-> What lighting equipment should I order? What equipment do I need? <-

* What if my camera is an old/new model? A digital camera? Wll it be able to fire pro strobes? If so, how?
* How do I fire the strobes if my camera doesn't have a sync plug?
* What about my digital camera? Is there anything I should know before ordering pro strobes?
* What's a "slave sensor," and how does it work?
* I have great brand new camera with built-in meter; why do I need a handheld exposure meter?
For some great images illustrating how and why we all need a meter, please see this!
* Why won't my camera's built-in meter work properly with pro lighting?
* Tell about handheld exposure meters. Why would I want to buy one? How will it help me?
* Do I need expensive power packs or batteries to use this equipment?
* How does my built-in meter work (exposure)? Why do many of my pictures still turn out looking like doo-doo?
* I'm having trouble getting the strobes to fire reliably via their optical slave sensors!
* I received my new equipment, but how do I get the strobe(s) attached to the light stand(s)?
* What's my flash sync speed, and why is it important?
* Is a "strobe" a regular light or a "flash" type of light?
* More information on setting up and using strobes...
* What is "Medium Format" and how does it compare to 35mm?
* What is "Red-Eye" and how can I eliminate it?
* How can I make a "Home-Made" red-eye eliminator?
* What about the aluminium light stands I've seen for low prices?
* Wouldn't I be better off with one powerful light instead of 2 or 3 less powerful lights? NO!
* What lighting equipment should I order? What equipment do I need?
More helpful links (below)
And on other pages:
* Should I order strobes or continuous lights?
* Strobes illustrated and all their parts explained
* General questions FAQ
* Tell me more about photography
* What equipment do I need?
* What's "ambient" light?
* Want your own Domain Name & Starter Web Site for LESS than .85¢ a month?

HELP! I want to get started with studio lighting, but I really don't know what equipment I need, or where to begin. Can you offer some guidance?

A GREAT source of links to photographic web sites...

Answer:
First, we have to be aware that there are so many different cameras and manufacturers, and software configurations (the computer chips built into most newer cameras have software programs programmed into them), it's impossible to "guarantee" that every possible camera will work perfectly with every possible strobe. Life keeps getting more complex every day. That said, here's the information:

It's almost certain you can use these pro strobes with your current equipment (although I'll be the last to counsel you against upgrading your cameras). In most cases the answer is YES these strobes will work just fine with your current cameras, and digital cameras, and NO - you don't have to go out and buy new, expensive, cameras to utilize pro strobes. Pros have been using strobes for decades with cameras just like yours. Regardless of whether you're shooting with APS, 35MM, 120, 220, medium or large format cameras, or even the new digital cameras, the pro strobes will most likely work fine for you. BTW, all the pictures in all my auction descriptions are made using my digital camera and the pro strobes. But if you're going to be using digital cameras and/or video cameras and camcorders most of the time, you'll probably be better off with continuous lighting equipment.

While the strobes work just fine with ALL film cameras, and many digital cameras, (I always use my digital camera's little built-in flash to fire the pro strobes via their "slave sensors" - I'll explain more slave sensors below). However, there is one problem that comes up sometimes with digital cameras that you should be aware of before forking over your hard-earned money. Please see this discussion of digital cameras below.
Back to top

With the strobes I sell, many of them are master/slave units (PS-200s, BB-50s, BB-100s, PS-300s, HS-500s, etc., etc.), which means that you can either use a sync cord (also caller a "PC" cord) with them, or no sync cord at all (the AS-66 Mini-Strobe, for example, is an illustration of a slave only unit). But whether they're master/slaves or slaves only, ALL the strobes I sell have slave sensors built-in. Here's how it works: if you turn on the strobes, and wait until the "Ready" lights light up, then they're ready to rock (i.e., ready to fire as soon as they get the signal from you). Now, the "signal" you'll send to the strobes is EITHER a pulse from the sync cord (if your camera has a sync terminal, and you choose to use it), OR the flash from any other flash/strobe unit. The pros usually connect whatever strobe is closest to where their camera is to their sync terminals when they want to use a sync cord. Once ONE strobe "flashes," then all the other strobes will fire too, since they ALL have "Slave" sensors built in. Now some of you might wonder: won't there be a delay between the time when the first strobe flashes, and then when all the other strobes fire from their slave sensors? The answer is yes and no; certainly there's a time differential, but remember that light travels at 186,000 Miles per Second! So while, technically, there might be a delay of a few trillionths of a millisecond, for all our purposes, the firing of the slave strobes is instantaneous!

