Another Flash Tutorial

I do not own a flash. It is one of the items on my wishlist for this year and I do intend to get one sooner or later. For the moment though, when I need to use one, I need to borrow it. Thankfully, my boss is also a fan of photography, and has one on hand that she has lent to me before (for the last wedding that I had to shoot). With another wedding around the corner, I needed to borrow it again and needed to get used to using it again.

The flash in question is a very very nice one, but the exact specifications are not actually all that important for this blog. What is important to know is that the flash fits into the hotshoe of the camera and has the ability to tilt upwards by 90 degrees and 45 degrees to either side. It is something that I absolutely love about the flash and something that I am definitely going to try to find in whichever flash I end up buying.

Why is this so important then? First of all, having a flash that fits into your hotshoe is very useful when doing photo shoots outside of a studio. When you are in a studio, you can arrange the lighting in any way that you like through the use of umbrellas, reflectors and more powerful lights than a flash can provide. When you are out and shooting, however, you do not always have these available to you. The on-camera flash is too harsh for most situations and, since you cannot adjust where it points, it often ends up only illuminating what is in front of you and not providing sufficient ambient light. This can, of course, be made up for by adjusting the shutter speed and exposure, but when the images are being taken with a hand-held camera rather than a tripod, it can be difficult to perfect. This is why having a flash that fits onto your hotshoe can be useful. Of course, being able to use it off-camera (which this one can do) would also be useful, I imagine, but I have yet to experiment with that, and for the moment will only be talking about using it on a hotshoe. Having a stronger flash on your hotshoe, which can be adjusted in terms of brightness, can have diffusers attached to it and can tilt gives you a lot more flexibility in the images that you can take and make.

The tilt is the other big advantage to having a hotshoe flash. This flexibility is less important when using a flash off-camera, since you can point the flash in any direction that you choose. But, when the flash is attached to your camera, you cannot point the flash in a different direction to the one that the camera is facing unless it has a tilt function. And the tilt function makes a huge difference. By tilting the flash, you can bounce the light that the flash provides to illuminate your subject in the best possible way. I have taken some images to illustrate the point.

In the above image, the first two shots were taken with the flash, a shutter speed of 1/50, an aperture of f/8 and had an ISO of 400. The final image was taken without flash. It was taken with a shutter speed of 1/25, a fairly low one and good for handheld photography, the lowest aperture that my lens would allow for (f/4.5) and an ISO of 3200. All shots are directly from the camera and have not been edited except to put them together in this "collage".

The first image was taken with the flash pointing directly at the guitar. You will notice that the shadows in the centre are dark, the light in the centre is very stark compared to the shadows, the light reflecting off the string and the left side of the guitar is very bright, and you can see the shadows underneath the strings because of the angle that the photo was taken at. If you look to the upper right corner, you will also notice that it is completely in shadow.

In the second image, I had tilted the flash 45 degrees to the left. You will notice that the shadows in the centre are a lot more muted. There are still shadows, but they are less obtrusive and the light in the centre is less bright and less stark because of it. The strings are brighter, but not as reflective and there are no longer any shadows underneath them. The light itself is better distributed throughout the image and if you look at the upper right hand corner of this image, you will notice that it is white (as it should be).

In the third image, you will notice that the photo is not well lit in general, even at a fairly low aperture and shutter speed. However, there are noticable details. The colouring is a lot yellower in the image and the shadows are also distinct, especially when compared to the second image. There are no stark contrasts, however, and everything is fairly muted. 

The third image clearly needs more or better lighting, which the flash provided in both of the photos to the left of it. The second image might be a little too well lit. Shadows do provide interest to images, and there are hardly any in this image. Adding a little contrast would take it a long way. The first image is better in terms of the interest that the shadows provide, but may be a bit too stark and is far from ideal for most situations. I would likely end up brightening it to some extent in post-editing.

The same can be seen in the next images.

None of these are perfect photos, none of them were meant to be perfect. But they do show the usefulness of tilting your flash and bouncing light on a subject. It can have great results if you know how to use it, and it is something that I am still learning how to use. But I can already see a big difference in the photographs that have been taken while I used it. It is something that I look forward to learning more about!

What area of photography do you want to learn more about?

How To Act

I was reading a post yesterday from one of the blogs that I follow, and it was talking about people who don't want to have their photos taken. Now, I can understand that to a point. I really can. I am sometimes really not in the mood to have my photo taken at all. But there are times and places where it should be acceptable, and there are ways to handle it without offending the photographer or making them angry.

I commented on Kimberly Gauthier's post yesterday with one of the experiences that I'd had with a person who did not want to have their photo taken who I thought had reacted very very badly. But I experienced worse today, and I thought that I would share the experience.

I tend to take photos of anything I see. I understand that people don't particularly like to have their photographs taken, and I tend not to take too many of other people unless they are at events or doing something exceptional. I am not a big street photographer, because I understand that people don't like to have their photos taken, and I am shy and tend to avoid confrontation.

