flashes

Light that comes into a scene off-axis from the camera view will ALWAYS look more dynamic, interesting and pleasing. It looks more three-dimensional, and it creates shadows on textures, shapes and form that enhance the visual appeal of the image.

And aside from that, using the flash off-camera prevents red eye and that horrible “deer in the headlights’ look that straight-on flash usually gives. You probably already know all this, though.

Of course, the main issue with using off-camera flashes is how to trigger them. Essentially, there are five different ways to trigger a remote lighting unit:

I doubt that I am the only one that becomes obsessive when it comes to packing for a photo workshop. It may seem peculiar that a man whose profession it is to coordinate photography workshops here in Iceland, and who rarely—if ever—attends a workshop as a student, would be writing on this topic. 

Every wedding photographer has their lighting equipment preferences. Some photographers bring large studio lights, while others work with small strobes. If you're just getting into shooting weddings and prefer the mobility that these flashes allow you, then you may want to know how you can use your strobes more effectively. Just in time for WPPI 2011, here are a couple of tips you can use. 

 On a wedding day, creating drama is usually something photographers try to avoid. With all the personalities, excitement and tension surrounding the couple’s big day, it often falls to us to keep the couple relatively stress-free. But drama can be a photographer’s best friend when it comes to creating jaw-droppingly unique portraits. Single elements are good, but you can mix and match ideas from this list to create photographs that are truly stunning.

The ring flash effect in photography has recently been gaining more and more popularity. Many amateur photographers have been trying to create their own homebrew versions, with varying degrees of success. James Madelin, the creator of the Orbis, started doing this years ago until he created a product now widely used in commercial photography. BHInsights decided to do a quick interview with him on how he created the product, and what influenced him.

Don't feel the need to upgrade your older DSLR but still want it to perform better? There's good news: it's possible! However, it will take a bit of smart investing and will require some careful selection based on the goals and tasks you want to accomplish while shooting.