How to Balance Ambient light with Flash (and NAIL your exposure!)

[@PJPantelis]

Hope ya dig the video and learn something from it. Looking at my analytics, it seems like you guys want to learn more about using flash? Is this the case? This comment with a fat thumbs up if you keen for more flash content :)

[@jeffpeacock7321]

This was the most useful video I have seen regarding flash. Thank you for the showing the differences, and explaining them so concisely! Keep it up man, I subscribed!!

[@MustafaAliraqii]

Definitely the best explination of the effect of shutter speed on ambient and flash lights.

[@ChuckTipton]

Yes to your question and thanks for the great video. I'd like to see more examples of using strobes in ambient light, balancing the light for various uses. The end of this video was quite helpful, the examples of darker sky yet lighter subjects using flash underlined the point you were making. Thanks for your efforts!

[@chandraprakashmogha1745]

if i get a proper exposure by using flash and if i put shotrough umbrella and octabox on flash then how much exposure value reduced

[@rochiellebevans1783]

Masterfully done. Thank you.

[@survivinghumpday205]

Probably the BEST flash explanation I have ever watched! and I have watched a lot of flash photography videos on youtube!

[@IheartLBing]

Agreed. Simple and very well explained

[@villemononen5303]

I'm new to flash photography (haven't even flashed yet, but soon i shall). I had to think this for a moment, but then i got it! I'll treat the flash as a separate entity from the usual photography. Most other light is quite constant and building up on exposure. Flash is a brief packet of light that stays the same. So the effect of flash is based on distance to the subject and flash power. Everything else is controlled through the camera / lens through usual means. Short expose keeps the ambient darker (less exposed), while the flash is predominant. Longer exposure brings in more the ambient light / colors, flash being more balanced to ambient also. Both have their strengths, plus other effects to flash such a bounce, diffuse, color etc. It's interesting! I think flash will be next best thing i'll get to learn.

[@dvdpz89]

This is super useful. Thank you! About to shoot my first off camera flash session at the end of the month. Thanks again.

[@PJPantelis]

Good luck david!

[@shepsbarbershop9720]

This is an excellent explanation for us amateur photographers, makes the off camera flash much more understandable, Thank you for this!

[@TracyDavis904]

Really learned from this, never thought about how the shutter doesn’t effect the flash.

[@bluejoker150683]

It does

[@mhconnect21]

The best flash explanation ever. Why can't other instructors are not able to explain to us flash dummies like him I wonder?

[@b991228]

I set the ambient light about about an undetectable 2/3rds of a stop underexposed then allow the flash to light the subject. Your eye is drawn to the correctly exposed light on the subject that has the appearance of being bathed by perfect natural light.

[@ChuckTipton]

One of the clearest explanations of how shutter speed affects ambient light exposure! I watch this video once a month to remind myself about this as I use strobes in the field. Excellent post, thanks again (for the 5th time LOL). :-)

[@PJPantelis]

Chuck Tipton thanks chuck that’s a really lovely comment ☺️

[@JUNXRCZ]

im a photographer and needed a quick refresher on flash exposure balancing and this was perfect. thanks

[@PJPantelis]

awesome!

[@nickbray8245]

Great explanation on ambient light and flash balance,at last it makes sense,thank you

[@idrismansoor6462]

Just learning flash and ambient lighting. Your demonstration and explanations are so easy to follow. Thank you

[@thxylivx]

Just ordered a YN560Li speed lite , which is why I’m here but this helped me understand flash a lot more.

[@Angel-nh5jm]

Dang your videos teach as much in 5 minutes as one hour of class. I love how you put the photos side by side with the settings so I can follow along and do test images. It really helps it click for me.

[@johnscott1372]

Perfect timing for me I just purchased a Godox AD 400 Pro and a V1 to dive into flash photography. I've just been learning the basics the past few months. I never knew shutter speed would not affect my flash exposure. This saved me a lot of future head scratching THANKS!

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Hey PJ great video! Just FYI I recorded a video on almost this exact topic last week and we'll probably publish it this week... just wanted to let you know that it's just a coincidence and I'm not ripping you off.

[@PJPantelis]

No worries guys, thanks for the comment looking forward to seeing it. I've been watching your content for years :)

[@job2k6]

Great logical explanation. I think you are the first person I've come across that explains and demonstrates how the flash fits into the overall exposure.

[@Jerry-kg9pr]

Thank you for sharing . very helpful .

[@ronyedin]

Love this video. I’ve been searching for someone to explain it in simple terms with actual examples. Please keep posting more tutorials!!!!

[@trevorkelly5372]

You made it make so much more easy to digest. I am 3 years to late lol. Great clip

[@isabelladavis1363]

Perfect timing to see this put into action after just having read an article on this and trying to wrap my head around it...thanks so much ...got it!

[@thehomestudionerd]

Thank you this was very helpful. 👍😊

[@albertolamandini]

Super super interesting video, thanks!

