Off-Camera Flash 5 Myths, 5 Truths, and 5 Tips
Hi, this is Laura Froese and I’m going to break down OCF with 5 myths, 5 truths and 5 tips.
Myth: Flash is always harsh.
Truth: Flash CAN be harsh if not properly used.
Tip: Use a modifier (I love a good soft box umbrella) to soften your light, or bounce it off a wall first before it hits your subject if you only have a bare flash. Also, be aware of height and angle. You want nice directional light the same way you would with a window. A 45-degree angle to your subject is a good place to start and then play from there to get the desired look you want.
Myth: Adding lighting to my gear will make it too bulky.
Truth: Adding lighting CAN make your gear bulky, or you can just get a small speedlite and trigger and that’s it.
Tip: I keep my flash and trigger in a lens pouch in my bag, together. If I have a small light stand or modifier in the car, I usually leave them there and go get them only if I need them. The umbrella soft boxes fold and unfold just like an umbrella and take up very little space.
Myth: Lighting gear is expensive.
Truth: Lighting gear CAN cost thousands, or you could get set up for as little as $210USD.
Tip: Godox is a great little off-brand flash that packs a punch. For a lower power indoor “window” light, the TT685 is great. If you want the versatility of using it outside as well, I would go up to the V860ii or iii. All of their triggers (X1T, X2T, and Pro) are great. Personally I use the X2T-S (S is for Sony - watch so that you buy the letter that matches your brand). These are all very affordable on Amazon.
Myth: Flash is easy to learn.
Truth: Off-camera flash has about the same learning curve as beginning to shoot in manual. It takes a bit of doing, but isn’t that bad once you wrap your head around it.
Tip: I would honestly invest in a workshop to learn OCF, and I’m not just saying this because I happen to teach one. There is SO much knowledge that you don’t need to know to get started. Teaching yourself on Youtube would be similar to reading through your instructional manual to learn to take your camera off auto. It’s doable but it’s confusing and has so much “extra” information that’s not necessary to get started.
Myth: Natural light is preferable.
Truth: It depends! This isn’t a black and white answer. It depends on the artist, honestly. I actually prefer the look of my flash indoors because it creates soft, even light that fills the shadows and I can shoot at f/5.6 or greater to get all my storytelling elements in the frame rather than needing to open up all the way to get enough light in. I also love that I can shoot low ISO and have little to no grain. However, outside, unless I’m doing a creative shot, I prefer natural light all the way.
Tip: Raising your ISO (within reason) and dropping your shutter speed when using flash will allow it to work WITH the ambient and have the shadows fill nicely rather than overpowering the whole scene. Sometimes a mix of flash AND ambient working together make the most beautiful images!
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about off-camera flash! If this IS something you want to invest in, I teach a 2-week workshop in January for $195 that will take you from nothing to mastering your own “window” light by the end. You can come find me at https://www.instagram.com/paraphrasephoto/ if you have more questions about the workshop or lighting in general!
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