<- Click to enlarge It doesn't matter which strobe you choose to connect to your camera's sync terminal, and you don't even have to use a sync cord, as long as your camera sets off it's own flash - either a built-in flash, or one attached to a hot shoe. As soon as ANY flash goes off, all your pro strobes (that are turned on and "ready") will fire, too. The reason for using a sync cord is because sometimes a photographer decides s/he doesn't want any light coming from the camera's position at all; in this case, a sync cord is used. If you decide that you do want some light from the camera position, then you can either use your camera's flash or another accessory flash unit. Also, be aware that unless the flash on your camera is very powerful, the light from the pro strobes will most likely overpower and just "blow away" the light from your camera's little flash, so it's unlikely that it will interfere with your picture when using it to set off strobes via their slave sensors. If, on the other hand, your camera doesn't have a sync (or PC) terminal, and you want one, many camera manufacturers have accessory units that you can attach to your hot shoe, and it will give you a sync terminal to use. I carry one of these hot shoe accessories (that will provide a sync terminal for cameras without one of their own) too, if you have any trouble finding one (mine costs 19.95). See the accessory unit HERE.

To reiterate: ALL the strobes I sell have slave sensors built in, and many of them are also masters and come with a sync cord (also called a PC cord) that fits most standard sync terminals on most cameras. However, since all the strobes also come with slave sensors, you don't need to use sync cords for every strobe, and in fact, as I explained above, even the little built-in flash on most cameras can set off all the pro strobes for you automatically, so you might not even need to use any sync cords at all! All the pictures in all my auctions and on my web sites are made with my digital camera, and I always use my digital camera's little built-in flash to fire the pro strobes (my digital camera is a cheapie, and doesn't have a sync or PC port). But, as you can see, firing the strobes via my digital camera's little flash works just fine for me, and will most likely work fine for you, too
Back to top

Also, ALL the strobes the strobes in ALL my auctions are A.C. units, and do NOT require separate (and expensive) power supplies or connector cables (such as are needed with DC units); the strobes you buy from me are ready to rock, right out of the box! No batteries or powerpacks or connector cables are needed; just plug 'em in to any electrical socket (such as a wall socket or extension cord), and (just like Elvis) you're ready to rock and roll. The D.C. strobes (powered by expensive and very heavy battery packs) are valuable to photographers who often work at outdoor locations (on the beach, mountains, woods, etc.) where there is no available electricity (DC stands for Direct Current - batteries, as opposed to AC - Alternating Current devices which can be plugged into any socket).

And if you should buy a kit or package from me (bless you:), rest assured that it will come with everything you'll need to start using your new equipment, as soon as you unpack it! There will be nothing "extra" that you'll be required to buy in order to start making great pictures as soon as it's unpacked. I've always hated it when I would get home with a set of new toys, only to discover that I couldn't use it until I bought something else! So I promised myself that I'd never do that to any of my own (cherished:) customers. If you order a kit or package from me, I promise you that everything you'll need to use it will be included! Just unpack it, set it up, and rock and roll (fire away)! Just add a camera, film, and victim (um, er, a "subject" that is) to shoot, and you're in the photography business.