[@slipperypipe]

Nicely explained thank you! Subscribed👌👌

[@nicolasrivera3733]

This was absolutely perfect. I now have a better grasp of balancing flash with ambient. THANK YOU!!

[@PJPantelis]

Pleasure ☺️

[@rochiellebevans1783]

This was masterful. Thank you.

[@PJPantelis]

Thanks Rochielle :)

[@bingobrigade]

Finally with this breakdown, managed to work out the shutter speed to freeze motion with a flash. Cheers man!

[@marksantostefano1637]

Excellent, well done!

[@capo_j]

Simple and precise explanation. Very helpful. Thank you.

[@bobmack4524]

Very clear. Very well organized and explained. I am new to the flash and have watched many clips here and this has been the most useful.

[@evertking1]

Best video on this hands down.

[@alicemeikle3872]

Very helpful, thank you!!

[@WoolyJumper5]

Awesome PJ, thanks man..

[@amberdim6]

I have been watching tons of flash videos and this was one of the most helpful! It just clicked. Thank you so much for how you explained it!

[@IGATECK]

Thanks for sharing the tips man, great video

[@SusanneGeert]

Such a lovely and helpful video for those of us new to flash photography. I have an indoor photoshoot in a week where I have to light both some furniture (it is for commercial use) and some kids in the images as well. I will use my Godox AD600 strobe but is not very experienced in using it for moving subjects. I thought I needed a fast shutter to freeze the kids moving /they will be sitting but still have a bit of movement).

[@Lucy-dk5cz]

Depends. If you are mixing ambient then shutter speed is still going to freeze motion and you should consider HS or HSS if you need faster shutter speeds than your max sync speed. If there is no ambient (like in a studio) then the flash duration is freezing the motion, not the shutter.

[@mePOPnow]

Explained really well👍

[@SusanneGeert]

Such a lovely and helpful video for those of us new to flash photography.

[@mortenjensen2457]

Thanks PJ - So good!

[@archixmusic]

MAN Finally a Simple Explanation of how this works I was afraid of Strobes until now... Thanks alot man definitely subscribing

[@tonypmedia]

I love this video man and been shooting for 20 years, never really even used non of this and ran into this video to see how it works. So pretty much Expose for your background, then you can turn the flash exposure comp to provide enough light to balance flash-light to the ambient light. Got it! Pretty much "matching the artificial to the natural" or vice versa depending on the shot.

[@PJPantelis]

AP Dallas Photography yep you pretty much nailed it. I think the takeaway should be that shutter speed controls ambient light and won’t effect your flash exposure :)

[@PJPantelis]

Hey thanks for the nice comment too. KZbin is filled with so much negativity it’s nice to see something positive in my notifications s

[@tonypmedia]

@@PJPantelis Yea that's a better perspective because once you go behind that shutter let's say 1/800 but the flash is too dark, you not changing that flash, you're just bringing back ambient so yes, The shutter NOW controls the ambient and the ISO is just how much more sensitive it is to light thus making everything lighter or darker. Man I love photography. A lot of new comers can't grasp the concept because they all play the similar or same role(in their own way). It's how you work with it.

[@devinsheehan6120]

Whoa! Huge thanks man. It would've taken me years of trial and error to figure that out.

[@snipex111]

Never thought about that .. U can turn flash off expose for ambient and then turn on flash and expose subject but i never thought about it this way good to know

[@MrJohnblaine]

Super thumbs up! thanks PJ..

[@PJPantelis]

Pleasure mate!

[@Snapjaggery]

Excellent tutorial. Makes perfect sense. I had no idea about the slither of flash. Great to know. 👍

[@danielclifton4589]

This was a great explanation of ambient/flash balance, especially how you diagrammed it out and then demonstrated it.

[@danw.7483]

This is gold, thanks for posting this one!

[@sawktoo5815]

YOU ARE THE GREAT TEACHER. THANK YOU

[@acaiv1797]

Thank you, great video!

[@PJPantelis]

Thanks so much!

[@billwendry]

Excellent.... thanks!

[@billlanagan2320]

watching this blew my mind

[@smeyerphotography]

thank you!

[@joshuagharis9017]

Spot on mate

[@TheMrSakib]

Good explanation

[@okidoke4822]

Basically, expose for the background, then adjust your flash power to light your subject how you want.

[@okidoke4822]

@Shultz Ey Do not expose your shits. 😂😂 Actually, I don’t know what you mean.

[@JohnLe]

this is one of the best explanation ive watched. and ive been watching a lot of these flash videos

[@Bassbarbie]

Great explanation, thank you. Moving subjects worry me - dancers in a darkish environment. I’m thinking second curtain sync, but wonder how slow I can go before they blur.

[@iamlisaross]

SUPER helpful omg I finally get it!

[@tilerman]

Hi. Thank you for your excellent tutorial and for clearing something up for me! I've watched SO many flash videos and the one thing I just could not get my head around was the power of the flash. Your excellent description has cleared this up for me. Many thanks.

[@PJPantelis]

Busyboy 42 awesome! Glad to hear it!!

