need some encouragement...totally bummed out

[m_mphotography]

I'm relatively new to this forum...heck, I'm really new to this photography deal, but I know that I really enjoy it and I'm really excited about it....well, except for today! Tonight, I'm really bummed out! This afternoon we went out so that I could practice taking pics with flash. Up until now (the last 2months-since I started) I've been doing natural light portraiture, but I just got an SB600 and wanted to try my hand at it. I've been doing a LOT of reading about flash photography technique, and I thought I'd try my hand at it...I felt like such a failure. I couldn't get my flash to look natural...I couldn't get exposure correct...I'd expose for my sky, intentionally underexposing by 1 to 1.3 fstops and then using my flash in TTL-BL mode--it was so obvious...I was shooting at my flash synch spd (1/200th sec) and really wanting to use a large aperture for shallow depth of field--but I couldn't do that, because of course it was TOO bright out!! So, I got really frustrated. I felt like such a failure!! On top of that, I made the mistake of checking out a new photo studio that just opened in the shopping area that we were at and awed at the beautiful photos that were displayed...the entire time I'm kicking myself and thinking "Am I ever going to be this good??"

URGH....how much time does it take...am I being too hard on myself?? Any pointers on flash use outdoors and indoors would be greatly appreciated. I'd post a sample of my attempts tonight, but I have not even downloaded my card yet....

[CaptainTom]

welcome to the real world of artificial light photography. everyone thinks it must be so simple to just bring your own light with you (on camera flash or studio flash) and get a great photo. but, it ranges from "easy" to "rocket science" and you have to move through the process a step at a time. I think that Tri-Coast does some of the best flash work in the business, and when I went to their workshop and they explained how they did it, I realized it wasn't complicated, but you need to understand the concept, and then you need to post process to make it great.
you're on the right road. keep chugging along and learn from each step. there might be a great "aha !" around the next corner.

I'd offer technical advice but I've only been photographing "a brazillian" years, and am still learning.

[bondarnes]

Even Neurosurgery cannot be mastered in two months. Most surgeons go to classes to educate themselves on the nuances of their craft. Like Tom said you might want to take a workshop or two to help you along.

[m_mphotography]

Thanks for the feedback. I agree. I think that a hands on workshop would be my best bet...because I can read and read, and theoretically it makes sense to me, it's practically that I'm having issues!!

[bondarnes]

Originally Posted by CaptainTom

welcome to the real world of artificial light photography............. I think that Tri-Coast does some of the best flash work in the business, and when I went to their workshop and they explained how they did it, I realized it wasn't complicated, but you need to understand the concept, and then you need to post process to make it great.
you're on the right road...................

SHAMELESS PLUG: Mike and Cody will be giving a day and a half program at the TPPA Summer Seminar in Kerrville June 22-25. Their program is on Tuesday and Wednesday. For more information visit: www.tppa.org

[johnastovall]

Screw flash, fast primes, high ISO and a full moon is the way to go....

[ajl3photo]

Unfortunately for some of us, a full moon only surfaces a few times a month and then it can be cloudy!

Marleny, just keep practicing. You have a great flash to use, now just keep trying something different until you find the results you like!

[kenmyers70]

I believe High Speed Sync is the capability you want to research. Essentially, the flash fires a large number of low intensity flashes over a long time to allow the camera to sync with shutter speeds faster than 1/200.

[johnastovall]

Originally Posted by ajl3photo

Unfortunately for some of us, a full moon only surfaces a few times a month and then it can't be cloudy!

Marleny, just keep practicing. You have a great flash to use, now just keep trying something different until you find the results you like!

If you can see you shoot, and clouds make it interesting. Take a look at my f/1.0 and f/0.95 galleries.