Here's a little more detailed explanation of "slave sensors" for those of you who asked:

PhotoSpeak: What's a "Slave Sensor?" [See the picture just above] Well, if you had to use a PC Cord for every strobe, just think what a mess of tangled wires you'd have if you were using 5 or 6 or more strobes to light your subject (as many pros do)! So, science came to our rescue with slave sensors. It's a tiny little sensor built into most good strobes, that sits & waits for a short, intense burst of light. When it detects this burst of light (the flash from another strobe), it automatically sets off the flash tube in the strobe its built into. Voila! Now, with strobes that have slave sensors (often just called "slaves"), we can connect only one strobe to our cameras (with the PC or Sync cord), usually the strobe closest to our camera, and when we press the shutter button, firing the one connected strobe, that flash will automatically set off all the other strobes we may be using for that shot! Ah, ain't technology wunnerful (sic)? Even most of the little flashes built into most modern cameras can set off most strobes with slaves. A strobe that has PC socket, or both a PC Socket and a slave sensor is called a "Master" strobe; a strobe that only has a slave sensor and no PC socket (usually less expensive units) is called a "Slave." Whichever strobe you're using with a PC cord is referred to as your "master" strobe for purposes of that shot. Show me a picture of a Slave Sensor
Back to top

Digital Cameras and Professional Strobes

While all the strobes work just fine with ALL film cameras, and many digital cameras, (I always use my digital camera's little built-in flash to fire the pro strobes via their "slave sensors" - I've explained a little about slave sensors above). However, there is one problem that comes up sometimes with digital cameras that you should be aware of before forking over your hard-earned money. Some digital cameras fire TWO flashes when taking flash pictures; they sometimes fire a "pre-flash" to set their white balance, and then fire the "real flash" to take the picture; the digital camera doesn't open its shutter until after the white balance pre-flash fires. In many instances, the pre-flash will set off the pro strobes before the digital camera opens its shutter for the actual exposure. As a result, the pro strobes will fire from the pre-flash, and by the time the digital camera opens its shutter for the second flash, we've already lost the strobes' light! There are two ways to solve this problem, if your digital camera falls into those which fire pre-flashes: 1) If you can, simply turn OFF the pre-flash (don't confuse the "red-eye" pre-flash settings with the "white balance" pre-flash settings on your digital camera - you'll have to turn off both the "red-eye" AND the "white balance" pre-flashes), simply turning the pre-flashes "off" will solve the problem for you (look in your camera's manual to see if you can turn this feature off); if not, 2) You can simply "tape over" the camera's built-in flash window with dark tape, and attach one of the pro strobes to your camera's PC or Sync terminal, and fire the pro strobes that way. If you don't have a sync terminal, you can usually find a little accessory that fits on your hot shoe and provides a sync terminal for you (I have one of these available in case you can't find one locally). While I'm in business to sell professional lighting equipment and make a living, unlike so many other sellers, I'd rather lose a few sales than take advantage of a decent fellow photographer (remember, when I first started out in photography, just like every other beginner, I knew nothing at all about it; and because of my inexperience, I was taken advantage of by innumerable photographic thieves and robbers. When I started my photographic business, I promised myself that I'd never, ever do anything like that to my customers - and I never have and I never will! So before ordering, check out your digital camera to make sure it will work with pro strobes). However, if your digital camera, or film camera, or video camera, or motion picture needs requires continuous lighting (also called "Hot Lights"), fear not, because I've got you covered! Just see the Continuous Lighting Section! And for the latest in lighting equipment (both digital/video and flash equipment) check out my great eBay Store!

Sometimes, a certain few digital cameras (without the ability to turn off the pre-flash, without a sync terminal, and without a hot shoe), cannot be successfully used with pro strobes, so please check in your digital camera's manual, and be aware of this before ordering any pro strobes from any supplier. Also, be aware that there are some slave flash units being sold that come with a short delay (designed to overcome this problem), but in many cases, these units still do not work! So take care when ordering. Unfortunately, be aware that there are a number of sellers who are NOT telling you about this potential problem (greedy sons-of-guns), so be sure to check your digital camera's manual before ordering from any source. Sure, I'm in business to make a living, but I will NOT do so by taking advantage of decent folks like you. If my equipment won't work to fill your needs, I'll tell you so in advance (it's simply the decent and honorable thing to do). As I mentioned above, I've been taken advantage of by many photographic "salesmen" over the years, and I'd hate to see this happen to you. You might want to see my business philosophy here.

