What do you give a Photographer?

On her birthday....

Here are a few of my FAVORITE things! In truth, these gifts would make AWESOME Mother's day gifts for anyone... they are not just for a  "photographer" - but they are handmade all crafted with love by small business owners and that means a TON to me! I LOVE supporting other small business and having a direct effect on someone's daily life! Now... on to the goods!

An infinity scarf, because I cant be bothered to keep a really one out of my way while I am shooting!
This yarn by the way - was THE SOFTEST! It was snuggly warm... yes I tried it on - I had to see how it should look after all!

Product provided by: Melli's Yarn Works

 Who says I don't get in front of the camera?! I had the EXTREME pleasure of working with Melli's items a few weeks ago and I FELL in LOVE! These wrist warmers not only are fun and super cute, but they allow for me to use them and my camera at the same time. (even the remote that I used to take this shot!)

OH OH OH! This one was such a hard secret to keep! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this new product, released by A Bow for Mama! Now, instead of giving a bow on top of a special gift that is disposable - I can give a FABRIC clip! That can be RE-USED! It has 2 clips, one in back and one in front (great for holding a gift tag). PLUS these little gems by A Bow for Mama, are not just for gift decor... oh no! You can use them on your pin board, or all kinds of other things as I discovered during my shoot!

Product Provided by: A Bow For Mama

I can not get enough of my Zeeuh bag, wallet and mug hugs! I want a whole new set for the summer!!!! Yes, I desire to be the envy of all my friends! I absolutely love Alicia's choice in fabrics and quality of work! If your looking to spoil someone you love (like your MOM! or ME!) this will do it!  (by the way... I am feeling the fiesta floral hint hint)

Product Provided by: Zeeuh

You know who else I really started to bond with recently... Tanya at Mystic Eye! I know I just told you all about her on Monday... but she deserves a big shout out for the sexiest wine stopper/pour spout I have seen in a long while! COME ONE! I would love (and get a lot of use) out of this bad boy! The option with the cork screw is no slouch either! I LOVE them both!

©Mystic Eye Creations

Happy Birthday to me!

The Wedding Contract

Contracts can be scary... hopefully you have taken some time to get to know your photographer, and feel good about your decision to hire them for your wedding images. However, before you sign the deal and give any money you should read the contract and make sure you understand it fully.

If possible when you are interviewing your candidates, ask them for a copy of a contract that you can take with you. This will allow you to review everything at your convenience and with out pressure. Contracts should be as specific as possible on the photographers obligations, with everything clearly written out. This will protect both client (you) and the photographer from misunderstandings. There should be no verbal additions or promises made beyond the scope of the document.

A professional photographer will have some sort of contract for you to view. Be sure your contract has:

• Your wedding photographer, and their contact information imprinted on it.
• Be sure you receive a copy of the contract for your records!
• Due dates and amounts for all payments

In a solid wedding contract there are three main parts. Here are some things to look for and be sure your contract has. If your photographer doesn't include this information generally, you may consider asking them to do a longer contract for you so that it will all be written!

General Terms/ Information:
This portion should list all the details for your wedding.

• Date, location and time of your wedding
• Contact information for Bride and Groom
• Additional emergency contact for the day of the wedding
• What time and location the photographer is to report to
• The address of any and all venues the photographer will be required to be at. (church, park, reception area)
• Bridal Party and Family information, who the important people are
• Name and Cell number of the photographer
• Name(s) of assistant photographers or second shooters (at the least a count of how many people the photographer is bringing)
• Style of photography and important must have shots listed
• Subjects, events to be covered such as first dance, pre-wedding, formal images... etc
• Any additional requests or requirements from you, or your venues.

