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The modeling light from a
Speedlight fires a quick 2.5 sec-
ond series of flashes. It doesn’t
provide constant lighting so you
can see what you are doing. It
also eats your battery power
quickly.
Even though studio lighting in a more tradi-
tional sense does have some advantages
over using Speedlights, the ease of use and
capability of Speedlights is very appealing to
many photographers who normally wouldn’t
bother with studio strobes. For small studios
or when in need of portability, using multi-
ple Speedlights is still a very attractive alter-
native to traditional studio strobes.
Basics of Lighting
When working with Speedlights, the first
attribute you think of is strictly studio and
portrait photography. The truth is, using
Speedlights can span other types of photo-
graphic conditions and can be used to
enhance other types of lighting in those sit-
uations. Think of the subjects you would
normally shoot in a studio: people, pets, still
life, and products. In those situations, you
can use a mixture of natural light (possibly
from a window or skylight) and flash. When
using the outdoors as your studio, you can
shoot many different types of portraits, still
life, and product photos, but you have dif-
ferent lighting options from which to
choose. Regardless if you’re shooting
indoors in your home, a formal studio, or
outdoors, using Speedlights have their place
in each type.
Additional information on using
Speedlights for the specific sce-
narios within the various cate-
gories of photography can be
found in Chapter 6.
Having the capability of using multiple
Nikon Speedlights wirelessly as your main
lighting system is great. It’s even more ben-
eficial when you understand how using
Speedlights can enhance your photography
in almost any environment. The last thing
you want to do is have all the great equip-
ment available to you without understand-
ing how to apply the gear to your
photography. First, consider the different
types of studio or outdoor lighting options
you can create.
Studio lighting
Whether you’re setting up a dedicated space
for an elaborate studio for your indoor pho-
tography or you’re using a temporary setup
in your living room, studio lighting concepts
are the same. If you’re just starting out
experimenting with studio lighting, your liv-
ing room, basement, or garage will do just
fine. The most important factor to remem-
ber with studio lighting is that you control
the light with which you illuminate your
subjects; you don’t let the light control you.
Placement
When taking photos in a studio, first you
need to plan how you want to light your
subject. This is where your creativity comes
into play. Envision how you want your image
to appear and then arrange your lighting
accordingly. When planning your photo-
graphs, take these concepts into account:
Note
Chapter 3 ✦ Flash Photography Basics 53
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