ABSTRACT

Canon Speedlites and Nikon Speedlights are small, off-camera flashguns that can provide big results - if you know how to use them properly. Acclaimed Boston photographers Lou Jones, Bob Keenan and Steve Ostrowski guide you through the technical and creative aspects of how to get the most out of these powerful tools in this indispensable guide, packed full of inspirational images and comprehensive diagrams of the lighting set ups used to capture them.

They are significantly more advanced, lighter and considerably cheaper than a standard flashgun, and have many advantages. They are small (and cheap) enough that a number can be carried in your kit, and they can be used in combination, triggered wirelessly. They use through-the-lens (TTL) metering, which allows you to use the in-camera LCD and histograms to calculate the required power/direction, rather than havng to use a light meter or trial and error. They use proprietary, dedicated technology (from Canon and Nikon) that means there are no compatability issues.

Getting the most out of them, however, remains a mystery - most photographers still just use their speedlights in the same way as a standard flash gun. This is where this book comes in.

Ten Tenets of TTL Speedlights; Introduction; One Light; Electronic flash: Definition; Speedlight/Speedlite: Definition; Fundamentals of Electronic Flash; Guide Numbers; Comprehending Flash Exposure; TTL Electronic Flash: Definition; TTL Exposure System; Speedlight Components; Mastering Distance: Near and Far; Main Light and Fill Light; Characteristics of Light: Analysis and Decisions; Mixing TTL Flash with Available Light: Quantities of Light; Balancing TTL Flash and Available Light: Colors of Light; Bounce Flash: Direction and Quality of Light; Two Lights; Postproduction; Wireless; Canon; Nikon; Wireless Manual Flash; Flash Brackets; What causes Red Eye; Accessories; Filters/Gels; Summary