Coverage/Price:

• Length of coverage on wedding day
• Additional sessions included and details of packages or prints included from these
• What kind of equipment will be used / back up equipment available
• Film or Digital ( Is there a min/max number of images to be shot or delivered)
• Date proofs will be available (printed or digital view?)
• Number of proofs and complete package details 
• Delivery details of finished package (how, when you will receive them)
• Editing, Retouching, or other finishing details that are included or additional cost 
• Overtime or other additional fees listed
• Total price (itemized if possible) 
• Re-order policy and prices
• Meal plan. Are you required / or offering to plan a meal for the photographer?

Liability/Terms

• Copyright: who owns the finished images, can you print them yourself, will you receive a photo release in order to do so?
• Public usage of images (who owns what, can you post images to facebook or a blog, can your photographer? )
• Additional Photographer/ Photo services (most have exclusions, to insure they are the only "photographer" at your wedding. If you plan on having a photo booth from a separate company or service you will need to have an amendment added so that the photo booth or operator is not considered "another photographer"
• Limit of liability: this covers "what if"
•  Insurance coverage of damage to property for venue
  

Sample Limit of Liability: If Photographer cannot perform this Agreement in whole or in part due to a fire or other casualty, acts of God or nature or terror, or other cause beyond the control of the parties or due to Photographer's illness or injury, then Studio will return all fees to the Client(s) but shall have no further liability with respect to this Agreement. This limitation on liability shall also apply in the event that photographic materials are damaged in processing, lost through camera malfunction, lost in the mail, or otherwise lost or damaged without fault on the part of Photographer. Client(s) agree that an entire wedding cannot be replicated, reenacted or repeated for the purpose of a re shoot and limits Studio's liability to the amount paid under this contract.

A Limit of Liability is basically a disclosure of what the photographer, studio or company is going to do if something goes wrong. It should list everything from if the photographer, or promised assistants do not show up to camera failure or cancellation of the wedding itself and under what circumstances they will offer a refund, or reschedule, or offer replacement product.

In most cases the limit will be a reflection of any deposits or monies already collected at that point. If you haven't paid the full amount, the photographer wont refund more then what has been paid. That line about "clients agree that an entire wedding can not be replicated, reenacted or repeated" basically means if the photographer ruins your day, your images, or your memories... your not getting back more then your photography money... nor will a court require them to. 

This is where all your due diligence, checking references, and trusting your decision to hire a professional will come to play. At the end of the day, because of the limit of liability your trusting that professional with your memories. 

The Photographer Search pt.2

Now you know where to look... but other then price and style what should you be looking FOR in a photographer... Here is my list of things to look for or ask before meeting with the top candidates.

Most of these questions can be answered by viewing someones website. If you don't see the answer, or it's not clear, or up to your standards either move on to the next, or if it's not a deal breaker for you then ask for clarification or explanation on the phone prior to meeting. If your mind is at ease, and you like the style and price THEN put them on the short list of photographers to meet with! Remember, you want that list to be around 3. 

1. Stability. 

•  Look how long they have been doing weddings?
• How long they have been in business?
• Do they work Full Time as a photographer? 
• Do they have a studio location?

2. Price and Service.

• Are they in your budget?
• Does the portfolio fit your style? Can you imagine those images hanging on your walls?
•  What is included in the package?

This is where I am going to put in my 2 cents... many people will want the photographer to hand over a disk of images, maybe even unedited images because they have Photoshop experience. Don't fall into the trap of discounting a photographer because they wont offer you that. First, understand digital files (unwatermarked) are basically like negatives as far as copyright laws stand. A photographer makes money based on sales, its retail as much as it is a service industry. So first, if they hand you a disk they know they wont see you again. But more importantly, photographers have a certain pride in their work as artists... handing over a disk, especially an unedited disk would be akin to a painter drawing a paint by numbers - without giving you the number code and dumping paints in your lap. It's not a finished product, and they wont give you a price break for saving them the work.

