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GETTING STARTED WITH EXTERNAL FLASH

Quick Guide
Written by Tobie Schalkwyk
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 INTRODUCTION

Photography is all about one thing. If you get that then don’t do it ! You’re going to regret it and even
right, you have made it. If you get that wrong, you worse, your bride and groom are going to regret
have failed, even if you’re using the best camera and hiring you. You only have one chance of getting it
lens in the world. Ask wedding photographers who right!
wish that they could only go back and redo ‘that one’
image or ‘that one’ scene. Recommended Reading: If you’d like to
learn how to use your flash unit for better
That one most important thing is light. If you are photography, grab a copy of Photzy’s premium
considering going into wedding photography and guide: Electronic Flash - Parts and Practices.
you are not 100% sure that you have sufficient light,

GETTING STARTED WITH EXTERNAL FLASH // © PHOTZY.COM 2

 EXTERNAL FLASH

In this guide, ‘external flash’ refers to any light We are also going to look at a few practical
source which is not built into your camera but which applications. If I do not make you realize that you
is controlled by your camera - wirelessly or not - by actually can’t do without at least one of these great
means of flash triggers. So even a flash mounted on toys, then I have failed in my mission!
your camera via its hot shoe is an ‘external flash.’
Note: I may mention the use of flash triggers
We are not going to look at permanently lit light and/or diffusers from time to time, but I’m not
sources, as they are not ‘flash’ lights, are they? A going to spend much time on them. We’ll keep
flash is something which works on the same principle that for my guides following this one. So, if you
as lightning! find this guide helpful, make sure you read the
others to see how you can get the most value
We’re going to look at the features which make these out of your external flashes in combination with
light sources so popular and see why you pay such a wireless flash triggers and diffusers.
stiff amount of money for some of them.

GETTING STARTED WITH EXTERNAL FLASH // © PHOTZY.COM 3

 THE MOST COMMON TYPES
OF EXTERNAL FLASHES

In general, ‘external flashes’ can be divided into two main

classes:

SPEEDLITES

These are often referred to as ‘speedlights,’ ‘flashguns,’ and

‘hot shoe flashes,’ but ‘speedlites’ seems to be the most
common term, so we will stick to that for the purpose of this
guide.

The most common traits of a speedlite are as follows:

· It has a hot shoe mounting foot which enables you

to mount it on your camera’s hot shoe or on wireless
receivers.

· The speedlite’s flash head can swivel 360° (or close to

it) horizontally and 180° vertically (isn’t that magical?).

· An on-camera speedlite will actually zoom its light

physically to the back and front based on your current
focal length (24mm, 70mm etc.). It thereby limits the
‘wastage’ of light. You can actually hear it ‘zooming’ in
and out as you manually adjust your focal length.

· Some of the more expensive speedlites have built-in

wireless flash features, allowing you to control other
speedlites (with the same built-in features) without the
Photograph by Tobie Schalkwyk need for a special wireless flash trigger kit.

GETTING STARTED WITH EXTERNAL FLASH // © PHOTZY.COM 4

 · Speedlites usually have a white pull-out reflector your LCD screen/your on-camera’s histogram
to reflect more light onto your subject. after taking your first shot to ensure that your
image is not totally underexposed.
· Most speedlites have a pull-out diffuser in case
you want to soften the light projected on your · When buying speedlites, make sure they are
subject. compatible with your camera brand (even non-
brand speedlites like Yongnuo).
· Some speedlites have built-in optical trigger
features, but I recommend only using these as a · Most speedlites are powered by a set of four
last resort. They need your camera to be in view AA batteries. These batteries usually heat up
(and turned with its front facing them) in order very quickly and should have the following
to work. That is not ideal when running around properties:
with moving subjects, such as at a wedding.
· Tolerate intense heat. Always have an extra
· Speedlites in general produce somewhere set of batteries available so that when your
between 60 and 100 watts of power. batteries are getting so warm that they start
slowing down your shoot, you can quickly
Most wireless trigger commanders do not have a swap them for another set while the first set is
hot shoe, for good reasons. In this case, the top of cooling down again. You should always have
the commander is occupied by buttons and an LCD a backup set of available batteries for each
screen. This creates a problem if you need an on- device anyway.
camera speedlite in combination with off-camera
speedlites. A C-clamp is a good solution. Just make · Recycle very quickly after each shot in order
sure everything is tightened well so that it’s not to be ready for the next one.
flimsy, or you may drop your expensive speedlite.
Shop around to find the best batteries suitable for
Important notes about speedlites: this job. Get opinions based on personal use on
online forums because better batteries come onto
· Most speedlites automatically set the range to the market from time to time (and current ‘best’ ones
24mm when you deploy (pull out) the built-in are phased out).
diffuser, so you may be losing more light than
you’re bargaining on. Have a quick look into

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 My personal choice are Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries.
They last long, endure high temperatures, and recycle very
quickly after each shot. And they do not leak!

