DAY ONE: Conquering My Fear of Speedlights

Alex Smith has been using a camera since she was 7 years old to document her life and the lives of her loved ones. She considers herself a natural light photographer, and finds comfort in the ability to capture what’s there, rather than worry about adjusting light settings and using flash.
She’s had a speedlight for her camera sitting in a drawer for over 11 years that she’s only used a handful of times. She’s not comfortable using it, and up until now, she has let that fear stop her.
As she’s advanced in her photography career, Alex has been asked to photograph more professional events. Alex feels that when people hire her as a photographer, they expect her to know how to do everything, and capture good photos in any setting. Feeling uncomfortable using a camera flash gave Alex a serious case of imposter syndrome. Instead of letting those feelings consume her, she decided to take action, and learn.
In this video, hobbyist photographer, Alex embraces her fear of using on-camera flash, putting lessons learned from Mark Wallace's Speedlights 101 course into practice.
Classes Alex recommends on CreativeLive:
Mark Wallace, Speed lights 101: cr8.lv/Speedli...
Pye Jirsa, Flash Photography Crash Course: cr8.lv/3wAW5z3
Mark Wallace, Working with Speedlights in Studio: cr8.lv/3LuRPq8
Erik Valind, Getting Started with Off-Camera Flash: cr8.lv/3wsme46
Subscribe to get access to this class plus our entire 2,000+ on-demand class catalog. 👉 cr8.lv/creator...
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[@luisarevalo6112]

Applause, applause applause, great job! You are on such a great learning journey! Showing the process that you've gone through so far will inspire many. Like you I've learned so much that now I shoot in manual mode (only), 2 off camera speedlights (with bouncre and diffusers as needed) and loving it! Wait untill you learn about Speedlight Durations if you don't already know!

[@creativelive]

So many possibilities!

[@podcastkyodai2476]

No mames Luisa no aplaudas la mediocridad

[@terryobier]

Mark is a good teacher. Knows his stuff....I find Gavin Hoey, really breaks it down to simple and easy to understand terms and ways to use speedlights for people being introduced to flash photography. Worth a lookup definitely.

[@creativelive]

Love Gavin Hoey. He's got some some classes on CreativeLive as well 👍🏻

[@dayeah765caoni3]

I LOVE Gavin! He’s soooo amiable ! Great human 🎉😂

[@ej-kj3sj]

As wow this is me, terrified of speed lights that just live in the box! Thank you for sharing this. I also would love to get the background black like that

[@officialnellphoto]

You did an amazing job! We all go thru the same thing. Up until 2019 I was mortified of flash until I forced myself to do it. So I purchased a couple of Speedlites from Amazon and practised my tail off. I made alot of mistakes but that's the learning curve. Now I can't do a shoot without Speedlites or Strobes. It truly ups your game and makes you a better "Natural light" photographer too. Keep up the great work! 💪

[@BTcycle]

Mark Wallace is a great teacher and that's how I learned flash photography. Now I use softboxes & flash photography for all my portrait work.

[@creativelive]

nice! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@aleson8590]

Love this! Thank you ❤️

[@creativelive]

Thanks for watching!

[@johnfletcher1036]

We have it easy today! 40 years ago, using slide film, it was two weeks before you saw your results!

[@CanadianArchivist]

Great video. I don’t use flash a whole lot either. When I do, I watch similar videos from Mark Wallace and Spyros Henidis For the photos in the garage, or any room with light, you can keep the flash off. Keep your settings for the flash sync speed. then move only the aperture until you see no light taking a few test shots . eg: f:/13 or 16. Then introduce the light from the flash. It will hit your subject and the light will fall off and what is behind will get darker. So now, you adjust the power output of the flash to get the desired effect

[@creativelive]

Thanks Andrew! Love the tips 🙌🏼

[@ej-kj3sj]

Please can you do a video on this?

[@tangled6931]

Wow, I am in your exact same situation. I even have my speedlight in a wood chest of drawers like you do, sitting calmly in its box. You've inspired me to get it on the camera and practice. That's really what it boils down to isn't it? My problem is lack of a model willing to patiently pose while I experiment... I'll use a mannequin but it will help me learn. Also will be using a lite scoop and see how it goes. Thanks for sharing your experience and fears--so many can relate.

[@esmeraldallaca1138]

OMG, you have no idea how mach I relate to that situation Alex!!!! All the words you have said can be applied to me. I consider myself a hobbyist photographe too, I've been covering the street style during Paris and Milan Fashion Week for three years and I'm still sooooo afraid to use the flash, I panicked too every time I had to use it, to the point to avoid going during night time, and felt as well a failure. Your video is so inspiring, thank you so, so much for sharing this.

[@cameracameras]

I enjoyed your video. Keep at it and you'll never want to photograph anything without a flash 📸.

[@jonnyboy8000]

When using flash you need think of 2 exposures 1 for ambient and 2for the flash

[@creativelive]

🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

[@hitzphotography]

Exect situation happened with me in past when I tried flash first time 👍

[@Tracksidebench]

I’m in the same boat using flash

[@creativelive]

Yep yep. Interested to start experimenting with it?

[@dianenero4561]

Grand opening of power

[@f1remandg]

Yeah it’s one thing that needs practice, and look for anything to bounce off, short focal length like without flash keeps short depth of field and creates background blur, so adding flash is the same, your just lighting the subject to make it look natural, not harsh. DG New Forest U.K. 71 YOA ps also think of backlighting if using ceiling.

[@Adiera]

I am in your position now. Well not now but at the end of August I have my first ever shoot. I've mainly done landscapes and pets but my hairstylist asked me to do her daughter's quinceanera! I even have to get a speedlight! I am so nervous about it!

[@creativelive]

Completely relate! What a fun opportunity to document an important moment. Hope you can grab a class and get a few practice sessions in. It will do wonders on those nerves and help you prepare for the shoot.

[@rvito]

Now all what have to do is write a book about it.

[@jayerjavec]

Fear? Never! ... I am the god of light, cold or warm. I go by 5500 Kelvin and I am chillin. - warmest regards, the Sun.

[@creativelive]

😁☀

[@conradabatol8730]

Watching this video is self referential, except that, unlike yours, my flash has been gathering dust for 4 years counting 😊

[@mariocell34]

wow so cool lmao

[@geru2000]

So dissapointed with CL for releasing a video with such unrealstic and amateurish content. She starts by using the flash in manual mode and nails exposure in one or two shots, please! Why the stofen it's not needed. She's creating a large diffused light by bouncing the flash. All she's doing is using more flash battery power. Then she shows the photo with the modifier removed. She does the reverse in another frame. Which is it stofen off or on? Her attempt to blend ambient and flash is misleading and a horrible result. The garage scene is useless it doesn't accomplish anything, the background tools are stll visible. Moving away from the background is great. Achieving the results insinuated requires stoppng down her aperture and setting ISO to the cameras sync speed. Lastly, in the areas she's bouncing the flash TTL could be used. TTL and FEC would probably get better results and more quickly. Liked her style of presentation she's very relaxed.

[@podcastkyodai2476]

8:00 no mames no es para tanto.