Canon Speedlites

[Bellatrix]

I finally got round to investing in a decent flash (Canon Speedlite 580EX II).

There is just so much that its capable of and I just dont know where to start! I have been doing my own experimentation but it would be really good if there was a short course about them here in Adelaide... but I cant really seem to find anything. Are there any decent books about them?

It just looks so humungous on the camera!

[SchnauzerBoy]

Take a look at Photographic Wholesalers.... They do hands on training events now and again for flash photography and using your Canon.

The Adelaide Camera Club are doing a photoshoot later on this month which is "available and low light" so come along to the meeting on Tuesday or come to the shoot in 10 days I'll be using it to learn more on my SB-900

[Ashanali]

if you want to start playing indoors, some basic settings to get you started are

direct the flash to bounce off a floor or wall

set:

ISO to 400 or 800 (this depends on how much ambient light you have)

f4 or 5.6

1/60th of a second

Play around with the ISO and the aperture and check out the result you get.

Once you get the hang of bouncing the flash like that, you can move onto stuff like 'rear curtain sync' and so on.

[Bellatrix]

Yeh, I think ill have to come along and join up, SB

Thanks Ash, will have to have some more playing time inside. Just so much to learn!

[redangel]

Oh to be in SA.....

[kja]

And head to strobist - it's a web site with a TON of lighting info to get you started. A lot of it is one light, too. Really good way to start getting into things.

www.strobist.com I think (I've lost my bookmark)

Also, check out POTN's small flash area. Tons of great info in the stickies at the top and there's a creative one light thread that has some inspiring stuff in it.