t change much. I did mention that you can redirect the light by rotating the head of your flash gun and bouncing the light off ceilings and walls but you’re still very limited in your creativity. So what’s a photographer to do? I’ll tell you. Get that speedlight off your camera to unleash its full potential!

(more...)

Flash photography basics video.

On location with speedlights, a model and a videographer. A warm, well, mostly warm December day and we are shooting in Tempe, Arizona. I will share the setups with you and also what I was thinking and working with here. Briana is the model, check out her Model Behavior column here.

(more...)

For most of you that own a DSRL, you’ll have a built in flash to help you light your subject. So why, oh why would you even bother spending your hard earned cash on another flash that goes right on top of the one you’re used to using? Isn’t it overkill?

(more...)

I've been receiving more and more emails asking for information about the softbox I use with the speedlites.

Several brands offer this package, I opted for the Chimera set as it was complete and had a larger box than the other brand at the time of purchase.

So, here are some details about what I'm using.

As you can see it is the Chimera PRO II XS softbox that I'm using.

(more...)

580ex Speedlite flash in softbox, triggered by master 550ex speedlite flash.

continue for set-up and additional photos / speedlite articles.

(more...)

Canon 1ds mark II camera - 24-70 L lens @ 57 mm

1/160 sec shutter speed - f / 5.6 aperture - ISO 200

Shooting photos on the beach with a slave 580ex flash , triggered by master 550ex flash.

ETTL + 1 1/3 - Flash Exposure Lock on face area.Ambient light is underexposed.

continue for video and outtakes.

(more...)

Master 550ex Speedlite

580ex slave Flash bounced in silver umbrella

Manual mode - 1/1 power

ISO 200 - f/6.3 - 1/200 sec - 70 mm

(more...)

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

On-camera single light.

Wired Off-camera single light.

Wireless Off-camera single light.

Hotshoe FILL + Wireless KEY light.

Wired FILL + Wireless KEY light.

(more...)