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Off-camera flash for hardly any cash - part 1 of 1 2 3

Published 01/11/2012

By Richard P Walton

Photography is a complex beast, so many different ways to achieve good results, from natural light, video lights to a multiple flash set-up with softboxes and beauty dishes all over the shop. There is no right or wrong way really, but each method will achieve totally different styles and results.

It's important to decide on what style you like and also what style works best for you on a real shoot with paying customers.

One thing that's for sure is that you don't always have to spend a fortune to get nice results.

I am going to share a simple one-flash trick that I use on a regular basis; it's a simple set-up that if used with this method can work in almost any situation and achieve great results both indoors and out.

Making a living from photography takes lots of effort in lots of different areas, so for me making the actual photography part as simple as possible is vital to help free up my mind allowing me to concentrate on the more important things, such as achieving as much variety from a shoot as possible whilst making sure the client being photographed is having a good time.

It's also nice to be able to spend as little time on the computer editing, so having a technique that will give pleasing results straight from the camera is also important.

I think being a photographer requires you to be able to have a big bag of tricks so that you can select the right trick for the right job. If you are shooting for quantity and variety to guarantee good sales afterwards then working with a simple foolproof method is vital.

Let's get down to business, what do we need when working with off-camera flash and this amazing method? Obviously a flash, camera and lens, something to trigger the flash or flashes, a light/flash meter and not forgetting a good understanding of what we are doing and how to use this equipment. Unfortunately just turning these things on will not give you good results, even if they've cost you a lot of money. I used to think that buying a new camera or some new gadgets would make me take better photographs - if only it were that simple.

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1st Published 01/11/2012
last update 09/12/2022 14:57:03

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