If you need continuous or "hot" lights, just see here!
Back to top

Answer
(Regarding meters, unfortunately I don't carry handheld at this time, but I'll be glad to offer some suggestions (read on).

If you're going to use pro strobes (at least if you're going to use more than one strobe or flash unit at a time), it's impossible for any camera's built-in meter to properly expose your shots. For strobes (all strobes are flash units), that means you'll have to set your camera for manual exposure (autofocus will be OK, though; in portraits, set the camera at eye level, and focus on the eyes). Now, your next question will likely be: "if I'm using manual exposure, how do I set it?" and although I hate to suggest spending more money, there's only one answer: get a flash/ambient meter! I know, I know, they cost a lot. But a good meter will improve ALL your photography! In fact, after using a good hand-held exposure meter for a while (like about half an hour), you won't believe you ever got by without one! --Since I don't sell meters at this time, nor do I refer you to any other dealer to buy a meter, you can rest assured that I'm giving you honest and unbiased advice.

However, if youre using continuous lights, such as the digital and video lamps, your camera's built-in meter will function for you, and you don't HAVE TO use a handheld meter. But even if you're using digital/video (continuous) lighting equipment, a hand-held meter will substantially improve your exposures. But don't buy a flash-only meter - get a combination meter (see below for more on this). Every pro photographer - and virtually all serious amateurs - own handheld exposure meters. That's why the pros' pictures always look so great - because they use the proper equipment to get the job done right! Please let me repeat that I do NOT sell exposure meters, and I'm NOT trying to "sell" you anything (which is why I can give you 100% honest advice:); I'm just trying to give you the best advice I possibly can. Please realize that I've spent countless hours writing and putting together all this information - and all the educational information on my web site - simply to help you learn how to make better pictures. I don't charge anyone a single penny for any of this educational material; I do it simply because I love photography (and an occasional photographer:), and I want to help you get fabulous images and videos. Yes, I sell photographic equipment for a living, but I teach only out of a love for photography and the beauty and joy it brings to photographers, their subjects, and and the world at large. For some great images illustrating how and why we all need a meter, please don't miss this great section!
Back to top

Remember, when I first decided to learn photography, I knew just about nothing about it - perhaps just like you are now. I was in exactly the same position you're in, and boy, do I wish I had someone to give me some honest advice! I've been taken advantage of (a euphemism for "getting screwed") by dozens of photographic thieves (AKA "salespeople") over the years, and I hope I can save you from the same fate. I'm fortunate enough to be doing well enough to be able to be honest with you, and I promise you that whatever I may suggest that you acquire is an honest suggestion meant to help you make the best possible images, at the lowest possible cost - and not designed to enrich myself (like so many other dealers). That said, here's why you need a handheld meter:

If you want a white plate to come out white instead of gray, or a black plate to come out black instead of gray, you need a handheld meter - even when using continuous lights. The white plate to the left wiill come out gray if you use your camera or camcorder's buikt-in meter. When using a handheld exposure meter though, white comes out white, black comes out black, and gray comes out gray.

