Using On-Camera Flash for Events.

In most cases, with the time and money that is put into today’s events’ “look”, it’s more beneficial using on-camera flash than it is setting up remote off camera strobes.
Leica M11-P with Leica Summicron-m 35mm Leica SF40 and Leica SF24D flash

[@JUSKOOLKREATIONS1]

WOW WOW WOW, that logo tip is was just amazing, thanks for sharing,

[@jmtphotographymedia]

Great point of view. When I do events I only use on camera flash. In the situations where flash is needed you need the people lit up so I take my camera and flash where the people are. A good diffuser and angle of the flash will make all difference for a soft lit image. I never depend on ceilings or walls.

[@thientrieu91291]

Great tip on including the logo. I never thought of that. Brilliant!

[@kaskoPhoto]

Thank you.

[@MarcusSortijas]

Love the tip at 2:58 on using the white bounce card and diffuser cap together. Never thought of that 🤯 I like using the “black foamie thing” and Rogue FlashBender for event photography. But they’re not practical when I’m out and about taking pictures of family. Used your tip when taking pictures of lunch at a restaurant with my family and the pictures came out good 👍 The slight drop in flattering light was worth not putting a big modifier on my Godox V350 flash. So much more convenient. Thank you and keep those tips coming.

[@kaskoPhoto]

Thanks for your feedback and experience with this method. Helps everyone and very much appreciated.

[@jonlouis2582]

Thanks for the tips. I've struggled with this for years, and there's a lot of conflicting information out there. I'm just a hobbyist, but I enjoy photographing events around my job.

[@kaskoPhoto]

Very welcome and thank you for watching and commenting

[@Dpul945]

100% agree. Never understood why wedding photographers use light stands A simple little bit of on camera fill maintains the ambient and separates the subject from the background

[@kaskoPhoto]

It does work perfectly without all the gear flair

[@TravisCurry]

This is great! Thank you for sharing this. I started in weddings, but don’t do them very much these days. I occasionally will do events and often feel like I need all the OCF. OCF can be tricky with the shadows that can happen from venue decor like chandeliers, not to mention the eyesore of having light stands and flash in the corners of rooms. I don’t want to drop $$ on a leica system, but thinking of picking up a similar camera for event and street style work. Love the images you created from this event!!

[@kaskoPhoto]

I still love the Fuji X-Pro 3 for events

[@devikapresents8744]

Thank you for the info and for the them/they :)

[@kaskoPhoto]

You’re welcome and I am getting there with today’s pronouns. My daughter is a big help.

[@NickDelDuca]

I've never really been interested in event photography but this looks like a ton of fun! Might have to give it a go next time someone asks me about it. Including the logo seems key for sure!

[@kaskoPhoto]

Event vs wedding are complete different animals for sure. Many don’t want to touch it because they relate it to weddings. Much more fun and less BS

[@rexgigout1472]

Ah, yes, the “old speed light at ~45-degree upward angle, with bounce card extended trick,” with the SF-40. 🙂 (Say it with a Don Adams’ Maxwell Smart Agent 86 voice.) I do not have an SF-40, but have done it with Canon EX Speedlites, and Nikon SB Speedlights, using those systems. When there is no white ceiling, this often works quite well. I never used a diffuser over the bounce card, so, will need to try that part, next time. (Not a working pro; the only “events” I normally shoot are family gatherings.) Thanks for another reminder that I need to get out and experiment with an SF-24D, on a Leica M camera. Well-done presentation! Thanks, again!

[@kaskoPhoto]

Thanks for watching and for the tip on the voice 😂😂

[@slglasius]

nice shots, also like the ambient for my shots. am usually a bit wider, but the 35 looks awesome, makes me consider also trying it out with a 35

[@Pixelpeeps-69]

Such a great video 👍 I shoot events and I’ve shot with off camera flash put into corners on stands and it ok but can be tricky and cumbersome if you work alone and the results arnt great unless you like shadows as you stated! I’ve used Magmod modifiers but you end up killing the ambience and now I just use a bounce card or a small flash bender and the results are fantastic

[@kaskoPhoto]

Simple but effective.

[@joes2828]

Awesome video, wish more people would do these types of videos. Question, any reason not to use magmod products or maybe have an assistant walk around w a small softbox like an angler to help you get softer light? I’ve done run and gun shoots like this w an assistant holding a monopod and 25 inch softbox. Of course it’s all preference.

[@kaskoPhoto]

For many of my corporate events it’s not practical or desirable for an assistant and large equipment. Fly on the wall / blend in as much as possible. Having that type of setup would def put focus on me when it should be kept on the event.

[@rf8221]

Would be cool to see how you set up your 24D. I use a Leica CF and know that you have different options on the 24D.

