Suggestions on learning to use flash

[rsands]

<p>Hello, fellow Nikonians. I am about to be the proud owner of an SB-900 (OK, I already am the owner, but it won't officially be 'given' to me until Christmas :) to go with my D90.</p>

<p>There's a lot of books around on how to use flash. Any specific recommendations you can share? Primarily looking into how to best use it to complement casual portrait photography of people and pets.</p>

<p>Thanks, and for the Americans on the board, happy Thanksgiving!</p>

[scott_ditzel1]

<p>You will find loads of free info here<br>

http://strobist.blogspot.com/</p>

[photo5]

<p>flash is fairly simple. the lens aperture determines the amount of light that reaches the film plane from your flash. the shutter speed determines the ambient exposure for the background. play with your flash by moving these settings around and see what happens!</p>

[john_tran14]

<blockquote>

<p>I am about to be the proud owner of an SB-900 (OK, I already am the owner,...</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Right, you are the owner, but to be a proud owner, you have to learn well how to use it first. Otherwise, you are just an owner, not a <strong>proud</strong> owner.</p>

[CvhKaar]

<p>Gratzzz Rick, with your future nice Flash ... ;-)<br>

For a book, i like "The Nikon Creative Lighting System" by Mike Hagen .<br>

What I do not like : Being called a "Nikonian" so I guess youu did not adress me by that... :-} .<br>

Nikonians are a different website, oh I know, the book I mentioned is written by a "Nikonian" and produced by "The Nikonians Press" ;-( ... but hey, its just the way things are, the book is still OK..... :P .</p>

[karl_sch_rlund]

<p>Rick: Congratulations, I think the SB900 is an excellent flash. Apart from the previously recommended Strobist which does contain a lot of nice stuff, one blog I've found pretty useful is Neil van Niekerk's Tangents (on http://neilvn.com/tangents/). It is mostly focused on bounced on-camera flash, which I think is a really nice way of adding flash to many indoor pictures.</p>

<p>Dave L: That way of thinking doesn't really make complete sense for TTL flash, which I think is both pretty useful and a likely default mode for a beginner.</p>

[rsands]

<p>Thanks to all, and I did subsequently discover the Nikonians site. With regard to any references to the above, I can only grovel abjectly and beg forgiveness.</p>

<p>The strobist site looks rather detailed. Good stuff.</p>

<p>The basics of flash I understand; but I also know I have the ability now to bounce, use off-camera, over and undercompensate, use diffusers, combine with flash timings, and so on. The mastery of which will take me several years, if lucky, so my proudness shall have to wait, agreed.</p>

<p> </p>

[steve_mockford1]

<p>You've been given some good advice and sources already but I thought I'd add couple more. Russ MacDonald has a very good practical guide to Nikon's Creative Lighting System at: http://nikonclspracticalguide.blogspot.com/<br>

A great source of inspiration is Joe McNally's book, The Hotshoe Diaries.<br>

Enjoy your new flash, it is a lot of fun on top of being a useful tool.</p>

[elliot1]

<p>The 'trick' to successful use of a flash [to me] is having the picture look as if it was not taken with artificial lighting, which in many cases is accomplished with bounce/indirect flash. Practice and experimentation and good reference materials will get you on track to successful flash photography. Enjoy your new SB-900. It is a really great device.</p>

[mariosforsos]

<p>I would seriously suggest you become the equally proud owner of Joe McNally's "The HotShoe Diaries"...that, together with about 100 hours CAREFULLY reading almost everything in the strobist site, will make you a solid flash user...</p>

[ilkka_nissila]

<p>I would recommend reading http://neilvn.com/tangents/ on the subject of how to use one flash (and existing light) for portrait lighting - the tricks shown are easy to use and the results shown often amazing. Then there is Joe McNally's Hot Shoe Diaries. Despite McNally's highly annoying writing style, the information density in that book is very high and he covers the use of a single flash (off camera) with numerous examples, along with more complicated setups in subsequent chapters. I don't like McNally's lighting style much - it underlines the main subject often too much with light and color but he does explain how to produce more "normal" lighting also. With these two resources and (lots of) practice, you can get quite far.</p>

[rsands]

<p>Thanks to all for their advice. I'll look forward to obtaining some critiques of my work when I have something worthwhile to show.</p>

[rossb]

<p>For casual people and pet photography try some fill flash at -1.5 flash exposure in ttl indoors or outside. Try ISO 400 at first. Indoors I usually use a flash card and monitor my exposure on the LCD. Have fun with the flash. It is capable of much more then this but I think you will be pleased with your Christmas pictures. For a flash card I just take a 4x6 print and trim one end so that I can take a pony tail holder and attach it to the flash. Use the white side of course. </p>

[michael_harris13]

<p>Rick,<br>

A short article but very helpful....<br>

<a href="http://nikonclspracticalguide.blogspot.com/2009/12/camera-flash-cookbook-for-any-lighting.html">http://nikonclspracticalguide.blogspot.com/2009/12/camera-flash-cookbook-for-any-lighting.html</a></p>

[david_poole1]

<p>The Nikon Creative Lighting System" by Mike Hagen, a good read...</p>