Is this true of everyone, no. I in fact sell disks of my images. However, even the "unedited" images have been touched in some way. I don't give RAW images, ever. Every image of mine is "processed" through Photoshop, in what I call my "editing" process. That doesn't mean that I am whitening teeth, or fixing out of place hairs... it means I am choosing the "best of images" tossing the accidentals, and ones I knew were bad as soon as I took them... and doing what I do to provide you with the best images I can. I offer all my clients the right to purchase a disk with a photo release so you can print your own images, or use in shops and online if it is product or commercial images. I choose to do this not because I don't want to see you again, but in truth I don't like shipping prints nor do I have the time to hand deliver them anymore. Quiet frankly I find constantly pulling out images 3 months, or a year later to print 1 or 2 images a huge pain and super time consuming... so for me, it simply makes sense to offer a disk. In addition, I offer clients what most would classify as "editing" as a retouching service. This allows me to fix the teeth, hair, and do creative edits if you want me to spend extra time on that... at your request.  I can charge you per image, or for everything, but I charge extra for that work.

Because every photographer is different in this way, it is VERY important to clarify what they mean, and include when they say "editing". Just as it is when they say they give you a "disk" of images... does that mean you get a release to print and share also, are they watermarked... etc. I will cover more of this in the contract details.. dont miss that!

3. Registered business

• Are they registered as a business with the state? You can ask to see a business license, ask for the number, or go to your states official small business website and typically search there for the name. 
• Are they registered with PPA, WPPA, or other photography groups? This just goes towards how serious they are... are they respected by peers, well known in the community? Don't discount someone because they are not members, I know many great photographers who are not. But you may ask them why they are not.
• Do they have insurance? Not just on their gear, but what if they damage something at the location? When I was doing time as an assistant the photographer I was with took a large backdrop up an escalator for a commercial gig... and it punched a hole in the ceiling. oops. 

4. Equipment / Assistance

• What kind of  equipment do they own? ( I suggest looking for professional grade slr equipment multiple flashes, lenses... this would be someone serious about guaranteeing quality for your day)
• Do they have back up gear, what is that?
• Do they have an assistant, or a second shooter? ( the difference being an assistant, helps.. carries things, holds reflectors etc. A second shooter does additional photography when they are not helping the photographer and doubles your chances or gives two perspectives of events like the bouquet toss... one photographer could capture your face - the other the bridesmaids)
• Is the second shooter always the same? Many photographers don't have an official "go to second" but I think if you are going to have them shoot - you should be able to see THEIR work as well as the main photographer! (interview both if possible!)

5.  Turn around time.

• When do you get to see your proofs? 
• Are they printed or digital proofs
• If digital, do you have a private gallery online that you can share with friends and family?
• Are they posted to Facebook or a blog for public viewing? (personally I am not a fan of that... for privacy reasons)
• How long before you see the finished product?

This should give you solid information to make a short list of photographers. Keep in mind, while some of it should be very openly displayed on the website, if it's not.... ask! Don't call a studio or office and expect to be able to ask them all of this just on a random call, however. Photographers don't make money sitting around answering phones! Be respectful of their time, tell them your a bride or groom looking for additional information and you would like to ask them a slew of questions prior to possibly meeting, ask if they will schedule a phone meeting with you, or if they have 15-20 minutes to answer your questions now.  That respect will go a long way! Also, they may have an assistant or office manager answering phones... don't feel like you have to talk to the photographer only... its a good chance to get an inside look at the dynamics of the team. If they have time and the answers you need you might get more information from them!

Starting the Photographer Search

It really doesn't matter if your searching for a family photographer, commercial, or even wedding photographer there is a vast number to choose from and many different places to find them!

The Referral: First, look for a friend who has had a similar need, in our case someone who has gotten married in the past year or so. Ask, if they were happy with the service, quality, and if they could have changed anything what would that be? Look at their images.. they could be LOVELY but just not your "style". If you find a good referral but they are out of budget, or not really the style that your looking for, ask for a referral from THEM and let them know why. Photographers tend to know other photographers in different price ranges, styles, as well as others similar to them in case they are booked the day you need!

