For a long time I have had the urge to master the fine art of off camera lighting. I’m talking strictly speed lights such as my Canon 580ex II. I will do this. I have the equipment. Now I need to ingrain the knowledge into my brain and make it second nature for me to pick up a camera and a couple of speed lights and go shooting and get results that match the best shooters in the field. That’s my goal.
The holy grail of learning to light off camera resides at the Strobist web site by David Hobby. If you are serious about using off camera flash and you want to learn massive amounts of info about becoming a “Strobist” then that is the defacto web site where you can hone your craft.
Another brilliant concept in the off camera genre is the “One Light” guru Zack Arias from Atlanta Georgia. I love this guy’s work so much that I bought his One Light DVD and it was shear brilliance (no pun intended). If you truly want to learn one light off camera lighting then buy the DVD and study it. I guarantee that if you do learn it and know the info he provides from front to back and sideways then you will be able to add your own vision and apply what you learned from Zack and have a meaningful career in photography. But ya gotta learn it all cold. No excuses.
Zack’s head shot portraits are real. Have a look at some of them at his UsedFilm web site. True authentic appeal with no Photoshop trickery.
Another magnanimous off camera lighter is Neil Turner from the United Kingdom. He shares a wealth of information on his web site that can teach a person some essential methods of off camera lighting. His web site is called dg28.com. Trust me people…..this man has a nice teaching style that makes learning easy, fun and it sticks with you. He has tons of techniques here and some important opinions here. Read it all and absorb it and watch your pictures get better. He’s got a nice “pre-blog” here as well. Scope it out guys and gals.
Then there is the gifted and profoundly generous Neil van Niekerk who has an unbelievable web site called Planet Neil. I don’t think there is another photographer in the world who so freely shares his knowledge in such depth and openness than Neil does. He is a wedding photographer who produces brilliant work with just one on camera flash that he bounces off walls and other such objects. He is the world’s undisputed KING of bounce flash. He has mountains of methods and techniques that he freely and happily shares with readers about all that is bounce flash.
The title of this article is “Off Camera Flash” and I am putting Neil in this category because although the flash is technically on the camera, the masterful way he throws light around and bounces it so beautifully lighting his subjects qualifies it as off camera light. I urge you to read his frequently updated web site often. You will learn from a great man with an uncommon willingness to share his encyclopedic knowledge. He will even respond to questions that you pose in the threads of his articles. He’s a rare gem in the world of photography.
I highly recommend that you visit those web sites and learn from the titans of the off camera lighting world.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Very enlightening article man…one of the only ways to effectively shoot hummingbirds, off-camera flash knowledge is paramount….with striking lighting variations and infinite possibilities,off-camera flash should not be ignored…
Those are some really good photography DVDs you mentioned. I need to check out that Neil Turner guy.
How are things?
Things are great Micheal. I have been enjoying the work you have been posting on your blog.
Fantastic article Tom! I am very interested in off-camera flash as well… but I know very little about it. Thanks for all the links you have provided! It is a great source of information and hopefully I can incorporate it soon as well! Kind of reminds me of that one link you sent me of the street photographer who used an off-camera flash in his street photography.
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