If you’d like to save a few bucks in the long run, buy

rechargeable batteries suitable for this job (the standard
bunch from the shelves are not!). I have not used
rechargeable batteries before, but I have heard good things
about Powerex NiMH’s and Eneloop NiMHs.

If you buy rechargeable batteries, go for the highest mAh

rated ones possible. The higher its mAh spec, the longer
they will take to run flat during a shoot. Try to find batteries
with a spec of 2600Ah and above.

Key Lesson: Speedlites are probably the most

versatile light source available to photographers today.
Therefore, they are the most popular, too. A proper
flash trigger on the one end and a diffuser on the other
end go a long way to get the most out of it. If you start
cheap, get a diffuser first and invest in a flash trigger
kit at a later stage.

Speedlites produce harsh shadows and are at their best

in combination with a diffuser. Your choice of diffusers is
endless. This MagMod MagBounce/MagGrip combo is
my favorite for on-camera lighting. The diffuser is attached
to the grip by means of magnets, providing for a quick
removal if and when needed. The MagGrip rubber mount is
part of the MagMod 2 Basic kit.
Photograph by Tobie Schalkwyk

GETTING STARTED WITH EXTERNAL FLASH // © PHOTZY.COM 6

 COMMERCIAL STROBES · Strobes come with their own battery packs.
These batteries last quite long (depending
Strobes are bulkier than speedlites and are mostly on what power you’ve set the strobe on, of
used in photo studios. They are, however, not too course), but it will do no harm to get a backup
bulky to be hand-held (some of them come with a set just in case, especially if you’re a wedding
special removable grip for this purpose) or to be photographer.
carried around on stands by assistants. Usually they
are used in combination with large diffusers such as
beauty dishes and octaboxes. Key Lesson: Strobes may be bulky, but
photographers do not pay assistants to carry
Some of the most common strobe features are as them around during photo shoots without
follows: reason. I mostly love them for one reason: to
create ambient light in rooms, churches, and
· Built-in zooming features like speedlites. halls when combined with an octabox.
· Some have hot shoe mounts, not for mounting It removes all dark, unwanted shadows and
it on your camera (it’s way too bulky) but rather creates a great platform for all of my images,
to be mounted on a (wireless or not) flash with or without the help of speedlites. Yet again,
trigger. It is more common for them to have I’m getting the most use out of it when used in
a sync port for connecting your flash trigger. combo with a wireless flash trigger kit, so I am
Some of them actually have built-in wireless not limited in my movement during the shoot.
flash-receiving features.

· Strobes in general produce somewhere

between 300 and 1,250 watts of power. Even
the smallest ones are thus much more powerful
than your most powerful speedlites.

GETTING STARTED WITH EXTERNAL FLASH // © PHOTZY.COM 7

 A CLOSER LOOK

Let’s have a closer look at these two great

types of light sources. It will serve as a
handy overview of what functionality they
come with. I am not going to explore the
web for more samples. There are just too
many variations and brands, so we may
get lost in the detail. I’m only going to
use my favorite speedlite and my studio
strobe as an example.

I am not thereby implicating that these

two products of mine are the ‘best’ or ‘the
one and only.’ Other units out there have
similar features. Just make sure that you
buy units compatible with your camera
brand, with some of the mentioned
features that are important to you.

THE YONGNUO YN685 SPEEDLITE

Photograph by Tobie Schalkwyk
I absolutely love this speedlite because it
has a built-in wireless receiver (compatible
with the Yongnuo YN622N-XT wireless
trigger), a dust and water-resistant
hot shoe adapter, and a quick-release
mounting foot lock lever.

GETTING STARTED WITH EXTERNAL FLASH // © PHOTZY.COM 8

It actually has built-in commander (transmitter) trigger just mention that it has the disadvantage of not being able to
functionality too. The advantage of this is that you could use it directly mount an on-camera speedlite as the camera’s hot shoe
as an on-camera speedlite as well as to control other speedlites. is occupied by the trigger.
If those speedlites have built-in wireless receiver capabilities, it
means that you could use all of your speedlites without the need Key Lesson: A lot of invaluable features have been
for a separate wireless trigger kit. built into speedlites. Make a list of which of these are not
Personally, I prefer using the Yongnuo YN622N-XT wireless negotiable before you shop around, and don’t settle for
trigger commander (mounted on the camera’s hot shoe) to less. Having a capable speedlite at your disposal during a
control all of my speedlites and/or strobe. I’ll cover the reasons shoot helps you focus on the task at hand as you do not
for my preference in my next article on wireless triggers. Let me have to worry about the features and durability of your light
source.

