Everything You Need to Master Speedlights in the Studio
CLASS MATERIALS
Whether it’s with a softbox, umbrella, grid, or just bare flashes, Mark will teach you how to get great studio portraits using these small, powerful lights. He’ll cover remote triggering, metering, light modifiers, and more.
Mark walks through the fundamentals of working with speedlights so you have a complete understanding of the possibilities and limitations of these remarkable lights, teaches you the difference between TTL and manual metering, and explains how to shape light for powerful portraits.
Beginner to Intermediate portrait photographers
Anyone looking to use speedlights for portrait photography in a studio
Photographers looking to expand their creative horizons by using new tools
LESSONS
Click to see a summary of each lesson. To go to a specific lesson, click the playlist button on the top right-hand side of the video player, and select the lesson you’d like to watch.
Mark Gives an overview of the class and the topics we’ll be covering. Mark introduces the production team and explains how to download the bonus materials for the class.
Not all cameras and speedlights are created equal. Mark explains some significant differences and defines what it means to shoot in a “studio.” We explore the differences between using speedlights in the studio vs. shooting on-location.
We begin the class by understanding how to control our exposure. Mark walks through his camera settings and demonstrates how to eliminate ambient light. Next, Mark explains how TTL metering works. We learn when and why to use manual mode.
In this demonstration, Mark uses an on-camera flash to create a simple portrait. Mark explains the settings used and why this is perfect for some situations. We learn the difference between horizontal and vertical orientation and how it affects shadows.
There are many options for controlling your speedlights remotely. Mark explains the differences in transmitters, receivers, and third-party alternatives.
When using TTL metering, it is not uncommon for the flash exposure to be over or under-exposed. It is simple to correct the automatic metering and get a proper exposure by adjusting the flash exposure compensation.
We can control contrast and the quality of light by changing the position of our flash in relation to our camera. This requires moving the flash off the camera. Mark walks through the basic principles of off-camera light by shooting several different portraits.
Mark gives a quick demo to show why using manual zoom on a speedlight makes a big difference. We also take a look at vertical vs. horizontal orientation of off-camera speedlights.
It’s time to put the principles we’ve learned into practice. Mark begins with a simple umbrella and then begins shaping light by adding additional speedlights to the mix. We begin to explore flash “groups.”
Sync speed is a fundamental concept in flash photography. It limits the speeds our camera’s shutter can use when shooting with any kind of flash. Once we understand sync speed, we can begin to work with manual mode, rear-curtain sync, and high-speed sync.
After exploring the limitations of ETTL metering and Exposure Compensation, we switch to full manual mode on both the camera and the speedlights. Mark explains how to meter and control everything.
We continue building on the principles we’ve learned by creating a portrait using different light modifiers, shooting in manual mode, metering tricky lights, and setting the camera and flashes appropriately. Understanding the three-light setup allows you to create endless lighting setups.
It’s possible to change the quality of an on-camera flash by bouncing the light off walls, reflectors, the ceiling, or any reflective surface. Mark takes a challenge to create an interesting portrait by bouncing the light with an on-camera flash.
What is the difference between an umbrella, softbox, or other light modifiers? In this session, we look at how common light modifiers shape light and why you would use each one.
You can create some exciting looks by slowing down the shutter and telling the flashes to fire at the very last moment. You can balance the ambient light in an environmental portrait, or you can create something altogether unique.
Mark gives his final thoughts and shares some additional learning resources.