You have to understand that your camera's TTL (Through-The-Lens) exposure system is geared to control a built-in or dedicated flash unit, not external lights. With a built-in or dedicated flash attached to your camera's flash shoe (or a specially-designed remote shoe on a cord), your camera's TTL system will detect when the film plane has received sufficient illumination, and then shut off the dedicated flash unit (the new "auto-thyristor" circuitry will then "save" any extra power not used, and recycle it for the next flash - ain't technology great?). External lights are beyond the control of cameras or camcorders, nor can their reflected-light meters correctly set exposure in all circumstances - that's why the white plate (above, left) comes out gray - because ALL built-in meters are keyed to 18% gray. Consequently, you will need an exposure meter for truly accurate exposures. If you're using continuous lighting, you can get away with not absolutely needing a handheld exposure meter - but for the best results, you should pick one up as soon as it's convenient for you. If you didn't see this great section when you came upon the link above, go check it out now - after all, "a picture is worth a thousand words," right (sorry, i just couldn't resist).
Back to top

Since no camera can properly expose shots using external strobes, all pros, and many amateurs, own flash meters. While it's "possible" for a mathematically-gifted photographer to calculate an exposure using one strobe (using the GN, or guide number), it becomes virtually a necessity to use a good flash meter with 2 or more strobes. Such a meter will allow you to read the output of your strobes for your subject, and then for your background, and then calculate the correct exposure settings for you to set your camera to properly expose everything (ain't technology great? Again?)!

However, while there are some "flash only" meters, nowadays most flash meters are also ambient light meters and reflected-light meters, as well as flash meters, so if you do purchase a good flash meter, you'll have an invaluable aid to use with all your photography. But whatever you do, DON'T shell out any more than about $50-75.00 for a Flash Only meter! With all the great flash/ambient/reflected combination meters on the market, I most emphatically recommend buying one of these combination meters, which will help you get perfect exposures for ALL your photography, not only flash photography (and they're great for ALL types of photography, black and white as well as color - and work with virtually all film and digital formats. I guarantee that a decent meter will drastically improve your exposures in all aspects of photo/video/graphy (no one said it would be cheap, though!). I would suggest checking around with any photographer friends and on eBay, too. You could get a great deal. My recommendations would be to shoot for a meter like the Minolta IVF; it should be available brand new for around $200.00 to 225.00. A used one in good condition, will, of course be less (don't get suckered into paying $200.00 for a used one though). A less expensive, but still great meter is the Polaris flash meter (which is also a flash/ambient/reflected combination meter), which should sell for $25-$75 less than the Minolta. If you've got the money, absolutely, positively, definitely spring for the new Sekonic L-508 (or L-608)! In addition to being a flash meter, and an ambient light meter, and a reflected-light meter, it's also a 1º to 4º zoom spot meter! It also remembers several readings, and automatically averages them for you (ain't technology great? Again?). The bad news is that it lists at around $700 - but don't worry about that figure! In real life, it actually costs around $400-450. The new Minolta V certainly looks wonderful, too (but I haven't had a chance to play with one yet)! Of course, you probably don't need that expensive and sophisticated kind of meter YET, but it's something to keep in mind for the future, if you can't afford it now.

Here's some links for these meters: Polaris- Minolta IVF -New Minolta V-- Sekonic L-508 ---

NOTE: Please understand that there are many, many, more excellent exposure meters available, and you should definitely consider all the fine brands and models available on the market. The reason I list the three brands (and their links) above is because those are the only 3 meters I've owned and can therefore recommend to you; but you should feel free to consider all the possibilities when choosing a meter for your own use.

When using multiple strobes, always take readings (with your new meter:) of both the subject's lighting AND the background's lighting separately. Depending upon the effect you're after, your background light reading should come out (for example) about one to two stops less than the light falling on your subject (to have the background appear clearly in the print, but not so bright as to compete with, or detract from your subject). For more information on meters (and how and why they work), how cameras handle exposure, and how to "trick" your camera's built-in (reflection) meter into giving you proper exposures, see this important discussion below.

For some great images illustrating how and why we all need a handheld meter, please don't miss this great section!

Also please see THIS important and helpful additional discussion on the subject of photographic / video / moviemaking exposure metering, down below on this same page.