Photograph by Tobie Schalkwyk Photograph by Tobie Schalkwyk

GETTING STARTED WITH EXTERNAL FLASH // © PHOTZY.COM 9

 THE FALCONEYES SATEL ONE PRO
SERIES COMMERCIAL STROBE

The chances are quite good that you

won’t find this strobe on a shelf near you.
There are a much wider range of strobes
available than speedlites, simply due to
their popularity for studio use.

One of the most important reasons

why I Iove this strobe is its value for the
money. It also comes in a compact foam-
protected casing, making it easy to carry
around to weddings or other outdoor
shoots. It utilizes a rechargeable battery
pack and a removable handle, should you
wish to hand-hold it during a shoot.

The only drawback of this strobe is that

it does not have a place to position a
wireless flash trigger out of harm’s way. I
thus glued a hot shoe bracket on top of
Photograph by Tobie Schalkwyk the body (using silicone glue), and I cut a
hole in its accompanying foam packaging
to cater for my add-on invention.

GETTING STARTED WITH EXTERNAL FLASH // © PHOTZY.COM 10

 The battery pack gives me about 600
flashes at full strength.

Recommended Reading: If you’d

like to learn how to use your flash
unit for better photography, grab a
copy of Photzy’s premium guide:
Electronic Flash - Parts and Practices.

Photograph by Tobie Schalkwyk

GETTING STARTED WITH EXTERNAL FLASH // © PHOTZY.COM 11

 THE CONTROLS

A bit of info about some of these controls:

· Battery level indicator and power adjustments: from

1-4 in 0.1 increments. Level 4 generates 600W of
power.

· Sync socket: for plugging in your flash trigger

cable.

· Photo sensor: for triggering the strobe optically

from your camera’s flash. It flashes the moment
when it picks up a flash from anywhere else (so be
aware!).

Key Lesson: Strobes are invaluable tools to

create ambient light but also to create stronger
light on one side of your subject. They are bulky,
Photograph by Tobie Schalkwyk
but in the hands of an assistant their value can’t be
expressed in monetary terms.

Strobes are expensive, so make sure that you know

exactly what you’re looking for when shopping for
one. Mount them only on the best, sturdiest stands
and support them by means of sandbags in areas
where people move past them on a regular basis.

When placing them in churches and halls, be

mindful of guests as the strobes produce very
strong light that could lead to irritation.

GETTING STARTED WITH EXTERNAL FLASH // © PHOTZY.COM 12

 FIVE PRACTICAL EXAMPLES

Let’s look at a few practical applications

where I have used these units before, to
illustrate their versatility.

In this particular case I had the problem

of very dark light created by thick leaves
above the nest. I positioned the strobe
on a stand 3m (10’) high, aimed straight
at the nest. I could not get closer to the
nest with my camera as it would have
frightened the parents. They were not
bothered by the strobe’s flash light at all.

Photograph by Tobie Schalkwyk

Paradise Flycatcher (mail) feeding its newborn chick. | Nikon D600 + Tamron 150-
600mm G2 @ 600mm | f/6.3 | 1/800s | 800 ISO | tripod

GETTING STARTED WITH EXTERNAL FLASH // © PHOTZY.COM 13

 In this instance we were in a dark venue,
so I created ample ambient light by
placing a speedlite on the counter
(behind a solid wall, out of my sight) and
tilting it upwards in order to reflect light
from the white ceiling.

A second speedlite with a diffuser was

placed on the floor (also behind the wall,
out of my sight) and directed towards my
subjects to create beautiful soft light from
the right.

I used a Yongnuo YN622 wireless trigger

kit to trigger the speedlites.

A small aperture was selected in order

to capture the image in the mirror, which
looks like the groom-to-be is kissing the
bride-to-be on the forehead.

Photograph by Tobie Schalkwyk

Nikon D600 + Tamron 24-70mm @ 46mm | f/8 | 1/100s | 320 ISO

GETTING STARTED WITH EXTERNAL FLASH // © PHOTZY.COM 14

 The size of this group was always going
to be a problem since we had no help
from a set of steps to expose all the faces.
I thus created my own ambient light
by placing a 600W strobe with 120cm
(48”) octabox about 7m (22’) behind me
(twice that distance from the group). I
positioned two speedlites at the sides in
order to evenly light up everyone. I then
got onto a stepladder in order to capture
all of the faces.