[@andysuzierawlins5462]

Really straight forward, not complicated at all. Thank you! What about a night campfire?

[@uneekfoto3264]

Bro thank you so much for this video. It was so dang helpful. Thank you for taking your time with the details and the notes. Appreciate it

[@darronbarnes985]

Good video thank you PJ. Also like the music sample at the end, 'Float On' by the Floaters if I'm not mistaken, a cool song.

[@PJPantelis]

Darron Barnes a couple of people have mentioned this to me! A friend made me the beat and I just thought it was relaxing background music. I didn’t realize where the sample was from but I’ll check it out now :)

[@lindakuo288]

very good tutorial. I appreciate your efficient and clear explanation. Comparison of images, repeating the rules as you continue with each shot. Subscribing!

[@PJPantelis]

Thanks Linda, really appreciate the feedback :)

[@ricex2]

best explanation vid i have seen, simple and straight to the point, cheers

[@quickpodcast5minutecasts]

Well that video was awesome

[@tgchism]

Great examples and explanation!

[@kiranmaykalita8485]

Very clearly explained

[@stuarthayes8477]

Great video PJ I actually think I understand flash exposure now. Really well explained!

[@PJPantelis]

awesome! thanks for the feedback stuart :)

[@kevinrendall8297]

Your video is, as I believe you young folk might say, dope. Really helpful and taught this old bloke a lot. Thank you for posting 🤓

[@PJPantelis]

Kevin Rendall thanks for the comment Kevin, you made a young blokes day!

[@yourvitamin9474]

Fantastic explanation!

[@ekevanderzee9538]

Wow. Finally a clear explanation. Thank you!

[@chipesque]

Needed this

[@OdalysPov]

One of the best explanations video

[@retiredguyadventures6211]

I'm a near total newb at flash photography but just picked up a speedlite and remote trigger to learn. I'm going to make an "educated" guess here and assume that if you know what aperture you need for your shot, and the lowest ISO you think you can get away with, you would take a picture maybe in aperture priority with the flash off to expose for the ambient light and then dial those settings into manual to make any individual adjustments that are necessary. Shutter speed controls ambient light to your taste, and raise ISO if necessary for faster shutter speeds while reciprocally adjusting the flash output to compensate for any ISO changes? I've been playing with hss but understand that it eats up power a lot faster and you need to move your flash closer. That could be problematic if you cannot get close to your subject and don't have a pocket full of batteries while on the run. My camera has a 250 sync speed. Lots to learn... Thank you for your video!

[@thelearners4747]

That im looking for a long time ... we’ll explained

[@darrylroberts6546]

Very nice presentation. Great use of this medium.

[@kmulhall8233]

I thought you did an excellent job explaining this topic. I found it very helpful. Thank you.

[@HitchCollections]

well done Bro.

[@calebe16]

Amazing video, man! Best video I watched on the subject. Just missed the part on how to nail this exposure with flash and ambient before shooting. (A bit important for the ones trying film specially, or even to just not waste the models time with test shots)

[@itstheboyz07]

Perfect lesson!

[@JussfreshMedia]

Just came across your page today. I’m so confused on how but man you are awesome. You also sound like The Scran Line cupcake show host.

[@artube16]

Love the video! Quick and to the point. I’m currently learning off-camera lighting so this was awesome to see (: thanks for sharing

[@PJPantelis]

thanks!

[@whit1142]

Awesome video! Thank you

[@Jerry-kg9pr]

Thank you for sharing !!

[@DiviPhotos]

Great video nice

[@christinacooperfilm]

So helpful! Simple and very well explained. Well done!

[@zachforbes8621]

Cool video PJ. Really enjoyed this style would love to see more like this.

[@PJPantelis]

Thanks zach! appreciate the feedback my friend :)

[@debrasilbert4536]

absolutely fantastic content!

[@TomHamRomero]

great vid - this issue was slowly eating away at my BRAIN

[@tishmoore939]

Great, uncomplicated explanation, told me exactly what I needed to know, thank you

[@barkyvonschnauzer2188]

The BEST explanation ever! Now I know exactly what I was doing wrong. Thank you form USA

[@bambamhakkai]

You have a new subscriber here man thanks

[@michaelhancock7620]

It’s ya boy!!! Always impressed by your teaching skills!! I really enjoy having a bright background and still having that little pop of flash :). Oh hey I have that shirt !! 😍

[@Cobycom1]

Very informative video. Thanks

[@eangrace9497]

Well explained! thank you for this tips!

[@PJPantelis]

Shirou En thanks for the nice comment shirou ☺️

[@Darthvolvo]

Very informative tutorial! I learned a few good tips!

[@PJPantelis]

Darth Volvo glad to hear it, thanks mate ☺️

[@julianneandralph5093]

awesome!learned alot! thank you

[@eswarakrishnaprasadj9611]

Thank you PJ for those tips

[@yoised]

Just started watching our videos today. Love your content! Also, I went from your beardless head full of hair videos to this one and found it quite amusing haha. Keep up the great work!

[@luisisaak]

awesome