[@Gvacam1222]

Great video 👍 as usual , this made me order a sf 40 for my M, Fuji ef-x20 started failing after 15 years of use ( it started with battery drain)

[@kaskoPhoto]

Really sorry about the ef-x20 but you will be very happy with the sf40

[@mikepeters93]

Thanks for sharing. I really appreciate that you show real world use and results instead of talking about it the whole time. I noticed around 9:00 mark that you have the plastic diffuser cap on your flash so how would the bounce card be used? I might be confused but doesn't the bounce card extend vertically and there can't be a cap on the flash when the card is extended? Thanks!

[@kaskoPhoto]

I use the bounce card with the white diffuser cap when there is no option to bounce the flash. It pushes the light out of the front of the diffuser rather than having it go out the back. It will work on most flashes.

[@elliewhitbread2261]

Love this tutorial thanks so much! How do you keep such rich colour when you shoot with flash. Mine all become a bit grey and dull and is quite unflattering to my subjects. I would love to be able to make the colours pop more? Any ideas?! I’m using Sony a7iii and godox tt350

[@kaskoPhoto]

Turn the flash down more and bring in more of the ambient light.

[@jasonbodden8816]

Great shots. Looks like you have a wide angle diffuser on the flash? Nice work. Oh, you're using direct flash here. How do people get on with that? Do you find that they complain about it? Love your channel. Keep up the great content!

[@kaskoPhoto]

I really have never had a complaint with the flash. Thank you

[@MartinV.]

Great Video!

[@thientrieu91291]

Man, I wish this video came out a couple days earlier. I recently shot an event that was indoor, I used that very same Godox 350 on camera the whole night. I was using an x100 Fuji and shot at f2 the entire time, it's apsc so I didn't have issues with depth of field for group shots. I bounced the flash towards the ceiling the entire time and ended up getting some decent shots, but when I looked at the photos after the event, I wasn't happy with the shadows below the eyes and necks, and also because the ceilings were high my ISO ended up being around 2000 and up so I can still get some ambience. Will definitely try your method next time. Just want to say thank you for these videos, I've learned heaps from you. Thanks!.

[@kaskoPhoto]

Very welcome and thank you for commenting.

[@thientrieu91291]

​@@kaskoPhoto I'm not great at asking people for portraits, I always find myself taking candid shots of people without them knowing, then the flash fires and I feel like a creep haha, mostly because i don't want to interrupt their conversations. Unless people pose for the camera, then I'll ask them for a couple more shots. Would love to hear your tips on how to ask people for photos during events.

[@kaskoPhoto]

@@thientrieu91291 just a quick, hey, let me grab a shot quick.

[@thientrieu91291]

@@kaskoPhoto thanks :)

[@kenschallenbergphotography7139]

Well done...hope you had fun while in NOLA.

[@kaskoPhoto]

I could have had more fun 😂 but got to pay the bills

[@philipsutton2316]

Wow - once again John awesome. I learned two main things - include the Logo (I forget sometimes), and putting the little bounce card inside the diffuser. That's brilliant and I never would have thought of that. I'm starting to use that small Godox TT350n a lot more. Like you, for all my paid events (which are usually always outside in daylight), I always use HSS, TTL, daylight balanced flash (mostly with the V1). But it's quite big and heavy when I use my Z24-70 2.8s on my Z6ii. Since I bought and used the new 'eneloop Pro', AA rechargeable batteries in that flash, it recycles almost as fast as the V1 with it's own rechargeable battery.

[@kaskoPhoto]

Double AAs with a lower flash power will last me an entire job without issue every time. Throwing on huge modifiers isn’t always the answer - just dial it back

[@kennethnielsen3864]

Thanks for sharing.

[@lucschoonjans4540]

This is a great video. Thank You for sharing your experience. Also, do you use your flash in TTL mode or manual? What about the WB, as you have the ambient light and the flash with different color temps. Thanks!

[@kaskoPhoto]

I use manual because of the clothing variety of colors. White balance is usually on flash. Or shade depending on how the ambient looks with each.

[@hip2bdaniel]

Would you consider using a gel to match the ambient light for an event like the one shown here?

[@kaskoPhoto]

Back in the day I used color corrective gels at most events. Today it’s a bit harder. There are an array of Venues that have some older tungsten lights (3200k) and some new led bulbs (4200-6500) and then any stray light from a hall or window too. No one gel works in many venues any more.

