First attempt with off camera flash

[john185k]

Tried off camera flash for the first time today - Great fun however i just have the one at the moment so not ideal!!! And a few from a drive through the trossachs...

[john185k]

God i didn't think they were that bad!!

[FunkyNige]

Unfortunately they're terrible...

Only joking, I (enthusiastic amatuer) think they look good (especially the car in front of the garage without the cat), but I don't think you're really gaining much by using an off camera flash...? Seems the off camera photos I see about have interesting shadows you don't normally see in photos, etc.

Out of interest, how do you take them? I bought a cheap eBay-tastic off camera flash system and it fires at the right time, but all the images are very flat...

[AndWhyNot]

The effect of the flash seems really subtle.

In the first one I don't think the flash is noticeable until you realise you're facing the sun, perhaps a similar effect to using a large reflector. Third shot shows most flash presence on my screen. All pretty nice exposures, mind you.

[Kermit power]

Unfortunately, I don't have enough experience to imagine for myself what the same shot would've looked like with no flash or with on-camera flash, so it's difficult to comment, but they do certainly look good.

[john185k]

Thanks for the comments guys, its a learning experience for sure.

I went for the subtle approach, so that I wasn't over powering one part of the car. I think when you wake into account that the shots are taken into the sun, that it shows they have had extra lighting.

More practice I think!!

[stigmundfreud]

John am I correct in thinking you hdr'd them? The sky looks a bit telling but then it could be the flash + exposure you used.

If you did use HDR I'd say do again without but try using manual to throw the background then play with your flash exposure compensation. I'd avoid flash + hdr as it kind of defeats the need/use/benefit of flash and you'll not get to learn what off camera can do.

eta ignore that, I cant tell if you did the above or did hdr!! I know you have a thing for it which is thrown me

Edited by stigmundfreud on Thursday 5th March 00:21