Also, ask other wedding vendors that you have already chosen... ask at the bridal salon, DJ, Cake maker... in many cases they will know or have cards on-hand even if they don't have first hand experience of the service.

Check the online ads: There are TONS of websites that list wedding services. Most the photographer has to pay to be a part of... but show sample portfolios and sometimes offer client reviews like SnapKnot , The Knot, Wedding Photography Select and One Wed.

I personally like The Wedding Wire you can not only review clients ratings and comments, but you can talk to other brides online in the forums! Super awesome for ideas and getting more information!

A great place to check also is PPA (Professional Photographers of America)  which lists a data base of its members. PPA offers education, certifications and hosts trade-shows for photographers. While not all awesome photographers are members, its a great place to look for a serious professional! Another great option is WPPI (Wedding Portrait Photographers International) being more specific you wont have commercial or landscape photographers clouding up the listings. Plus its a great start if your planning a destination wedding!

If your style lends towards photo-journalistic there is a site for that too! The Wedding Photojournalisic Association (WPJA) Links you directly to their members in your area. Founded in 2002 it is a "newb" in the world of Photo Associations, but they have some amazing inspirational images and solid reviews of their members! 

The Budget Finds: Many "good deals" can be found for someone starting out and working to build a portfolio... keep in mind you still want someone who will be professional with your guests, you wont find them at the bar, and trustworthy! You WANT to be able to find them after and get the images! You also want there to be quality images! Rather then trusting your images to little Bobby who has a camera and took photography in high school, check the local Art Institute, or Collage in your area with a Photography program. Go to the TEACHER and ask who they would recommend! Also, checking with local studio photographers who have / or have had interns, or might be going into that direction themselves is a really good bet! Please be careful tho, not every landscape photographer or portrait photographer can do an equally good job for you at your wedding!

Now... many people will suggest places like Craigslist - where you can place an ad or review ads... like classifieds. Since this is free for both... your basically opening yourself up to any number of scary situations, not just "have point and shoot and want to do weddings" but scammers, and other crazy people alike. There are too many other good places to search for me to ever recommend this... but if you do... make sure they have a website, client referrals and clients you can call to talk to, and ALWAYS meet in a public place, and NEVER meet anyone alone. (ok, mom rant over)


Google does a good job of finding photographers with websites or blogs in most areas, so you can do that as well just to get some names to look into! Before I go on to talk to you about the meeting, we are going to talk a little about research and questions to ask before you set a meeting. This will help you select your "top candidates" as well as not waste multiple photographers (and your) time by meeting with more then three.

I hope you keep coming back to check in as we continue our month of LOVE!

Photography Styles

Today you have more choices then ever before for "types" of photographers... how do you chose? So many times I have brides approach me and simply want to book for their wedding or event... and I have to slow them down and really make sure they know "my style".

It's really hard with people pinning ideas for photography images, and then expecting any photographer to recreate that moment. Let's forget the differences in equipment, knowlage, location, and everything else... just the difference in shooting style can dramatically effect how your images turn out.

So how do you know what "style" of photographer you should be looking for? Let's look at some of the popular words photographers use to describe themselves and then you can sort by what style your eye is most drawn to!

Traditional Portrait: (Classic style) This typically referrals to a more formal and posed images. Straight forward, well composed, beautifully exposed, and simple images with a focus on the people. This can refer to any location and is common with many  photographers. This photographer is typically on top of posing, adjusting hair, placing hands... very much at the forefront of the action directing each shot. While older generations will be more comfortable with this style, some modern brides feel it makes them look stiff and uninteresting. The trick is to find a photographer that you enjoy so you will remain relaxed even in a "posed" session.. this will lead to great traditional images!

Contemporary Portraiture: Much more relaxed and lends towards less formal images, this style can result in more spontaneous images. Capturing the spirit of fun, while still incorporating formal elements. The photographer may be less involved in every moment, allowing your personalities and interactions to shine, however they may still set up some shots, or adjust details as needed to improve the overall image. This photographer will tend to seek out unique locations, or angles in which to set apart your wedding from others. 

