rxb - Love the B&W photo taken from a low angle. Magnificent !
Mark Martinez - This is a fantastic tip. DJ lights can also be fun depending on their color and placement.
Jessica - Hey, Melissa. What's the difference between another light source hitting the subject and your off camera flash hitting the subject (in regard to dragging the shutter)? Why will the subject be blurry in this case? I love this series!
Sara - Thank you so much for sharing these wonderful tips!
Melli - Thank you for doing this series. It is quite informative. :)
Angel - Thanks for your tips, flash is something I feel like I'm constantly evolving with, it just isn't my strong point. I am curious if you set your camera's flash setting ettl II to average or evaluative? I too keep things on ettl but sometimes my ocf is actually too strong. I don't use the 580, I use a bare strobe set as low as it goes but that might be it. I could put a soft box on it but afraid I'd lose the flare. The lighting of the venue is obviously the big variable and it drives me nuts when they are too bright or too dark. Pretty ambient is so important!
ashley barnett - Thank you! I am loving this series! Love the idea of squatting down to access the background lights from above...even if there is no videographer there is probably some type of overhead lighting- great tip!
Galen - I love the last one with the spotlight coming down on the couple. I'll certainly be looking for a similar situation at my next reception. Thanks for the post!!
Melissa Jill :) - Hi Karen- The off-camera flash is a flash, not ambient light so even if it hits the subject while you drag the shutter, it still functions like your on-camera flash and freezes the action. This is for the same reasons I talked about in part one - the flash is faster than the length of time the shutter is open. Hope this answers your question!!
Karen Shinkins - Hey Melissa, I'm probably a little premature with my question, cos you may address this when you talk about off-camera flash, but you mentioned slowing your shutter speed down to something as a low as 1/15 to include any ambient light in the room and also to allow a little creativity with dragging the shutter. But then you mention if there are other light sources hitting your subject, then your shutter speed should be 1/100 or faster. You have a fabulous photo on the P1 post "The Basics" of a couple sitting at a table toasting and in this photo you are using both on and off-camera flash, but your shutter speed was 1/30. I guess my confusion is how come the shutter speed is so low, even though you have another light source hitting your subject. Sorry to be so long winded. Flash just has a way of confusing and scaring me. But thank you for putting together this series, it really is helping.
JessicaLee - Melissa.. Thank you SO much for this series! One question though - are you using the dome diffuser on the on-camera or off-camera flash? If it's on-camera do you direct the light at the subject or bounce it? Thanks in advance!
Alyssa - Melissa, this series seriously changed the way I see light. It's helped me out so much! Thank you thank you thank you for this!
chesley - did the flash compensation this weekend & none of my photos are underexposed now!! so thankful for this series!!
Rachel Tatem - Thanks for the tips. My flash is at times the scariest thing I know. I have yet to dent the surface of what there is to know. Spending time in practice, I know is the best way to get to know it but having tips is SO helpful. Thanks for investing the time!