[@dsimon9s29]

Thanks for posting. Question: at time marker 8:44 (approx), you are taking shots with the shield on the flash, and the flash angled at about 45º up. The ceiling is pretty high. Were you attempting to get bounce from the ceiling or was there another purpose? Also, at that point, was the flash set to TTL, M, or A? Camera settings for the flash was A, A-slow? The images came out great. Thanks for your reply i advance. From a previous chat we had, I did get the Leica SF 40 for the Q3. Been taking a lot of outdoor images and indoor to get a feel for the lighting. Lost to learn. The little flash is quite capable of lighting up a 15' X 20' room with a 22' ceiling. Battery lasts for ever on the flash. Crazy.

[@kaskoPhoto]

When I tilt up in that type of room I am getting a little more surface area from the flash and a little more height. I actually have the white bounce card built in the flash out and put the diffuser over it. It directs more of the light forward this way. Def not looking for any ceiling bounce.

[@vinciandres]

I have so much to learn. I've been in photography for years and whenever I use flash I'm absolutely inconsistent. Your results are beautiful, I almost always give up on flash and end up opening the diaphragm to the maximum and raising the iso.

[@jpsteiner2]

Do you tend to use manual or auto focus in such relatively low light events?

[@kaskoPhoto]

This is the M11 so its only option is manual focus. If I’m using an autofocus camera, I do use autofocus.

[@kingsamvisuals]

The IQ of that lens is fantastic. You seemed to be zone focusing?

[@kaskoPhoto]

I wasn’t zone focusing. Had to stay at 2.8 - 4

[@kingsamvisuals]

@@kaskoPhoto alright. Great results.

[@allanzepeda6504]

hi, I have the SF60 and I cant find a power pack..any idea where I can get one?

[@kaskoPhoto]

Honestly you can use a variety of power packs - even this one from Godox - amzn.to/3CjQi84 but it’s the cable that is harder to find. The Nissin PS 8 can be found on eBay used but the new ones like the link above would be a better option. I’m going to check the plug tomorrow when I get to the studio to see if it’s universal with any other brand. (Looking for the Nissin i60 flash compatible cable)

[@johnkasianowicz6536]

I recently shot an event for free (it was a party for community volunteers) using a Godox V1N and digital Leica CL. I wanted to blend ambient and flash, but different folks running the event kept dramatically changing the ambient light. It was a bit frustrating, and more than half the photos were flash dominated (not the goal). If I was getting paid for that gig, I’d have politely insisted to keep the ambient light set until I got the majority of shots taken.

[@kaskoPhoto]

I’ve seen photographers politely insist DJs use their lights in specific ways - never seemed to work other than the DJs screwing with them even more in retaliation

[@johnkasianowicz6536]

@@kaskoPhoto I can see that happening. A shoot is surely a fluid and dynamic situation, subject to constraints that we have to deal with, but it isn’t fun when there are too many “bosses” controlling the lighting, each with their own markedly different tastes.

[@davemil716]

Just curious, in your event work that you showed in the video... I don't care which "brand" lens you use but the focal length... The images you showed I am guessing 28mm or 35mm FF? And I know you love manual but in these situations are you using TTL? I am thinking small flash on TTL and camera on manual... Thanks!

[@kaskoPhoto]

I’m using manual / manual and I used the 35mm

[@davemil716]

@@kaskoPhoto That's what I was thinking! Thanks

[@marclabro]

nice photos with magenta ambiant light. you say youare using iso 1600. i suppose you don't use ttl and use manual exposure and manual flash ? which aperture and shutter speed do you use ? Just tried your bounce card trick on my hvl-f60rm2 with its sony diffuser and bounce card can be open by only 9-10mm :-( unfortnately, there is a stupid magnet inside HVL incompatible with magmod V2 magbounce or magsphere

[@kaskoPhoto]

White index card with a rubberband will do the same thing and better.

[@dancewithlight]

I am also interested in knowing the aperture, and shutter speed. I am fascinated by your series of videos. Thanks so much for sharing.

[@kaskoPhoto]

@@dancewithlight Usual is 3.2 - f/4 and 180th

[@dancewithlight]

@kaskoPhoto, thanks for sharing. I tried to get a summary from the video, and here is what I got, does it seem right? First take a photo without flash to see Ambient light is captured, with a little high iso like 1600 (to let more ambient light in) Then add flash, try 1/180 second (or 1/120-1/160), f3.2 or 4, f5.6 or 8 to make it work for group of people, Flash diffuser SF40 card out, then put on diffuser cap, 45 degree up WB manual 5600 to start

[@dancewithlight]

@@kaskoPhotoIs flash set as TTL?

[@6165134]

I would love to know what lens you used in the last event (silver lens for outdoor shots)?

[@kaskoPhoto]

35 Summicron-m

[@6165134]

@@kaskoPhoto Thanks

[@jean-marcschwartz2525]

So, I was right : M11 and SF40 Where is my price? 🎁

[@kaskoPhoto]

😂😂 checks in the mail

[@scottallen8174]

Great video!