A few weeks back I came across this fantastically helpful online resource called, “The Strobist”, a blog dedicated to the wonders of photography using small flash units, or strobes, as they’re commonly called.
I’ve blogged this photo directly from the Flickr photostream of the writer himself and I hope he doesn’t mind.
The site does a fantastic job of unraveling the mystery from using off camera flash units (meaning flashes that are positioned be away from the main camera body). The basic premise if that fancy, schmancy flash units and elaborate lighting setups are nice and all, but when it comes to working on a pressured photo assignment, working with flexible, inexpensive stobes become very valuable.
For me using a flash has always left me cold. And that’s mainly from the dreadful examples that I have seen when using the flash unit that pops up on top of my camera.
Typically, the people I shoot in these poorly lit photos look like deer in the headlights, at best. At worst, they look like a American Apparel models.
The best parts of the evolving blog is the Lighting 101 and On Assignment sections. Here you can get a complete break down of the lighting setup.
I can only hope that through lots of practice and sites of this nature will help me get over my fear of using a flash.
The Strobist. Dig it.
