Off-Camera Flash 101: Getting Started

This is part one of a multi-part series on off-camera flash.

The time when a photographer decides to start using off-camera lighting with their photography can seem so incredibly challenging. After all, you are moving from the relatively-safe science of meters and automatic modes to something that appears much more complicated. And really, all you want to do is make cool pictures. You’re not some engineering nerd.

When I started, it was because I wanted to move beyond just taking ambient light pictures. There are a lot of photographers that do just that, and do it incredibly well too. If I was forced to make a guess, I’d say 20-30% or less of the photographers in my market use off-camera lighting regularly. There’s no doubt that you can differentiate yourself rather quickly and radically by the simple act of turning a light on. In some ways, I felt like having any chance at differentiation forced me into using off-camera lights. And oh, how much fun it is.

But then, lighting sounds so complicated! Trust me, it’s not. You can do it, and get good at it too.

I have outlined some steps here to get you started. I won’t be talking about f-stops or shutter speed here or anything like that. Just an overall introduction to lighting and how to approach it.

1) Take a breath – it’s not that complicated

When you are working with lights (either strobes or off-camera hotshoe flashes), realize that they are just light generators. They are controllable. Most times, using them only requires that you decide where you want the light coming from, how much power you want, and then putting it there.

2) Start with an off-camera hotshoe flash

You can do an incredible amount of great photography with hotshoe flashes. Pros use them al the time. There are many times after I shoot when I realize that I could have made the shot with hotshoe flashes (and saved some aches and pains in the process).

The important point here is to get it off the camera. You can do this in 1 of 3 ways:

• Run an “extension” cable from the top of the camera to the flash. This is an “ok” method to get started, but you are limited to about 2 feet with most cords.

• Use the IR system of the camera. Canon and Nikon have infrared systems built into their cameras and flashes. You can use these systems to control off-camera flash. This is a pretty good solution, except that because you are using an infrared transmitter/receiver, everything requires line of sight between the camera and the flash. If you want to put that flash behind a tree/building, you might have a hard time connecting with it. Also, infrared systems have problems outside in the sun.

• Use a radio system. PocketWizard and Radio Poppers are the two market leaders here. This is hands-down the best solution. It’s also the coolest and makes you look extra-professional. Be sure to research how to connect the receiver to your hotshoe flash – different models have different requirements.

Study the options and then pick a solution.

3) Go Manual

Ok don’t freak out. Manual flash is not that difficult. In fact, it’s required when you get to the big-boy strobes. And to be honest, you won’t want it any other way, so get a jump on all those other off-camera noobs and go manual. Once you do, the only real control you have to worry about is flash power. For hotshoe flashes, power will be listed like this: 1/1 (full power), 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32, 1/64, 1/128, etc. Take a picture, look at the display, and turn the power up or down if you need to.

4) Study, Shoot, Repeat

Study images wherever you see them. Visit David Hobby’s site and read all of the lighting tutorials religiously. Set up a corner of your office with a David Hobby shrine, and then think good strobe thoughts daily. Bookmark other photographers that you like, and then try to figure out where the light is coming from in each of their images.

5) Get Yourself a Single Monolight

The only real differences between a monolight and a hotshoe flash are power and portability. Don’t bother reading posts about “the light quality of this strobe vs. that strobe.” It’s a waste of time. 95% of “light quality” is going to come down to what modifiers you use (softboxes,etc). So look at the various strobes, and pick one that matches your budget. This can be an Alien Bees, White Lightning, Photogenic, Speedotron, etc. If you’ve already invested in a radio system mentioned above you can use it on your new strobe. For power, I’d recommend a 600 w/s or higher unit. Start with one unit, and add more strobes later as you get comfortable.

6) Practice!

For all of my strobe shoots, I start by taking a look at the background exposure. I set that where I want it to be on the camera, and then I adjust my flash power to make the subject look the way I want. Some people start with the subject, and then use shutter speed and aperture to control the background. In any case, start practicing and making mental notes of what works and what doesn’t. The histogram is good, but it doesn’t tell you everything. Look at the display and judge your results that way!

Granted there’s a lot more to it than what I’ve listed here. Consider this more of a taste of some of the things I’ll cover in future posts. And speaking of, if there are particular topics you want me to address, leave them in the comments below. Later we’ll be adding some survey’ish type features to help out.

Disclaimer: Some of the links above may use affiliate codes. If you purchase something using those links, I receive a commission. These commissions keep the site running, plus help me save up for a new pair of skinny jeans.

Related posts:

1. Want a New Camera? Get Pregnant.
2. Why I Still Use My Old PocketWizard