Preping yourself for the 2 minute flash portrait.

Summary

In this comprehensive guide by Omar Gonzalez Photography, learn how to ace the two-minute flash portrait session. With insights into using your flash manually for consistent exposure, Omar takes you through the basics of flash power, distance, and modifiers, and explains how your camera settings impact your flash photography. He emphasizes the importance of practicing with standard settings and understanding reciprocals—changing one setting impacts others—to maintain balanced exposures. Ideal for last-minute sessions when time is of the essence, this tutorial equips photographers with the knowledge to quickly adapt in changing environments and get the best results in short timeframes.

Highlights

• Remembering the sweaty confusion of beginner flash photography days. 💦
• Title options juggling: it could have been 'Know Your Lights'! 🤔
• TTL vs. manual settings battle: manual offers control! ⚔️
• Distance and power: close equals more light, further equals less. 🌞
• How gels and modifiers like umbrellas cut flash power. ☂️

Key Takeaways

• Acing the two-minute portrait requires understanding your flash and camera settings. ⚡️
• Manual settings offer more control and consistency in flash photography. 📸
• Practice with standard settings to familiarize yourself with your gear. 🛠️
• Understanding reciprocals is key: changing aperture, ISO, or distance affects exposure. 🧮
• Experiment with flash modifiers to see how they affect light output. 🌈

Overview

Ah, the dreaded two-minute flash portrait! For many, it evokes memories of sweaty brows and frantic adjustments. Omar Gonzalez knows this struggle well and walks us through the techniques to master such high-pressure scenarios. The key? Knowing what your flash can really do and understanding that even small changes in distance can significantly impact your photo's exposure.

Omar delves into some flash photography 101 - manual over TTL, every time! Consistency is king, especially in post-production. He fondly recalls his 'light meter days' as a learning phase and shares his tips for getting your flash settings locked in before time is tight. Conveniently, he even maps out some 'standard settings' to help photographers establish a reliable starting point.

To bring it home, Omar emphasizes the concept of 'reciprocals' – the relationship between light settings and exposure. This knowledge not only helps in tricky lighting situations but also boosts confidence when time and conditions are less than ideal. So next time your client is running late, or you only have moments to capture the perfect shot, remember Omar's rules of thumb to keep your cool and snap away like a pro!