Documentary / Journalistic Style: In the classical sense, this style is completely hands off. It is a direct record of your day, typically without any posed images, or real input from your  photographer. A sort of fly-on-the-wall approach, where the photographer blends into the crowd and simply records the events.  

This can also be described as candid photography... but candid simply means informal, un-posed and most photographers utilize candid images for reception shots, so be sure to clarify if "candid photography" is mentioned!

This style can also be referred to when people think of images that take great care to take advantage of aperture controls to blur backgrounds, and add interest to images by having greater control over the camera. You will need to see the photographer's work to know WHICH he is really describing,  with this term, as they can produce drastically different results. 



Artistic: I am not personally a fan of this description, it seems to be used as a "catch all" however, when used "properly" this term implies individualism of the artist or photographer. Depending on photographer this may require a great deal of intervention, or none. It may be heavily altered images by Photoshop, or it could be entirely produced by camera, filters etc. You simply wont know what this term is implying without viewing the portfolio of this photographer. Please do your research here!


 
Glamour or Fashion Photography: This is more of a type of photography then a description of a style, but we are seeing it used more and more often as a description for  modern wedding images where the images have the look of a fashion magazine or what you would think of as a model being posed. Typically a lot of attention to detail, along with lighting is given priority to comfort. 

 .    
Many photographers will describe themselves somewhere along these lines, or within combinations of these.... some come up with their own "labels", but for the most part everyone will fall in one of these categories or a combination of them.

Professional wedding photographers views their work as art, and the only way to know if you enjoy that style is to read the descriptions and view the portfolios. Keep in mind a portfolio is representative of "the best of" from that photographer, not "every shot".  It is perfectly acceptable to ask a photographer to show you a sample wedding, cover to cover so to speak so you can see their style from start to finish of the same day.

Regardless of if you are looking for a commercial photographer, Wedding photographer, or family photographer... I hope understanding these basic descriptions helps you weed through some of the multitudes of choices you have! 
 .

Love is in the air

What better way to celebrate love then to talk wedding and couple photography this month!

I know, right! 

This month you can look forward to loads of tips about finding great wedding photographers, finding the right one for you, WHERE to find them, what to ask... OH and some of the secrets behind the success, of course! I will be answering some popular bridal questions in our first QandA post... as well as offering some other fantastic tips for doing your own couple images as well! As a special treat, you might also enjoy a few love stories along the way!


If you joined us in January you know I pumped it FULL of tech tips and photography 101 information, and we will be continuing to put what we learned in our "time to click" series to good use and building on those fundamentals of photography as well! If you are just joining us, be sure to review those posts so you can continue to grow and learn with us!

I love sharing a moment in time check out this love story on The Streeters Unlimited

Happy Love Month!

Time to Click: Outdoor Family Photography

It's the last week in our special "Time to Click" series and we will be talking about putting together all that great information I have shared!

Today, lets talk Family Photos! Everyone does them, right? So let's take some of tips and put it all together: what do you need, and how do you get the best Family Photos? Here are my top 5 tips for great outdoor family photos!

1. Use your flash. We talked a lot about controlling your light. Using your flash outside helps fill in shadows and create an evenly exposed image.

2. Clean up the Background: Use a Portrait Scene Mode, or control your Aperture to blur your background.  You would never know there are people, and a sidewalk, with fence behind this little darlings head... 

3. Think about your focus area. Every camera can control the area of focus, either by the AF selection key, or by centering your lens on the subject, pushing the shutter halfway down to focus, then without letting your finger up, reposition your frame to control the composition (framing) of your image.

4. Composition / Posing. Going right along with checking your focus area, and repositioning your frame... utilize the rule of thirds (shown above) fill 2/3s of your frame with your subject to create interest. Or, use leading lines to draw interest to your subject... or lines in your posing with larger groups (shown below)! For more composition be sure to read yesterdays post!