Images above, starting with top image: 1) Sekonic L-508; 2) Polaris; 3) Minolta 4f (IVf)
Back to top

A.
About the problems with slaving Pro Strobes, be aware that, when using strobes - any strobes, by any manufacturer - there will be times when the strobe will fail to fire (even the $10,000.00 strobes will fail to fire sometimes, and nobody knows why)! Usually it's due to human error; the PC (or sync) cord comes loose (or even falls out), or in our excitement in getting the shot, we press the shutter again before allowing enough time for the strobe to recharge (sometimes 1 to 4 seconds is a looong time), or maybe even the equipment somehow screws up (but it's usually the human factor). Consequently, for important pictures, always take an extra shot. If you have a remote trigger, it's a good idea to look up when you take the picture, so you can see if all the strobes fired. Take care to be sure that the "ready" lights on ALL the strobes are glowing before firing them, too. Also, if the ambient light (the normal light in the room or area in which you're shooting) is high enough, it sometimes can cut down (or block entirely) the distance at which a slave strobe will fire, especially if the master strobe is not particularly close to the slave, or if the angles at which the strobes are set up blocks one (or more) of the optical slave sensors on the slaved units. Try reducing the ambient light(s), and then testing the slave firing again. Also be sure one strobe's modeling light isn't shining on another strobe's optical slave sensor.

Also, be aware that your camera(s) can also be involved in causing this problem. The camera sends an electrical "pulse" to your strobe through the sync cord; so, as your camera's batteries grow weaker, the signal pulse also grows correspondingly weaker, especially when making several shots in a short time period. Try putting fresh batteries in your camera, and see if this doesn't help. Make sure, also, that the sync cord's (also called "PC" cord) plug is making solid contact with the sync terminal on your camera; if the connector is loose, take a small pliers and gently squeeze the plug's gripper to tighten it up a bit. BTW, I'm presuming that you're using only ONE sync cord to ONE strobe, and letting the second and any additional strobes fire by the optical slave sensors. I know they sell multiple sync extensions, but most cameras just don't have enough power to send reliable pulses through multiple sync connections.
Back to top

A.
When using strobes (or any flash unit at all, including your camara's built-in flash or accessory flash) you can use any shutter speed you like, as long as it's AT or BELOW your camera's "sync speed." Your camera's flash sync speed (your camera's manual should tell you this; on some older cameras, it might be marked an "X" speed, or one of the shutter speeds printed on your camera's body might be in red to indicate that it's the camera's sync speed). Be aware that, when using strobes, it's fine to set your shutter speed at your camera's sync speed - or any slower shutter speed - but never set it any faster than your camera's sync speed or you'll end up with half a picture.
Back to top

The operative aspect with shutter speeds when using strobes, is at what speed is your shutter fully open? Every camera has a certain "sync" or "x" speed, which is usually related to the type of shutter and the speed of the shutter. Our newer cameras can have tremendously short shutter speeds, 1/4000th or 1/8,000th or 1/12,000th of a second! How do they achieve that speed? Not by fully opening and closing the shutter in 1/8,000th of a second (for example), but by running a "slit" of a shutter opening across the film plane! The "sync speed" on your camera is the fastest speed in which the shutter is FULLY open, and therefore the fastest speed at which you can use a flash. But to cut to the chase, and avoid a long, drawn out treatise on the subject, whenever using strobes (or any flash unit), check in your camera's manual to determine its flash sync speed (often, on older cameras, it's the shutter speed shown in red on the camera or the lens barrel, but not always shown on newer cameras); once you've determined your camera's flash sync speed, set your shutter speed to whatever setting you want - as long as it is AT OR SLOWER THAN your camera's flash sync speed.