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction to Flash Techniques The chapter 'Introduction to Flash Techniques' delves into the initial challenges faced when learning flash photography, as described by the speaker. They recount their early experiences, which involved trial and error with setting power levels and ISO to achieve the desired lighting effect. The chapter highlights the purpose of creating this resource, emphasizing the need to execute a 'two-minute portrait' efficiently, a skill necessary when clients have limited time availability, often only 2-5 minutes.
• 00:30 - 01:30: Understanding Flash and Camera Settings This chapter delves into the importance of understanding lighting, specifically what your camera's flash can accomplish. It encourages photographers to become familiar with their lighting equipment to improve their lighting outcomes, and criticizes the reliance on automatic settings like auto camera mode and TTL (Through The Lens) auto flash mode, suggesting a more informed and manual approach for better lighting results.
• 01:30 - 02:30: Importance of Manual Flash Control The chapter titled 'Importance of Manual Flash Control' discusses the advantages of manual flash control over TTL (Through The Lens) and semi-automated modes. The transcript highlights that using manual control allows for consistent flash output, which is crucial in changing or unusual lighting conditions. Unlike TTL and semi-automatic modes, where exposure might vary with each photo, manual settings ensure consistent exposure, making post-editing easier with uniform brightness across photos. This approach aids in predicting and relying on the exact flash output in diverse photographic settings.
• 02:30 - 03:30: Basics of Flash Power and Distance This chapter discusses the fundamentals of flash power and distance in photography. It explains the importance of consistency, especially when editing multiple photographs. While some photographers prefer TTL (through-the-lens) mode, the chapter leans towards using manual settings for better control. It introduces the concept of a flash that outputs light, and highlights key factors that affect the amount of light emitted: the flash power setting and the distance from the subject. Adjusting the flash power can either increase or decrease the light output, while altering the distance to the subject also impacts the lighting effect.
• 03:30 - 04:30: Modifiers and Secondary Settings This chapter discusses techniques and considerations when using flash photography. It highlights the effect of light exposure based on distance and mentions how adding physical modifiers like gels, umbrellas, or softboxes can impact the intensity and quality of the light produced by the flash. These techniques help in achieving desired lighting effects but may reduce the overall light intensity.
• 04:30 - 05:30: Recommended Camera Settings This chapter discusses recommended camera settings for flash exposure. Key factors affecting flash exposure are identified as aperture and ISO, as they determine the amount of flash that will be captured by the camera. The chapter advises not to focus on shutter speed unless using a global shutter camera, suggesting a typical shutter speed setting at around 1/160th. It emphasizes the importance of understanding these settings to enhance flash photography.
• 05:30 - 06:30: Use of Light Meters The chapter "Use of Light Meters" discusses the speaker's approach to using light meters in photography. Although the speaker enjoys experimenting with a light meter during tests, they do not use it when shooting events. The speaker prefers estimating ('spitballing') the flash power during events. However, they admit to using a light meter when they need to figure things out. The speaker recommends a compact, affordable light meter for those interested. They provide a link to a suggested product. The light meter is used to measure the light exposure in photography accurately, often with the aid of a dummy subject.
• 06:30 - 07:30: Setting Up Standard Distances This chapter discusses the use of a light meter in photography to better understand and control exposure settings, particularly when using flash. It emphasizes the importance of taking multiple readings to ensure accurate exposure, and suggests that while a light meter is not strictly necessary, it is a helpful tool for achieving better photographic results.
• 07:30 - 08:30: Establishing Camera and Flash Standards In this chapter, the focus is on establishing standards for camera and flash usage, particularly in portrait photography. The speaker discusses the importance of determining the average distance between the camera and the subject, emphasizing that while this distance may vary slightly, consistency is key to maintaining quality in quick portrait sessions. The speaker mentions a technique of estimating the distance intuitively based on experience since there is often not enough time to measure exactly. This approach is practical for short portrait sessions, highlighting the balance between speed and precision.
• 08:30 - 09:30: Importance of Testing with Different Modifiers The chapter discusses the importance of testing photography flash setups with various modifiers. It starts by mentioning how to determine the optimal distance to set a flash, suggesting 3 feet, which can be gauged using an arm's length as a reference, approximately 6 feet. Additionally, it suggests creating a 'V' shape with the arms to approximate this distance to be about 3 feet or a meter. Once the distance is set, the chapter advises on establishing standard camera settings, emphasizing consistency and adjustment of settings based on conditions.
• 09:30 - 11:00: Understanding Light Stops and Reciprocals The chapter titled 'Understanding Light Stops and Reciprocals' focuses on how different camera settings influence portrait photography, particularly flash power and aperture size. It emphasizes the importance of understanding how opening the aperture allows more light, affecting exposure. Readers are advised to initially note settings for one configuration and with practice adjust their understanding mentally if changes occur during a shoot, such as when particular flash readings are contingent upon a specific lens setting.
• 11:00 - 13:00: Practical Examples and Adjustments In this chapter, the focus is on photography techniques, specifically regarding shooting with a flash. The author mentions a preference for setting the aperture at 2.8 and using a shutter speed of 160th, which is below the sync speed. The ISO setting is typically at 100, though the photographer acknowledges that ISO 200 or 400 are also options depending on usual practices. The decision for ISO 100 is due to the risk of overexposing the subject when using a flash with a bare bulb at higher ISO settings, such as ISO 400. The chapter illustrates practical approaches and adjustments necessary to achieve optimal exposure in photography.
• 13:00 - 14:00: Final Tips on Quick Portrait Setup The chapter discusses challenges with using strong flash in close proximity during portrait photography. The speaker mentions being unable to shoot at ISO 400 with the flash directly in someone's face, suggesting alternatives like moving the flash back or reducing its intensity.

