**”Unlock the Secret to Perfect Flash Photography!** In this highly anticipated follow-up to our ‘Exposure Diamond’ video, Mark reveals how to effortlessly balance ambient light with your speedlight using on-camera flash. This technique will transform your photos whether you’re shooting indoors or outdoors. This is one of our most requested tutorials—don’t miss out on the game-changing tips pros swear by!”
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PREVIOUS EPISODE – Balance Ambient Light With A Flash:
Model: Sara Gaviria
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0:00 Introduction
3:00 The Basic Settings
4:00 Adjusting the ambient light with Exposure Compensation
6:30 Adding a flash to the mix
7:30 Darkening the background in Aperture Priority Mode
8:27 AIarty Image Enhancer
9:45 Darkening the background in Manual Mode
12:40 Adjusting the flash exposure with Flash Exposure Compensation (FEC)
15:32 Flash Exposure Bracketing
16:55 The Photo Shoot – Putting it all together
21:18 The Final Images
22:00 Final thoughts and reminders
Comments
39 responses to “Speedlight Portraits Explained | Mark Wallace | Exploring Photography”
I miss Mark Wallace (with AdoramaTV) – when I was really getting serious about learning photography!!! Over a decade ago!
The most difficult it gets when ambient white balance and flash white balance mix. It would be interesting to see a video about this.
Sarah, I hope I spelled her name right, is very beautiful. She has great features and form and kudos too her for not having a lot of tats/piercings! I have a question about on camera flash. Well two really! One is do you use high speed sync when shooting in harsh outdoor lighting? Secondly, when bouncing the flash, do you have to increase the flash exposure in order too maintain the right amount of light? Sarah's skin tone in these photos seem a little better than in the video in which you were explaining how to use the Passport color checker for WB!
Hey mark which camera model you used in this video?
I had no idea flash exposure compensation was a thing! 🤯 Thank you! New sub!!
Here you are all of a sudden. I always follow your tutorials and other videos during the past few years, until the pandemic came. Suscribed again… will look forward of watching your future videos. Thanks!!!
Great information
good
Don’t do what this guy is doing. Never use flashes EVER on portraits unless it’s in studio with soft boxes and diffusers. Shoot at time of day not with flashes aimed at your subject. This guy is a salesman for flashes
So on Canon, ETTL works when the camera is in manual mode just like in Av and Tv modes?
Thank you for really taking your time to explain – and not only to run though.
That natural light at about 18:10 is beautiful!
Hey Mark! Been a while! Tough job, but someones got to do it, right? lol Hope you're keeping well and great to see you putting out the videos! Stay safe! J x
Nice to see you on another video bro, its been a while.
Mark is good as usual, but who stayed watching the whole thing just to keep looking at the beautiful sexy lady? 😂
Why did you make that poor young model wear that top? So unprofessional. This is the moment I stop following you and block your videos.
Hi Mark , What do we do in situations where the Mid day sun in the background, the subject still comes out underexposed after using the flash in full power. Any suggestions for this issue.?
https://youtu.be/ZanO-bUztkc?t=388"..I'm gonna put my camera on my flash…" 😉
Always providing excellent material.
You stated you were recreating the settings from a previous episode. One of those settings was ISO 160. You showed us that setting. Did you realize that after you started photographing your model (4:14) the ISO changed to 200. Was it intentional?
Great session; really appreciated.
Love your videos Mr Wallace , wouldn’t have been easier to set manual expose for ambient the regulate flash power until we get the right exposure for both ambient and subject? Hey I’m no gavin hoey but I dared to ask.
Mark, I challenge you to make a similar video with the popup flash. 🙂
I use ettl on my on cam flash and I almost get it near the exposure I want while the rest of the photogs thinking manual is the best keeps adjusting flash power and chimping while I am already shooting at the model. hahaha.
Great Video!!
I learned flash photography in 1972 assisting top wedding photograher/teacher/author Monte Zucker who introduced the use of photo cell triggered electronic flash to color wedding photograph to overcome the short range of color prints. The way he did this is by always having a flash mounted directly above the lens high enough that the center of the flash head was higher than the head of the subject so the shadow it created fell straight back out of sight of the lens.