Use Rule of Thirds to off center images

Create "leading lines" or use available lines to lead the eye to the subject

5. Understand Light and how to manipulate it. You might think I am cheating a little because I already told you to use your flash... but think about it. If you are taking images in the "cool" light of early morning, bringing along a warm reflector for your subjects will dramatically change your images. At the same time, shooting in the evening "warm" time of day where skin tones tend to pick up the orange and yellows of sunset... using a silver, or white reflector to cool balance that light... or even a reflector to BLOCK light so the sun hits the hair but not the face (see the rule of thirds image again)... dramatic differences!

Time to Click: Composition

Did you know there are basic rules that photographers follow... it's not all technical and functional!

Composition from Wikipedia is described as:  the placement or arrangement of visual elements or ingredients in a work of art or a photograph, as distinct from the subject of a work. It can also be thought of as the organization of the elements of art according to the principles of art.
The term composition means 'putting together,' and can apply to any work of art, from music to writing to photography, that is arranged or put together using conscious thought.


So to kick off our "putting it all together" week... I thought what better place to start then the real down and dirty... core element of photography... Composition. 

There are several "rules of composition" that photographers commonly follow. Here are some of my fav's! 

(I have posted some of this prior, if it seems familiar... this is a much more in depth and inclusive list)

1. Fill the Frame with your subject. (imagine if Dad was shown... it would really limit what you could see of baby! Plus it would make him look HUGE because she is SO small!)

 #2 If your subject is TALLER then they are WIDE, shoot VERTICAL

#3 If your subject is WIDER then they are TALL shoot horizontally

Note: If you cant get what you need with your camera's zoom or lens, use your physical zoom... YOUR LEGS! Move yourself closer or farther to be able to fit your subject!

Leading Lines: When we look at an image our eye is naturally drawn along lines. These lines can be made from a background such as a road, bricks, steps, as well as using people and your pose to create it!  Look for lines within your image to create interest and tell the viewer where to look! Check out your favorite scenic shot... I bet you find a leading line in it!

Lines from the elbows up to the topmost head

Perspective or Viewpoint: Before photographing your subject, take time to think about where you will shoot it from. Rather than shooting from eye level, consider photographing from high above, down at ground level, from the side, from the back, change it up!

Angled Down

Rule of 3rd's: Imagine you have a tic-tac-toe board over your frame. It is separated into 9 equal parts with 2 vertical and 2 horizontal lines. This rule says that you should position the most important elements in your scene along these lines, or at the points where they intersect. Filling either 1/3rd or 2/3s of your frame to do so.

NOTE! Some cameras even offer an option to superimpose a rule of thirds grid over the LCD screen! This is EXTRA handy when shooting anything with a horizon line so you can keep your perspective and horizon straight!

Balancing Elements: Sometimes having a subject on one side of the frame, may leave a lot of empty space on the other, and it may feel unbalanced especially in scenic photography. You can balance the "weight" of your subject my including another object of lesser importance to fill that space.

Symmetry and Patterns: Capturing a pattern, or symmetry in your image can make for breath taking views and amazing scenic photography. This image is framed amazingly, with a full square shown around the border, patterns in the windows and symmetry on both sides. Sometimes adding an item of interest or (in portrait photography) your subject into this will break the symmetry but create more interest.  I am hard pressed to find a better example of Symmetry and Pattern for you, however I wish the bucket was larger (or more preferred it was a little girl playing on the side of the steps) to better showcase the broken effect.

The symmetry of this chapel is broken by the bucket in the bottom right corner. Image by Fabio Montalto.

Framing Your Subject: While the above image does create it's own frame along the edge... Framing your subject typically applies to using things to highlight your subject. Utilizing natural elements or props to "frame" out your subject. Trees, holes, archways, shadows, grass, door frames... even real "frames"!