Tonight I was at a game of bowls. I was playing this week, so I did not have much time to find a subject for a photo. Not wanting to take of the people playing, I saw a drink lying in the grass. So I lay down in the grass and took a photo of it. Next thing I know, the owner of the drink has approached me and starts shouting at me for taking a photo of his drink. Now, I would understand perfectly if this was a photo of  him that he was concerned about. That would make perfect sense to me. I can equally understand if I was in the way of his game or was somehow distracting him. I ensured that I was not on the pitch, not in the way and, aside from taking a quick snap, was not being a nuisance. And yet he was so rude about it, that I almost burst into tears. I was horrified. I hate confrontation, but particularly so when I feel it is undeserved.

Now, had the guy approached me and spoken to me nicely, told me that I was distracting or that I was in the way somehow, I would have understood slightly better. Not much, because I don't think taking a photograph of a bottle in the grass when  you are 100m away on the other side of the green is cause for panic. It was not like I touched the drink or anything. I just saw it, saw that the light was good and decided to go for it. But I still would not have walked away feeling angry and hurt.

There are ways to react to not wanting a photograph taken and there are ways not to. Being rude is not going to get you anywhere. Shouting is only going to cause anger and resentment. Understanding and explaining, those help a lot. If you are kind about it and ask nicely, you are more likely to get a positive response from the photographer rather than a defensive one.

Day 116

I bought myself a new toy. It arrived on Saturday, and I delightedly opened it and attached it to my camera only to discover that it didn't work. WHAT? I didn't get too upset though, figuring that I was probably doing something wrong. I had the whole of Sunday to work it out, however, and still didn't manage to find a solution. In a bit of a panic, I posted onto some photography websites asking for some advice and was told that there was nothing wrong. I didn't believe them! I had seen what this toy could do! I did receive one piece of advice that I took to heart however. "Get closer," someone said. It turns out that this person was exactly right. As soon as I got close, everything came into focus, and I am pleased to say that I have finally figured my toy out. So today's picture was taken with my new set of extension tubes!! JOY!! You may notice that there is no aperture. That is because the camera could not communicate electronically with the lens and could not detect the aperture. It didn't stop me from taking this pic, however!

Shutter speed: 1/50
Aperture: f/00
ISO: 2500
Lens: Canon EF 50mm 1.8 II

Day 115

Yesterday ended in a bit of a lame shot once again, this time of the cutesy mousepad that I bought from Artbox awhile ago. I must say, I do love Artbox and the cutesy things that they have! If I had unlimited funds, I am sure that I would be their best customer. I intend to make another purchase there tomorrow in fact, of a travelling bag this time for my trip next week! More about that later though :)

Shutter speed: 1/50
Aperture: f/1.8
ISO: 100
Lens: Canon EF 50mm 1.8 II

Day 110

When looking around my room on Wednesday for something to photograph, I remembered the fan that I bought in the summer and decided that would make a great subject. So here is the fan that I haven't had to use in months.

Shutter speed: 1/25
Aperture: f/1.8
ISO: 100
Lens: Canon EF 50mm 1.8 II

Day 109

I went to the Indian restaurant for dinner on Tuesday night. I love taking pictures here because everything is just so colourful! Anyway, today's photo is really simple, but I absolutely love it!

Shutter speed: 1/25
Aperture: 1.8
ISO: 1000
Lens: Canon EF 50mm 1.8 II

Day 108

Walking home from school on Monday it was so cold that when it finally came time for me to go to dinner, I made a decision. I knew that this time would come eventually, but I was dreading it. Yes, that's right. I have finally resorted to taking out the outer-coat of my jacket and am now walking around looking rather alot like an eskimo. So, today's photo is of the inner and outer, together at last.

Shutter speed: 1/15
Aperture: f/1.8
ISO: 200
Lens: Canon EF 50mm 1.8 II

Day 106

After spending a day skiing on Saturday (I didn't want to risk bringing my camera onto the slopes, though I am sure that some amazing pictures would have been taken) Amy and I headed out on Saturday night to celebrate Geri and Maria and their aging processes! Any celebration of aging generally involves at least a little alcohol, and these were the poisons of choice for Amy and I.

Shutter speed: 1/25

Aperture: f/1.8

ISO: 100

Day 105

Today's photo should really really be of the museum that we visited as part of a cultural experience for the Guest English Teachers. And don't get me wrong, I took tons and tons of photos of the museum. But none seemed to compare to this photo that I took of Chanel saluting the American flag at the entrance to the museum. There was a giant G20 summit space surrounded by the flags, and I just loved how this pic turned out. So today's photo is of Chanel. I hope she doesn't mind ;)

Shutter speed: 1/100

Aperture: f/2.5

ISO: 160

Day One Hundred!!!

I finally made it to day 100. Unfortunately, today's photo is not quite as special as the day itself. A couple of months ago I bought myself a book in which I intended to write stories, thoughts, lists and other such things. I totally intended it to be a daily thing, but it has fallen by the wayside a little. But, to renew it just a tad, I took a photo of the book and my writings. That is today's photo.

