Hi, new here and to photography

[alessia_c.]

Hi guys 16f new here and new to photography.

Just in my second course in high school for it this year.

Took it last year.

I have a question about flashes.

 

My brother is letting me use his D70 Nikon with the flash 800 or something.

My grandmother is taking me to a store where the inside is very beautiful.

It's going to be during the day and some parts are darker than others.

I know about aperture and shutter speed a little bit, but if I wanted to use his

flash, I'm not sure how to use it.

I looked at the manual and it's very confusing to me.

I shoot in A mode a lot, but I was very tempted to shoot in auto mode because I

want to have my pics come out good.

My brother emailed me and told me not to shoot in full auto mode because I won't

learn anything and I think he's right.

 

Anyyyways, can someone help me out.

I've never used any other flash on a camera except the built in ones that pop-up

automatically.

 

thanks,

Alessiaxox

[jimbakerphotography]

alessia,

 

bounce your flash most likely, and meter in manual mode just like you would regularlly, by bouncing the flash it will hopefully spread enough light evenly that you should be alright. What i mean by bounce is point the flash straight up towards the ceiling, just make sure your bouncing it off a white ceiling otherwise you'll get some weird hue's to your shots. hope that helps.

 

jim baker

[mike butler]

Don't be intimidated. Practice at home in manual mode before you go to the store, if you can,

and you'll begin to see how it works. Keep it simple and set the shutter speed at 1/60 or

1/125. Use the histogram and the rgb screen on the back for feedback on whether you need

to increase or decrease your f stops.

[alessia_c.]

Hi Jim,

Ya he told me to aim it anywhere but at the actual object.

But there aren't any white walls at wall, it's actually very dark.

Antique old building from the 1920's.

[alessia_c.]

Hi Mike,

 

When you say to set the shutter speed.

I'm assuming you mean setting it on the camera right?

I thought you can adjust the shutter speed on the flash as well?

Thanks.

[mharris]

Hi Alessia, here's something to try, read up on Commander mode in either the camera manual or the flash manual. What you will be able to do is set the flash up anywhere in the store off the camera and trigger it with the flash on the camera.

 

You will be able to light any place in the store and use the flash on the camera to trigger it. One thing you will be able to do is set the camera's flash to a lower setting and control the mood of the foreground.

 

The Commander Mode is very powerful and can create a ton of cool effects like putting it outside a window to flash through it casting the shadows of the window frame.

[mike butler]

Set shutter speed and f stop on the camera, yes. Your camera body and flash will talk to

each other and know what's going on. Your flash may be manually adjustable to control

it's beam spread. For example, it will know that you have a 50mm lens, say, and set itself

to that focal length. But you may be able to adjust for wider or narrower. The flash may

also let you compensate its output power by plus or minus 2 f stops to fine-tune

exposure.

 

You may not want to go there, though, at this stage.

 

For bounce flash, rubberband a piece of white card to the top of your flash so that it

extends a couple of inches past the flash tube. Aim your flash up at about a 45-degree

angle. The light will bounce off the card and toward your subject. Works pretty good in a

pinch.

 

Have fun.

[alessia_c.]

Hey guys, you guys helped me a lot.

It's tough being on the other side of the lens, but a lot more fun for sure.

One question, I managed to get the camera in commander mode tonight just for fun.

Anyways, when i put -3.0 for control of the flash, it really lit up test subject.

But when I put +3.0 for the flash, it was pitch black.

Shouldn't it have been the other way around?

Thank you, Alessiaxoxox

[mharris]

I think you're right Alessia, it should be the other way around. Put the camera in manual mode, then go into the camera's menu and set the power of the flash there. Then go over to the SB600 flash and set it at different power settings until you get the result you like. A hand held flash meter really helps here.

[alessia_c.]

Hmmm, maybe I was in aperture mode.

I'll check later tonight thanks. :)

How would I used a handheld meter with the flash?

Attach it to a cord?

sorry if I'm asking stupid questions.

It's all overwhelming and new to me, but I'm reading up as much as I can online, here and my school books.

Thanks.

[mharris]

Alessia you use what is called a flash meter, it has a little white dome on it and when you fire the flash the meter holds the exposure value so you have time to read it. It's a little different than a light meter.