Everything was triggered by a Yongnuo

YN622 wireless trigger kit.

Photograph by Tobie Schalkwyk

Nikon D600 + Tamron 24-70mm @ 24mm | f/9 | 1/200s | 1000 ISO | Exposure +1 | Handheld

GETTING STARTED WITH EXTERNAL FLASH // © PHOTZY.COM 15

 Setup:

· On our right: A 600W strobe at full

strength, serving as the main light
(also known as key light). It was
behind a 100cm (48”) beauty dish in
order to soften the light.

· On our left front: A speedlite set at

full strength, serving as secondary
light. It was hooked up to a 100cm
(40”) octabox in order to soften the
light.

· On our left, behind her: A speedlite

at full strength to provide rim light.
The built-in diffuser was deployed to
soften the light just a little.

Photograph by Tobie Schalkwyk

Nikon D600 + Nikkor 85mm f1.8 | f/1.8 | 1/200s | 800 ISO | Handheld

GETTING STARTED WITH EXTERNAL FLASH // © PHOTZY.COM 16

 Flash lights have the ability to freeze any
moment in time. Ever wondered how
someone freezes a hummingbird’s wings
that beat up to 50 times per second?
With flash lights!

In this case, I used an on-camera

speedlite and swirled the camera in a
circle (quickly!) while pressing the shutter.
The dancing couple was frozen by the
speedlite while the light streaks were
captured by the shutter which stayed
open much longer than the flash’s light
period. As shown in the EXIF details, a
slow shutter speed is needed to create
this effect. A high ISO is needed to
capture as much as possible of the dark
dance floor.

The couple did not get captured at all

by the slow shutter period outside of
the flash time because the dance floor
Photograph by Tobie Schalkwyk
was quite dark. You’ll have to disable
Nikon D600 + Tamron 240-70mm @ 24mm | f/5.6 | 1/20s | 1600 ISO | Handheld autofocus if your camera is set to only
release the shutter while focused on a
subject; otherwise it will refuse to take the
‘shot in the dark.’

GETTING STARTED WITH EXTERNAL FLASH // © PHOTZY.COM 17

 Key Lesson: Speedlites and
strobes can be deployed in an
unlimited number of combinations
(or alone) to create any effect you
desire. We have not even touched
on the subject of adding color filters
(a topic for another day). Go sit
down for a moment before using
these tools.

Paint a picture in your head of what

you’d like to capture and then ‘build
your set.’ Play around with different
light settings until you get exactly
what you’ve planned.

Recommended Reading: If you’d

Photograph by Tobie Schalkwyk
like to learn how to use your flash
unit for better photography, grab a
copy of Photzy’s premium guide:
Electronic Flash - Parts and Practices.

GETTING STARTED WITH EXTERNAL FLASH // © PHOTZY.COM 18

 SUMMARY

Life without speedlites and strobes is boring. It’s limited. It’s frustrating. You’ll never reach your full potential
(not to mention satisfaction!) without them. If you do not have at least a speedlite yet, go out and buy one.

I promise you, you will thank me!

GETTING STARTED WITH EXTERNAL FLASH // © PHOTZY.COM 19

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Hey there!
Let's get real for a minute... Learning photography can be super challenging! But
we're here to help you every step of the way! Here are 3 of our most useful (and
FREE!) photography resources:

3 Free Photography Cheat Sheets What is Your #1 Photography Killer? Free Photography eBooks

Grab 3 free photography cheat Take this 30 second quiz to find out Free access to our library of 250+
sheets that will help you the #1 thing holding your downloadable (pdf) tutorials on
understand the basics. photography back. everything you can imagine.

Download Cheat Sheets → Take Quiz → Download eBooks →

Want quick photography tips?

Check out our friends at DailyPhotoTips.com they'll send you 1 solid photography tip
to your inbox, 5 days a week. So you can start your day right, with actionable tips to
help you on your creative journey. Subscribe now →
(free for a limited time)

SPONSORED Advertise with us

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR Congratulations! You’ve completed
this Photzy guide!

If you liked this photography tutorial, you

may be interested in our other books.
Check out our premium guide on how to
use your flash unit for better photography:
Electronic Flash - Parts and Practices.

Tobie Schalkwyk is a retired Web Systems Developer hoping

to soon make an income from photography alone. He has a
passion for all genres of nature photography, specially bird
photography but he also gets involved in other genres of
photography like weddings, events and in-studio portraits.

Web sites: ctsphotography.co.za, ctsnatureshots.co.za IF YOU’D LIKE TO CONTINUE

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