Yet More Flash

I know y'all are getting tired of reading my ramblings on using flash, but this is so often
a really misused tool in photography. It really can be your friend.

These are examples of using flash outside at night, when there is no surface to bounce
your flash. Gotta use direct flash. All of these were shot using my off-camera cord. This makes you hold the camera with one hand and the flash with the other. Takes a little practice, but not that hard.

I was shooting with the camera and flash on manual. My ISO was 250. You have to be aware of the background, because it becomes an important part of the image. The difference in light sources will make the background photograph warmer. Usually the light in the background will be tungsten,and will look more golden that the light from your flash.

I balanced my shutter speed and lens aperture so the background would be about a stop darker than the subject. This is where digital is so helpful. You can shoot and look at the results. Use you exposure meter to determine your basic exposure, adjust you flash and camera to compensate. You don't want the background to overpower the subject. It should be subdued.