To repeat (because it's important), the sync speed is the speed at which your camera's shutter is wide open, thereby allowing the light from the flash (which is usually much faster than any camera's flash sync shutter speed) to reach your film's full size film plane. If you try to use a shutter speed faster than your camera's flash sync speed, part of your frame will not come out. Consequently, as long as your shutter is wide open and will allow the flash from the strobe to reach your full frame film surface, your shot will (most likely) work. The duration of the flash is always far shorter than the shutter sync speed, usually around 1/1,250th of a second with the Britek units.
Back to top

A.
A photographic "strobe" is a flash unit; it's just like the flash that's built into most modern cameras, except it's usually larger and more powerful and has capabilities far beyond any built-in flash units. Consequently, strobes emit brief, powerful "flashes" of light when they're fired. Some strobes come with special "modeling lights," which are regular continuous lights (hot lights) that allow the photographer to see exactly where the flash will illuminate the subject when it's fired by the photographer. For film (movies) and video, strobes won't work for you; you'll need specially light-balanced continuous lights (hot lights) for film and video uses. Of course, strobes work perfectly with still film cameras (like 35mm, 120, 2 1/4, medium format, and large format, etc.); it's only the movie-type films (like 16mm or 35mm movie cameras) that require constant lighting.

HOWEVER, if you need (or want) truly professional continuous lighting equipment for digital photography, video, or motion pictures, you're in luck! I've just received a shipment of the most phenomenally powerful and fabulously capable "Hot Lights" that you've ever seen! And perhaps the most amazing attribute of these brand new lights is the fantastic combination of their power, quality, capabilities, and unbelievably LOW prices! See them HERE! But quantities are limited! Order now for guaranteed delivery!
Back to top

A.
The basic difference between 35mm and medium (or large) format cameras is the size of the negative. Why is this important? It's important because we always have to enlarge our negatives when we make our prints. The larger the print, the more grain we'll end up with. A 35mm negative is 24mm X 36mm, or 0.94 inches X 1.42 inches, which is less than one inch by less than 1 1/2 inches. That's a pretty small negative, and we can only enlarge a 35mm negative to 11 x 14" maximum. Anything larger than that, and w lose detail and get grainy (many photographers maintain anything larger than an 8" x 10" or perhaps - at maximum) an 11" x 14" enlargement is unacceptable with 35mm negatives). Medium format negatives are 2 1/4" X 2 1/4" - much larger than 35mm (you can fit almost four 35mm negatives inside one 2 1/4" negative), and consequently we can enlarge medium format images to much larger prints than 35mm, while still retaining great detail. The drawback to medium format? COST! A good medium format camera will easily run you double (or triple) what a similar-quality 35mm camera will cost you, and the lenses are far more expensive, too (go price a Hassleblad and see for yourself). Oh, the picture above and to the left? What does it have to do with this technical discussion? Nothing; I just like it. :-)

My advice? If you're just starting out in studio photography, start with 35mm. There are more cameras, lenses, and techniques available, and it's much less expensive than medium format. Also, the newer 35mm films are amazingly sharp, and 35mm films are always getting better (and less grainy). Many pros stick with 35mm for much of their photography. Once you're at an advanced or pro level, depending upon your needs, medium format is certainly worth considering (if you can afford it, that is:). You can have multiple "backs" with Medium Format cameras, which means you can switch your film back to a polaroid back (to get an immediate print to examine before making the exposures on film), or use multiple film types (fast film, slow film, print film, slide film, etc. But you will pay - and pay dearly - for each and every back, lens, and accessory for medium format. My advice (again)? First learn how make fabulous images with 35mm, then, when you get really good with 35mm, get into medium format if it offers advantages for the type of photography in which you are specializing.
Back to top

A.
Whenever a flash comes from the camera's position - with or without "red-eye reduction" enabled - you're likely to end up with sinister-looking, "glowing red eyes" in your pictures. That's what happens when using built-in or dedicated flash units on our cameras.