When only a single flash is used like that it will create a downward “butterfly” shadow pattern which is the most commonly used strategy for full face advertising shots of models who typically have very symmetrical faces that naturally downward angle symmetrical pattern flatters. Bounce off a 8-10 foot ceiling will produce the same angle of light with more diffusion and less parallel rays but most of the places where we shot receptions had 30” foot ceiling where bounce wasn’t an option.
99% of the time we added the second flash off axis, rolling it around like dance partner with one hand on a modified medical IV stand with the one camera becoming the fill.
The advantage of the two flash Key over Fill are total control over tonal range and 3D modeling anywhere, indoors or out.
Technically this is how it works to match foreground EXACTLY to the DR or the camera sensor indoors:
1) Set aperture for desired DOF then turn on the centered above head FILL and raise its power until detail in a draped black towel or similar fabric is seen in the playback.
2) Turn on KEY flash, move to create desired highlight pattern over the fill, raise power until detail in a draped white towel, etc. is 1/3 below clipping
Outdoors is similar except subjects back is put to the sun as rim light and Aperture / ISO/ Speed is adjusted to keep the sun kissed whites 1/3 stop under clipping, Fill until detail seen in black, then Key to 2/3 stop below clipping (not 1/3) on front of white object to preserve the ambience of the rim light.
Outside the angle of the skylight will alway cause brow to shade sky fill from eyes but raising face into light and POV of camera to match solves that problem. Bring a step stool.
Skylight the subject faces will also always create a very low contrast highlight / shadow pattern. Key Flash placed to create that same highlight pattern from same angle is the best strategy to blend the two together as seamless as possible.
Since 2004 I’ve been using DIY scoop style speed light diffusers made from two layers of 9 x 11 sheets of 1/8 “Fun Foam on vertical flash with top flap held in place with velcro which splits the output in half sending it forward and down directly from the flash+diffuser on bracket over camera and what spills past the top as bounce off the ceiling. The forward vector adds that “butterfly” pattern of highlight and shadow over the ceiling bounce portion resulting more normal seen by eye contrast vs. the sea of sameness long in bounce only shots.
SUPER. SUPER , THE BEST VIDEOS , VERY NICE
வீடியோ நன்றாக இருக்கிறது வாழ்த்துக்கள் ,
CHENNAI-சென்னை
R.MANOHAR(MGR) INDIA,*
Me gusta mucho!!!
hello
Very good lesson. You explained a great deal of flash procedures. Thank You
Well done! I was skeptical at first but those last shots bounced looked great!
I made the mistake once in my early days (once is all it took to learn this lesson) of bouncing a flash off what I thought was a white wall but in fact was painted in a mushroom color which played havoc with my skintones. White can cover a range of subtle colors from bluish to reddish and other weird colors like mushroom. Of course, if you're shooting B&W it doesn't matter.
Speaking of bouncing light I'm reminded of a Mark Wallace video from a long time ago where he demonstrated the effect of the montones of a background and how a, say, a red gelled light will look pastel on a white background to a deep saturated red on a black background.
I've been watching Mark Wallace videos for many, many years now. He's always got good advice.
Pick up a cheap used Vivitar 285 flash with variable power dial or a 283 with the Vari-power attachment. I've been using the latter since they came out in the 1970s. They last forever.
Old retired photographer here. All you need is a diffuser, from a white wall to bounce a light source off of, to a white shower curtain or bed sheet to shoot the flash through, and a digital camera that gives you instant feedback. You can use smaller diffusers to less effect but a couple of paper clamps held in place by a thick rubber band, and a regular letter size sheet of paper held in a curve in front of the light source will work too. By light source it could mean a flash, from cheap to expensive, or a shop light to professional strobe or LED light. Strobe or continuous. With a little practice you'll become proficient with it.
Great video as always Mark.
She looks just like Eleven from Stranger Things!!!!
🎉
Some times its just alot more convenient, to have the flash on the camera, if you are shooting in a city street for instans, ore a crowded place, where your lightstand might get pushed over. I usually have a 60cm/24 inch reflector with me, with that I have created lots of beautiful portraits. Thanks for sharing.
First.