©VertePhotography

Background: The human eye is great at distinguishing between subjects and backgrounds. Your camera however does tend to flatten the image, and subjects tend to "get lost" into busy backgrounds. Creating images that are not as dramatic or engaging as the could be. You can control your background with aperture, backdrops, or even light placement to create the perfect image.

Example of a "lost" background opportunity.

Clean backgrounds make products pop!

Amazing baby... distracting background.

Priceless

Well there you go... a more in-depth look at composition and how it will effect, change and improve your photography! Keep in mind, several of these images have more then one technique being used... besides the baby who's image I used twice, can you find some? Be sure to comment below and let me know!

Time to Click: The Strobe Flash

It's been a big week all about light and your flash! Today, were talking Strobes... what are they, why and how you want to use them!

So what makes a flash a strobe? What's the difference between a built in flash and a strobe flash?

To the first question, well I guess it depends on who you ask... many people seem to think that the term Strobe, is what you would find in studio photography exclusively.  The big lights that have stands or hang from the ceiling. While that is true, those are typically "strobe" lights, and they do flash, the term itself has evolved to more of a street or slang term for simply a light that fires on command (electronically) and syncs with the shutter of your camera.

Portable Flash: Attached and Detached

So, your flash on your camera that is built in, is also a strobe style. Flashing when commanded, rather then the continuous style lighting that stays on all the time like we talked about yesterday. The terms strobe, and flash are pretty interchangeable these days. And so you can have an on-camera flash, a small portable camera flash, a small portable off-camera flash, a low-powered monolight flash, or even an extremely powerful studio flash system, and they are all called electronic flash, and you can call any of them strobes as well!

Just for clarification, "strobe" flash, very different then a "strobe" light... which you would find in any cool 80's disco or hot techno club!

Flashes can be put on brackets to create more distance from the camera

The biggest difference between your built in flash and an additional flash, weather a studio strobe or a portable camera flash is distance and coverage. Which we have talked about before. However, there are several other practical and useful differences as well.  For our purposes today, since we already covered situations and settings for your built in flash, were going to talk about the portable off camera, or attached to your camera flash. While I wont be covering studio "style" strobes, know that these do fall under this category and work for the most part in the same way as a portable camera  flash. I will be sure to do more of a studio lighting class if any of you would like that.

Most of the time in today's world, a flash that can be connected to your camera on a hot shoe such as shown above is called a speedlight. The hot shoe, allows communication to your flash from the camera with electronic sensors.  The biggest thing you MUST know when you go to purchase one,is that if you are not getting one made by the same manufacturer as your camera you MUST get one that is made for your camera. A flash made for "Canon" will mount but will not work on a "Nikon".. or any other brand.

These all have on light modifiers, that bounce, or soften the flash

Next, I find it almost silly to purchase an additional flash with out a bounce, tip, and swivel, option.  If your spending the money anyways, these are very good controls and come in handy more often then you would imagine, once you know what they do.  Basically, bounce, tip and swivel allow you to be in control of where your light source is coming from. It doesn't always have to be directly at your subject! In fact there are occasions when you wouldn't want it directly on them!

Direct flash - creating red eye and darkening rest of image, also washing out cats true coloring due to over exposure.

By bouncing flash from ceiling, you remove red-eye, lighten the image, and show true coloring.

Bounce: So what does bounce/tip mean, and how do you do it? Simple, you tip the top section of your light towards the ceiling or a white surface - TIP: it is very important that it be WHITE, otherwise what ever color you are bouncing off of will overwhelm your image... because it will reflect that color of light back down.  You need to think about where you are standing and where you want your light to hit, think about your angles....

This also not only keeps your subject from being overexposed with too much light hitting them, but it can be very effective in eliminating harsh shadows as well!

Vertical shot, with flash attached and pointed straight on subject. Harsh shadow to the side due to light coming from left side

Vertical shot, with flash pointed at a white reflector up and to the left. This bounced light down, behind the subject as well as covering the front and side. Notice the shadow is much less harsh, and the exposure overall is much better.

