Remember the tip, "f/8 and be there"

Static models and landscapes are easy to shoot as you can predict with a great deal of certainty which aperture setting you need to get the best out of either.

Reportage and street photography, weddings, family gatherings in the back yard are less predictable as your subjects will be moving in relation to the frame. In these circumstances, remember this tip, "f/8 and be there".

Set your aperture to f/8 for a practical, manageable balance of fairly fast shutter speeds and broad depths of field, allowing you to spend more time thinking about composition within the frame than you do about optical algebra.

When shooting indoors without a flash, and depending on the lighting conditions, you may need to increase your camera's ISO sensitivity setting at this aperture, but be careful not to push it so high that you introduce grain into your images, unless you are looking for that specific effect.

You can come on one of my composition workshops... we use this tip and others to help you take better photos. http://www.photographers-lounge.com/canadian-workshops/composition-workshops/

Studio Photography Tip - Beginner Advice on a Softbox and Speedlites

ABOUT THIS PHOTO: This photo was taken with a speedlite in a softbox that was positioned 4 feet from the model. The softbox had a diffuser panel on it and it was positioned at 2 o'clock so that the flash fell on the hands and face.

To further create some seperation from the backgound i positioned a second softbox 10 feet away behind and to the left. I positioned this softbox to flash between the model and the wall at 1/4 power. This illuminated the wall just slightly so that you could see some seperation and definition in the wall. (note you could also use a small desk lamp sitting behind the model on the floor)



Here are a few basic tips to consider if you want to photogprah a model with a flash and a softbox....

1) Take the flash off the camera and try using a softbox with a recessed panel. The recessed panel will direct the light and give you more creative control.
2) Position the speedlite so that the flash is facing toward the back of the softbox, then set the zoom on the speedlite to the widest possible setting.
3) Position it so that the light falls slightly in front of the subject. This is called "feathering the light."
4) Remember... the closer the light source, the softer the light will be on the subject.