Preping yourself for the 2 minute flash portrait. Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 all right let's talk flash today because I remember when I first started I'd have like a little bead of sweat coming down my brow I was just all over the place I would raise the power I would raise my ISO I would lower my ISO but raise the power on the flash I just didn't know what I was doing I was just trying to figure things out as fast as I could now there's a couple of reasons for this video number one is uh I could have titled it anything a hundred things but one of the titles was the two-minute portrait basically your clients are late the only have 2 to 5 minutes with them
• 00:30 - 01:00 you better know what your lights do which is the second title I thought of is what can your flashes actually do and it sounds so obvious if you just take a step back and figure out what your lights can do you're going to be in a much better place lightwise maybe not LifeWise now I'm sure some of you out there are probably thinking oh yeah just put the camera on auto and put the flash on TTL which is auto flash and just go you know
• 01:00 - 01:30 use the 2 minutes wisely you could totally try that but this video is more about if you want full control and you know what your flash is 100% going to do using TTL and some semi-automated modes and especially changing conditions or strange conditions could give you a problem later especially each time you take a photograph with TTL or a semi-auto mode on your camera your exposure changes and then when you're going to edit your photos later each one may be a little darker a little brighter
• 01:30 - 02:00 you want consistency especially if you're editing multiple photographs so you TTL lovers I get you out there but I'm more of a manual person all right super Basics this is a Flash and it outputs light and there are certain things that can affect how much light is output from this Flash the first one is the power that you set so you can turn the flash all the way up for the most light or turn it all the way down for the least amount of light the second one is the distance the closer you get to the subject little bit more light on
• 02:00 - 02:30 them going to be a little bit more exposure the more you pull the light back at the same power there'll be less light hitting your subject the third one is if you put stuff in front of your uh flash like if you put a gel on there it's going to probably cut a little bit of power and also the one I use and you should be using is modifying this flash putting it in an umbrella in a mini softbox uh or putting in something that softens the light somehow that will cut a lot of power so that's something that
• 02:30 - 03:00 you need to figure out as well now as far as camera settings your camera settings that affect your flash exposure are your aperture so what you set your lens to and your ISO or ISO those two are the ones that affect how much exposure from The Flash you're going to get don't worry about shutter speed for now you're going to set your unless you have a global shutter camera don't set your shutter speed to your syn speed which is like 1/ 1200th mine usually lives around 160th for
• 03:00 - 03:30 everything so uh set it to that now totally optional is a light meter I like playing with a light meter in my tests but when I'm shooting an event I never use a light meter I basically go like I spitball The Flash Powers but when I'm trying to figure things out in my little brain I have a little light meter so check the link below this is a good tiny syonic dude you don't got to get fancy this guy does a great job and what it what the light meter does is you can actually put this up to I use a dummy
• 03:30 - 04:00 but you can put it up to anything and figure out how much um what the settings are on your camera when you get a burst of flash okay so I use a light meter it's probably the best way to get all your data into a notebook so that you can kind of figure out what the flash is doing especially if you do multiple flashes you know it's great to get a couple of multiple readings just to check your exposure so I say that a little light meter is kind of necessary for you to understand you don't really need it but it's
• 04:00 - 04:30 necessary the second thing is I usually determine my distance my average distance now this of course changes a little bit and it's you're not going to bring out a little tape measure every time you do a portrait with someone but I have practice where I see the person and I kind of plop my light around the same distance each time and remember we're trying to just get close here because we only have a few minutes for this two-minute portrait only a few minutes for the exact two minutes anyway uh
• 04:30 - 05:00 determine the distance that you'll always kind of want to set your flash up okay and mine is about 3 feet or so which to me is my arm's length is 6 feet and if I make the letter V you know I can kind of figure out that's about 3 ft or a meter it's about a meter all right now you have your flash you have your distance we need to figure out our camera settings that will be considered standards if you change your camera setting settings every time you're going
• 05:00 - 05:30 to do a portrait then your flash Powers will be different obviously if you open up your aperture more you're going to let in more light will change your exposure so when you're writing notes down you kind of want to have the notes for one setting and then in your brain with practice you can you know sort of adjust if things change for example all my all my um readings from The Flash were based on having the the lens set to
