Archive for the ‘SPEEDLITES’ Category

Beauty Dishes for Hot Shoe Flashes / Speedlites

 Beauty Dishes for Hot Shoe Flashes / Speedlites

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.
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Shooting models with the universal canon off camera shoe cord and a speedlite.


 Shooting models with the universal canon off camera shoe cord and a speedlite.

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.

 Shooting models with the universal canon off camera shoe cord and a speedlite.

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Nissin Di866 Professional Speedlite


 Nissin Di866 Professional Speedlite

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.
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Home made diy speedlite flash snoot

 Home made diy speedlite flash snoot

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!

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Using Speedlights Off Camera

 Using Speedlights Off Camera

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!

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Flash photography basics video.

Flash photography basics video.

Using speedlights outdoors.

 Using speedlights outdoors.

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.

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Why should I Use a Speedlight / Small flash ?

 Why should I Use a Speedlight / Small flash ?

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?

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Portable softbox for speedlites and hot shoe flashes details.

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.

 Portable softbox for speedlites and hot shoe flashes details.

 Portable softbox for speedlites and hot shoe flashes details.

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

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Photos in bedroom with speedlite flashes through softbox.

 Photos in bedroom with speedlite flashes through softbox.

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

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

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Master and slave speedlite flashes through portable softbox outdoors

 Master and slave speedlite flashes through portable softbox outdoors

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.

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Lighting diagrams and photos with canon 580ex speedlite flash

stefanie,model,bikinispeedlite,silver,umbrella

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

lighting diagram speedlite flash canon bounced in silver umbrella

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Canon 580ex speedlite flash through portable softbox

Photos with the speedlites and the softbox :

  Canon 580ex speedlite flash through portable 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 :

speedlite,flash,slave,master,softbox,off camera,hot shoe

speedlite,flash,slave,master,softbox,off camera,hot shoe

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 :

vicky,model,speedlite,softbox,chimera

previously : 'speedlite with softbox'

previously : 'speedlite with silver umbrella'

Shooting with speedlites on the beach video

  Canon 580ex speedlite flash through portable softbox

Multiple Flashes

alex,singer,model,outdoors,fill flash, ettl, jumping,motion,motion blur

On-camera single light.

Wired Off-camera single light.

Wireless Off-camera single light.

Hotshoe FILL + Wireless KEY light.

Wired FILL + Wireless KEY light.

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