Shot horizontally with flash tipped up to bounce off reflector and over entire front and back of subject. No shadow from prop.

Swivel: Now, having a flash that swivels is just as handy... this means you can bounce your light from the side... like what I talked about with using a single light and a reflector for a home studio solution... but it is great for taking shots of people as well.. since again, you control where and how much of the light will hit them, fall behind them, or fall in front of them. Since light is the best way to change the feel of an image and add dramatic effect... this gives you amazing abilities to effect your image!

Flash swiveled to the side towards wall... reflection to hit subject.

Bounced light from the left side for highlight

Location: Being in control of where you flash is located, as in being able to use it off camera, is a fantastic perk! Since light is the biggest effect you can have over creating a "feeling" and "story" with your images.

Slave Flash: As an added bonus, I can also use my flash to trigger my studio lights without effecting my image at all. By swiveling the flash head all the way behind so it's pointing over my head, it can trigger other lights set to a "slave" mode, meaning they fire when they see another flash burst. It works in a pinch for me, since I normally use a wireless remote trigger hooked directly to my studio lights. But for someone who doesn't have that device, or when I forget to pick up a spare battery... this is a great alternate option! Plus this works for other Speedlight style (don't forget thats just a common term for flash that attaches to your digital camera) flashes as well as studio strobes. I know plenty of photographers that have 2-3 Speedlights and use them as studio lighting, rather then bulky studio lights since they can also be set as slaves, and or triggered remotely making on-location studio's much easier to carry around.

Adaptability: These lights not only have good range, power, and provide you with the ability to manipulate that as well as angles and direction of your light, but they also offer you the ability to work with additional light manipulators. I have talked about this a little prior, in our Light 101 post.

These light reflectors, and diffusers are priceless when you are working with people and products. With these products in addition to your flash unit, there is an unending amount of possibilities for your images!

Reflector: Showing translucent, gold and Silver options...

Light Modifier's (umbrellas) for speedlight off camera

I certainly could not do what I do without having full control over my lights. Not only in how I can manipulate where the light is coming from, and how many I can use. But also, in how much output of light, or how powerful they are!

How your flash works:  For the common user, you will set your camera to some sort of  TTL (through the lens) metering option, and your camera will "talk" to your flash to evaluate the light in the scene and they will work together to expose your image correctly.

Additional modes you may find on your additional flash may be, (not all Speedlights let you set all these modes):

• • TTL (Through The Lens): The light from a pre-flash reflected by the centre subject is metered by a sensor in the camera and flash power is adjusted accordingly to expose the centre subject is correctly.
  • TTL BL: Like TTL, but the algorithm used by the in-camera computer to figure out the flash power setting is more complex and takes additional data into consideration.
• Auto
  • A (Auto): The light reflected by the scene is metered by a sensor inside the flash itself and this measure used to determine flash power level.
  • AA (Auto Aperture): The same as A, but automatically adjusts the aperture setting on the flash to match the aperture on the camera.
• Manual
  • M (Manual): The flash power level is set explicitly by the user.
  • GN (Distance Priority Manual): The power level is derived from the distance to main subject, as set by he user.
  • RPT (Repeating): Like M, but the flash fires repeatedly during a single exposure.

The more you learn about your flash, and your camera the more you will be able to manipulate the look and feel of your image when shooting it. Which in my book, is the essence of a photographer! That happens when the shutter clicks, not in "post production", at least in my world.

Luckily flashes also come with manuals - I would suggest you hang on to yours since we will continue to grow on this core post and talk more about how to use the manual modes, as well as the other accessories you may have gotten with your flash, and ones you may want to add! For now, I hope you can see where it could be a huge benefit to your photography to add this to your collection of "must have" items in your camera bag and hopefully I have inspired you to grow a bit in your photography world! Next week we will be ending our Time to Click series by putting together some of the lessons we have had in the past few weeks, into practical situations.