Speedlights & Speedlites, 2nd Edition

Speedlights & Speedlites, 2nd Edition

by Lou Jones
Released June 2013
Publisher(s): Routledge
ISBN: 9781136098215

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Book description

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.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Acknowledgements
  5. Contents
  6. List of Illustrations
  7. Color Coding Key
  8. Introduction
  9. Why Speedlights?
    1. Size
    2. Wireless
    3. Economical
    4. Speed
    5. Smart
    6. Versatility
  10. 1 One Light
    1. One TTL Flash
      1. Electronic Flash: Definition
      2. Speedlight/Speedlite: Definition
      3. Fundamentals of Electronic Flash
      4. Guide Number
      5. Comprehending Flash Exposure
      6. TTL Flash and Exposure: A Primer
      7. TTL Electronic Flash: Definition
      8. Inverse Square Law
      9. TTL Flash and Aperture
      10. TTL Flash and Distance
      11. TTL Flash and Subject Size
      12. TTL Flash and Shutter Speed: Synchronization
      13. TTL Flash: Flash Anatomy and Features
      14. Speedlight Components
      15. The LCD
    2. Measuring Light
      1. Understanding the Light Meter
      2. Stops, F/Stops, Exposure Value
      3. Histogram
      4. Exposure Value, or EV
      5. RGB Histogram
      6. Exposure: Film vs. Digital
      7. Middle Tonal Value
      8. Exposure Compensation
      9. Excessive Contrast
      10. Mastering Distance: Near and Far
      11. Main Light and Fill Light: Definitions
    3. Philosophy
      1. Light
    4. Characteristics of Light: Analysis and Decisions
      1. Quantity, Intensity, or Brightness
      2. Quality
      3. Contrast
      4. Color
      5. Color Spaces and the Color Triangle
      6. Direction
    5. Mixing TTL Flash with Available Light: Quantities of Light
      1. Available Light as Main
      2. TTL Flash as Fill
      3. TTL Flash as Main
      4. Available Light as Fill
      5. Balancing TTL Flash and Available Light: Colors of Light
      6. General Guidelines
  11. 2 Two Lights
    1. Light/Lighting
      1. Light
      2. Lighting
      3. Design
      4. Execute
      5. Review
      6. Postproduction
    2. Wireless
      1. Wireless TTL: Remote/Slave Flash
      2. Wireless TTL: Additional Trigger Devices Need Not Apply!
      3. Nikon SU-4 Mode
      4. Wireless TTL Transmitters: Master
      5. Wireless TTL Receivers: Remote/Slave
      6. Wireless TTL Communication: Line-of-Sight
      7. Finite
      8. Wireless TTL: Channels
      9. Wireless TTL: Privacy
      10. Wireless TTL: Basic Settings for Master and Slave
      11. Wireless TTL: Controlling Exposure and Contrast
    3. Manual Flash
      1. How It Works
      2. Flash LCD
      3. Wireless Manual Flash
      4. Mixing Speedlights with Studio Flashes
    4. Automatic Flash
      1. Shutter Priority (S/Tv)
      2. Aperture Priority (A/Av)
      3. Programmed Mode (P)
  12. 3 Three Lights and More
    1. Multiple Lights
      1. Studio
      2. Still Life
      3. On Location
  13. 4 Techniques
    1. Moving Light
    2. Bounce Flash: Direction and Quality of Light
      1. Comprehending Directions of Bounce Flash
    3. Speedlights in Use
    4. On-Camera and Off-Camera Usage
      1. On-Camera Flash
      2. Pop-Up Flash
      3. Fill Flash
      4. Off-Camera Flash
      5. TTL Sync Extension Cords
      6. Tethering
      7. VAL
      8. Backwards
      9. Rear Curtain
  14. 5 Light Modifiers
    1. Modifying Flash: Quality of Light
      1. Umbrellas
      2. Softboxes
      3. Ribbon Grid Softbox Attachment
      4. Grid Spot
      5. Snoot
      6. Beauty Dish
      7. Flag/Reflector
  15. 6 Accessories
    1. Aftermarket Speedlights
    2. Remote Triggers
      1. Hardwiring
      2. Optical
      3. Infrared
      4. Radio
      5. Canon 600 EX-RT
      6. PocketWizards
    3. Flash Brackets
      1. What Causes Red Eye?
    4. Stands
    5. TTL Cords
    6. DIY = Do It Yourself
      1. Typing Paper
      2. Diffusion Sleeve
      3. A Clamps
      4. Glad Bags
      5. Gels/Filters
      6. Grid Spot
      7. Snoots
    7. Power
    8. Batteries: Powering the Flash
      1. Tenets of Batteries
      2. Battery Type: Power Decisions
  16. Index

Product information

  • Title: Speedlights & Speedlites, 2nd Edition
  • Author(s): Lou Jones
  • Release date: June 2013
  • Publisher(s): Routledge
  • ISBN: 9781136098215