• 05:30 - 06:00 2.8 now I don't always shoot at 2.8 but I want that to be my standard I am doing all my tests at 2.8 right 160th shutter that's my below sync speed speed and then I'm just going to do ISO 100 you could do ISO 200 or 400 if you usually shoot at those but I'm going to do ISO 100 mostly because I know that shooting this flash bear bulb like this uh at ISO 400 would so over expose my subject this
• 06:00 - 06:30 guy's a little too powerful so if I had to shoot at ISO 400 with this in someone's face I couldn't do it I'd have to move the flash back or sort of cover the flash a little [Music] bit
• 06:30 - 07:00 [Music] then once I get that one meter reading from The Flash I just start putting the Flash in different modifiers the ones I use to see how much those modifiers cut the power so some are just shoot through umbrellas some are double diffused and I write all my notes down okay and then I collect data for the little speed lights I collect data for you know the larger
• 07:00 - 07:30 lights like this fj200 the ad200 uh either with the frel head or I take this Fel head off and put the be bulb on just to get a sense of what that's what this is all about try to figure out what are the lights doing over and over again at at 1 meter at 3T by the way now once you have all your data then it's a matter of learning your reciprocals which is basically knowing that
• 07:30 - 08:00 flashes cameras and lenses all go down by stops a stop is either doubling the light if you raise one stop you're doubling the light or if you lower one stop you're having you're having the light okay so for example the things that will need you to raise your flash power if I take like I said if I go from 1 meter to 2 m I have to that's one stop by the way I have to double the light I have to raise
• 08:00 - 08:30 my power on the flash one whole stop if you go from those 2 m to 4 M you have to go another whole stop on your flash you have to raise the power again now I've talked about stops okay on this channel many times I'll write them here but your flash has and I'll link up some Flash videos below if you need more help but your flash goes from full power to half to quarter to um
• 08:30 - 09:00 eth to 16th it keeps lowering right by the way some flashes have uh powers like 10 9 8 7 it's the same thing 10 to 9 is one whole stop 9 to 8 is another stop so if I arrive in a at a venue and I have this 2.8 ISO 100 flash power of this guy in the modifier I always use is 16th power right so now I have those three numbers in in my head 2.8 and by the way
• 09:00 - 09:30 if I only have 2 minutes and 1 minute I'll shoot at 2.8 ISO 100 and 16th power that means at 3 feet I'm going to get an exposure that's correct because I did my testing that is the basics so if you're ready with those Powers you could use those exact Powers however to be more powerful see what I did there you kind of want to be able to sort of you know skew a little bit for example if you go
• 09:30 - 10:00 into a room and the room is not ISO 100 it's a little dark it's a church or a temple or a venue that's a little low so if you go from 100 right 100 to 200 200 to 400 400 to 800 you just did three stops there right now just know already that your flash at 3 feet is going to be way overblown if you just raise that ISO so that's called reciprocals if you
• 10:00 - 10:30 change one you got to change the other and one mistake I made as a beginner was I was hopping through all three flash power aperture and uh the iso all three trying to juggle the three to get a good exposure keep it simple either shoot everything at 2.8 and mess with the other two or pick pick an ISO that you're living at as soon as you get to a venue you're like okay I'm at 400 that means I'm going to stay at 2.8 and my
• 10:30 - 11:00 flash power has got to change okay start playing with those three to begin with Okay so let's give you a scenario your notes are this right I'll put them on the screen 100 uh 2.8 116th power but let's say you have to go from 100 to 400 simple 100 to 200 that's one stop 200 to 400 that's two stops all you got to do is lower your flash from 6 power to 32nd power to 1 uh 64th power
• 11:00 - 11:30 and now you'll have the right the correct exposure okay let's say you want to change that aperture now let's keep that the way it is and we want to change that aperture from 2.8 to F2 F2 is one more stop so lower that light one more stop okay you can also remember double its distance one more stop if you had to but the problem with moving your is it changes the look if you move it back too
• 11:30 - 12:00 much it's going to get a little harsher you may want that but I personally like a little softer of a look so that's why my light is closer by the way we should talk about that if all of a sudden you have one person and you're shooting at 1.4 you're shooting a beautiful portrait but now you have four people you got to do the math in your head I'm going from you know one meter I gotta move the light back because I need more room that I just that's one stop bam and I was at
• 12:00 - 12:30 1.4 but I have to go F2 2.8 F4 you know you have to go three stops because you want enough depth for this group so now you just realize you know you move your light back that's lowered the power and you just close I was just about to give you the finger you just closed your power you just uh made your aperture you know you you closed your aperture more which made the photo darker so now you're going to have to crank up your ISO or your flash power anyway you have
• 12:30 - 13:00 to know your reciprocals and that will make you a better photographer knowing what your lights do and being ready for the two-minute portrait I hope that helped someone out there I hope it wasn't too confusing and I'll see you guys next time