Shutter speed: 1/15

Aperture: f/1.8
ISO: 100

Day Ninety-Eight

I returned to work diligently on Friday, and brought my camera with me this time, not wanting to have another photo-less day. Unfortunately, nothing of excitement happened, and today's photo is of the pens at my desk and the focus is on the multicoloured pencil that I bought and love!

Shutter speed: 1/15
Aperture: f/1.8
ISO: 100

Day Ninety-Six

On Wednesday, Amy, Jess and I trundled ourselves off to Chungdae for some Chinese. When I say Chinese, it is not the typically greasy Chinese that you would get back home. It is still a little greasy, but we had lamb kebabs, vegetables and some potatoes that were all lovely and spicy and divine. At the end of the night, this photo was taken of Amy setting things alight from the leftover coals. Who knew that she would be such a firestarter?

Shutter speed: 1/15
Aperture: f/1.8
ISO: 250

Day Ninety-Five

Tuesday night saw me going to Hungry Eyes for dinner. One of the things that I love about the restaurant is the decor. There isn't much to it - just a couple of lanterns, some colourful tableclothes and some art across the walls, but it is enough to make me smile everytime I go there (as if their curries weren't reason enough.)

Shutter speed: 1/25
Aperture: f/1.8
ISO: 250

Day Ninety-Three

Sunday was what my friend Amy refers to as her Australia Day. It was our celebration of the day that Amy was adopted and brought to Australia, and back home she usually celebrates it by going out with her family for Korean food. Since she is in Korea, she decided that a reverse effect would be appropriate, and on Sunday night she invited some of her close friends to share a dinner at Outback Steakhouse. Of course, the dinner had to include wine, and this Australian bottle was the one that ended up being shared by the table.

Shutter speed: 1/30

Aperture: f/1.8
ISO: 1600

Day Ninety-Two

As I said in my previous post, Saturday was spent lens-hunting, and I managed to find one lens for a decent price. So, I ended up adding a Canon 50mm 1.8 II to my lens collection (which now consists of two) and I spent Saturday night playing with my new toy. This is one of the random shots that I absolutely loved, taken of the curtain that separated our table from the next one at the Hof that we ended up drinking at.

Shutter speed: 1/10
Aperture: f/1.8
ISO: 500

Day Ninety-One

So I forgot to take a photo on Friday. I had so much to do (cleaning my room) and it completely slipped my mind. But to make up for it, I spent a large portion of Saturday on a lens hunt. So, I decided that today's photo(s) would be my practice shots comparing three lenses: a wide angle, an 18-55mm and my own 28-80mm.

This was me playing with a wide angle lens. I never got the exact details of it, but it was pretty and I wanted it. Unfortunately, for 690,000 won second hand, there was no way I could afford it. BLEAK!

This second picture is of the second lens that I tried. When Grant and I bought the camera, we decided to get a lens that was slightly better than the kit one, and opted for the 28-80mm rather than the 18-55mm. When I went to the store, the owner tried to convince me that this 18-55mm is one that I need to have. It was very very tempting and he offered me a good price, but I had my mind set, and buying two lenses would definitely have led to some buyers remorse.

This final picture was taken with my own lens. It was a rushed shot, and not the best quality evidently, but I was standing in the same place as I was with the 18mm, so it shows the contrast between the two. I never would have thought that 10mm made such a big difference. I suppose I will probably add a lower zoom to my lens collection soon enough, but the one that I bought will do for now. Check the next post to see what lens I ended up buying and one of the photos that I took with it.

Day Eighty-Nine

Those of you who knew me back home probably knew of my fondness for jewellery-making. I have a rather large collection of jewellery here, some of which I have crafted myself, some of which I have bought, and I decided that today's photo will be of them. It is not a particularly exciting photo subject, I know, but it was all I could find in my state of sickness and not wanting to leave the house. I apologise profusely.

Shutter speed: 1/10

Aperture: f/5.6

ISO: 800

Day Eighty-Eight

So I am behind on uploading again, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been working hard and taking tons and tons of pictures. Unfortanately, I am running low on subjects once again and have been scouring my room for something to take a photo of. What I decided on for today was the guitar that has been in the corner of my room untouched for months. When I got here, I decided that I needed to do something for me, and decided that something would be learning to play the guitar. Since then, I have taken up a number of other pastimes that are just for me, photography being the main one, and my guitar has been placed on the sidelines. So, today's photo is of my guitar, dust-covered and forlorn.

Shutter speed: 1/10
Aperture: f/5.6
ISO: 3200

Day Eighty-Six

When Grant came to visit me from South Africa, he did not come empty handed. He brought me a gift that he had commissioned an artist in New Zealand to draw. I have been very homesick recently, and looking at this picture tends to remind me of what I am going back home to in three months time.


Shutter speed: 1/10
Aperture: f/5.6
ISO: 160

Day Eighty-Two

Having really struggled to find photograph subjects over the last few days, I came across these lanterns outside a restaurant near my house and decided that they would just have to do.


Shutter speed: 1/10
Aperture: f/5.6
ISO: 100