After the Rain

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When the rain had passed through Oklahoma City I could not resist grabbing my camera and heading for Will Rogers Park. Not many flowers are in bloom at the present time, but I got a few good shots.

Gaining Ground

Test shot.self
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The last time I was at home (2 weeks ago) I broke out my flash units for the first time in the two years that I have had them. Yeah, almost all of my work (in digital format) to date has been with available light. I just did not want the hassle of working with so much equipment. But, I have decided that if I ever want to make a living at this I had better learn what it takes to do what needs to be done. So, now I have been working with these 2 flash units for three days, and I believe I am making good headway. Right now I am not worried about getting tack sharp photos. I am concerned with the strength of each light, and where that light is falling. Here, on the left side of my face, the slave unit was at half the strength of the master. Each light was about the same distance from the subject. The master flash was bounced from an umbrella. The slave was not. And, I am really enjoying working with this equipment. It is sort of like the first time that basketball goes through the hoop for you. You see the score add up, and you can't believe you done that.

Lights, Camera, Action

Just me, the only available model.
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Yesterday was spent learning how to use multiple flashes in aperture mode. This is where you set your camera on the aperture you want, and the flashes synchronize and work to get a correct exposure. Today, I have started working in manual mode. I am testing each flash at different aperture/speeds, and learning to get the correct exposure. Now, that the idea is in my brain, it is easy. You just have to set everything where it belongs and shoot, shoot, shoot. It does help to have a great flash unit like a Nikon SB800.

Your Humble Host

Keith Birmingham. An update photo.
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For the past three days I have been practicing the use of my strobes. I have had 2 Nikon SB800's for almost two years, and this is my first chance to work with them. Now you can understand why I want to get off of the road.