[Photogasim]

I maybe trying to go in the wrong direction for you. However, I would start out with a "Continuous" Lighting System. Meaning that the lights are "On" until you turn them off. That way you are not trying to figure out the exposure on something that you can't "See". And the other good thing is that you an get a pretty good Continuous system without spending a fortune. If you buy one though,... I would recommend a "Cool" system, meaning that the lights are Not Incandescent,which are "Hot",.... but rather Fluorescent, which are "Cool".
Strobe/Flash systems are what the big boys use, but until you learn basic lighting techniques, all of the equipment in the world is just expensive junk.

Lessismore.

[Joe_Lorenzini]

Originally Posted by johnastovall

Screw flash, fast primes, high ISO and a full moon is the way to go....

Classic!

[ajl3photo]

Originally Posted by johnastovall

If you can see you shoot, and clouds make it interesting. Take a look at my f/1.0 and f/0.95 galleries.

The picture looks alright...

[Christopher Mac]

Here are a couple of options for you.

First, it is possible to get good results with the SB-600, but you have to soften up the harsh direct output.

This flash doesn't have a built in bounce card like the SB800. Try rubber banding a bright white 4X6 index card to the back of the flash head and using that to bounce light forward. Keep in mind you'll need decent ambient light to make this work - flash output in these scenerios is only meant to be a soft fill light.

A Stofen diffuser also might work well. If you're shooting with shallow DOF, meter without the flash in Aperture priority, then use those settings as the starting point in full manual operation. Power up your flash, and shoot at -2, -1, etc with the diffuser on and the flash head pointed nearly straight up. All you want when shooting wide open is a small pop of light. Eventually, you're going to get a really good idea of how to shoot like this on the fly.

Don't overlook a two light setup for portrait work or even fast moving action shots. For a reasonable price, you can get a cheap lightstand, a Vivitar 285HV, and a transmitter/receiver radio set. I also recommend gettting a Stofen for the 285 when shooting portraits. This combo allows you to get amazingly creative in nearly any lighting situation. You can shoot nearly wide open with small pops of light using something like an 85mm f1.4, or you can get brilliant potraits in full sun shooting when you pump up the light output. I'm not sure how you'd sync up a transmitter to the SB600 since it doesn't have a sync port, but I know photographers have worked around this before.

My standard setup is my Nikon on a rotating bracket, SB800 flash with a radio transmitter mounted on the bracket. Vivitar 285 on a lightstand. Double lighting rocks in most situations, ESPECIALLY at night when the moon is out :). i simply use my bracket mounted SB800 in full TTL mode, and the Vivitar is set manually but adds an extra dimension that is pretty hard to describe here.

Finally, if you're shooting Nikon, don't forget you can buy a SB800 and use your SB600 as a wireless slave with retaining full TTL exposure control. You can even do it with the built in flash on the D80, but then you get into the direct flash issue again unless you figure out how to place IR film over the built in pop up flash. I have 4 SB800s, and the only reason I prefer radio slaves is because I am darn used to the light putput of the off camera Vivitar and sometimes the SB800s have a tough time talking to each other in bright ambient light.

If you have questions, let us know. If you were local, I'd be happy to teach you these techniques to get you started (in exchange for you picking up the Starbucks tab :) ).

[HotHolly]

I felt exactly they way you did when I 1st started with flashes. I hated them. The instant gratification with photography isnt there with flashes. It used to take me 3-6 months to set up a painting, paint it, and finish the thing. Moving to photography really had the instant gratification pull. Until trying to learn how to use your flashes. I still think I suck, compared to my paintings anyway. Wanting to be better is a good thing. And anything worth learning takes a lot of effort. Keep at it and post stuff and ask questions if you cannot figure out whats not right. :o)

[Daniel Bates]

Try looking through this website:

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html

It is off-camera manual lighting, which seems much less intuitive than on-camera TTL, but if you work through the lessons that David Hobby has written, you will understand how a flash works, how to expose for it, and how the light from the flash interacts with your subject. Armed with that knowledge, on-camera TTL is much more accessible.