Off camera flash who uses them?

off camera flash
is it only for pros whats your view ?

I have three units, and I'm no pro. They're for anyone that needs or wants to put quality, controllable light on a subject......

can you achieve the same results with on camera flash?

crabby wrote: can you achieve the same results with on camera flash?

In some situations bouncing can work to change light direction, but you have to have ceilings, walls, reflectors, or something else to bounce off of, in the right location.

I prefer off camera flash when I can use it. The simplest method is just holding the flash, but that means I'm holding the camera one handed. I think that's okay for snaps and party pics, but if I'm going for best quality I want to hold my camera with both hands. I sometimes use a flash stand (little plastic thing that comes with my EOS speedlights) or a bungee cord to place an off camera flash, but those require a table surface or pole in the right place. Most of the time I use a lightstand, but that requires room to place, and that may not be an option in crowded areas. Sometimes I use an assistant to hold the flash. That is my favorite. At strobist.com they call that the "voice operated light stand", or something like that.

If I'm using on-camera or on-bracket flash I try to bounce whenever possible. Even with high, dark ceilings I'll do my best to bounce. Direct, on-camera flash (at least as the key light) tends to be boring, unflattering, and a characteristic of the look of snapshots.

Henry Peach wrote:

crabby wrote: can you achieve the same results with on camera flash?

In some situations bouncing can work to change light direction, but you have to have ceilings, walls, reflectors, or something else to bounce off of, in the right location.

I prefer off camera flash when I can use it. The simplest method is just holding the flash, but that means I'm holding the camera one handed. I think that's okay for snaps and party pics, but if I'm going for best quality I want to hold my camera with both hands. I sometimes use a flash stand (little plastic thing that comes with my EOS speedlights) or a bungee cord to place an off camera flash, but those require a table surface or pole in the right place. Most of the time I use a lightstand, but that requires room to place, and that may not be an option in crowded areas. Sometimes I use an assistant to hold the flash. That is my favorite. At strobist.com they call that the "voice operated light stand", or something like that.

If I'm using on-camera or on-bracket flash I try to bounce whenever possible. Even with high, dark ceilings I'll do my best to bounce. Direct, on-camera flash (at least as the key light) tends to be boring, unflattering, and a characteristic of the look of snapshots.

Good tips...

No pro here. I bought a Strobist kit thru mpex.com Two flashes, two stands, two umbrellas and Cactus triggers.

Love 'em.

Lol, every time I meet up and hang out with my friend Mike, a wedding photographer with 25+ years of experience, he starts the conversation with the same line, "Barry you need to embrace your flash!" Well I am doing just that, finally, I've been doing lots of product shots for my wife's ebay sales and using off-camera flash for portraits too.

I keep an extra adapter plate with me now to make my tripod into a lightstand, complete with an umbrella holder, much sturdier than a light stand and my tripod is always with me anyhow, and I'm finding that even if I think that my subject is well lit......adding flash will make it better most of the time. It's especially useful for those situations with direct sunlight backlighting your subject.

guess im going to have to get a bigger wheel barrow

crabby wrote: guess im going to have to get a bigger wheel barrow

Check out Strobist.com for lots of good tips on keeping the gear light. I always thought that the compact light stands wouldn't really be enough smaller than a typical light stand to make a difference, but after buying a few they pack up significantly smaller. The downside is that they aren't as tall, and aren't as stable when fully extended, but for a lot of situations they work great, and still fit in my lighting bag.

There are some good video's on YouTube that have been very helpful to me too.

I use it when I need it. I even have one of those crappy Vivitar plastic tripods for mounting it. Granted it will not hold up a reflector, but a flash no problem. You can find those at Big Lots for about $10. Photography as we all know is about the light, if Mother Nature is not giving you what you need to get it right, then that is why they created flashes.

I use a off camera flash, but hardly a pro. I'm using it on all my shoots, but most my work is with out flash.

Overread wrote: There are some good video's on YouTube that have been very helpful to me too.

Check the tips section here