Why? Basically, "red-eye" is caused by the flash reflecting its light from the retina in our eyes. Whenever a subject is looking into the camera, the subject is also looking into the flash, since the flash is attached to the camera and that's when we get the red eyes. Although - when WE look at someone's eyes, WE see a black pupil, in reality the back of our eyes are actually red, and this is because our veins and arteries are filled with blood, and blood is red. We see the pupils as black because there are no lights on inside our eyeballs (or at least we hope not:). It's just like opening a door, and looking into a completely dark room - looking through the doorway, the room will look black to us, even if the walls in that room were painted bright red. If there were no lights on inside that room, looking into it, we'd see nothing but black. But if we would shine a flashlight inside the dark room (or turn on lights in the room), we'd see that the wall was actually bright red. And that's exactly what happens when our on-camera flash "sees" red when it reflects the flash off the (blood red) retina in the back of our eyes!
Back to top

When using pro lighting, whether strobes or continuous lighting equipment, however, we place them on angles; we put one pro strobe or digital lamp on the right side of our subject's face, and another on the left side of our subject, and not only do we get proper (and attractive) portrait lighting, but since we're not aiming a flash directly into our subjects' eyes, we eliminate "red eye" for good!

However, any time you use an on-camera flash unit, with or without "red-eye reduction," you're likely to get red eyes. In reality, the "red eye reduction" function on our cameras simply fires a little pre-flash before firing the main flash and taking the picture; the theory behind this is that the first flash will cause the pupils to constrict, so there's less of a chance of getting red eye in the picture. It helps - sometimes - and is ineffective other times.

The solution? The secret of the pros? Use the right equipment for the job! It's sort of like using a monkey wrench to bang in a nail; it might end up pounding the poor nail into the wall, but you risk not only bending the nail, but also might crush your thumb and/or fingers (and I'm sure you know how much that hurts!:). A carpenter, on the other hand, would use either a hammer or a nail gun - and that's why we hire professionals to add an addition on to our houses - they not only have the right tools to get the job done right, but they also know HOW to use their tools. And that's the same reason people hire us (photographers) to make their important pictures: we have the right tools for the job - and we know how to use them. That's what your job is now: get the right tools (strobes and/or continuous lighting equipment, and their accessories), and learn how to use them! But what if we don't have pro strobes, or what do we do when we're away from our beloved studios? Huh? Don't worry, folks, I gotcha covered - just read on....
Back to top

------------------------------------------
Which reminds me of a joke I heard not long ago: A businessman called a computer repair company to come fix his computer. The repair technician arrived, and the businessman described the problems he was having with his computer. The repair technician listened carefully, and then he took a small rubber mallet out of his tool case, walked around to the back of the computer, picked out a little spot, and tapped on the computer with the little rubber hammer. Voila! The computer was working perfectly again.

A week later, the businessman received a bill from the computer repair company for $250.00. The businessman was livid! He angrily telephoned the computer repair company to ask why the charge was so high; after all, the repair technician just tapped on the computer and then left. "I want a detailed invoice," the businessman said; "I want to know every charge, and how you determined that $250.00 was due" he said!

The computer repair company promised to send him a detailed invoice right away. The next day, the computer repair company's invoice arrived. The businessman opened it, and this is what it said:

"Sending a technician to your office (house call): $50.00."

"Tapping on the computer with rubber mallet: No additional charge."

"Knowing where to tap: $200.00"

So what does all this mean? Simply put, when you have the proper tools to get the job done right, AND you have the knowledge required to successfully accomplish the task, that's when things get accomplished, and in photography, that's when fabulous images result!
Back to top
------------------------------------------

To eliminate "red-eyes" in your flash pictures, either don't use on-camera flash units, OR use the following techniques!

Want to eliminate the "red eye" syndrome when using your on-camera flash? Here's how:

What you'll need: A dedicated or accessory flash unit, a piece of white cardboard, about 4" x 8" - and some tape or velcro.

<-- 1) When you're using a flash on your camera's hot shoe (the "hot shoe" is the little gripper thingamajig on the top of your camera into which you slide on a dedicated or third-party flash unit); most of these flashes have a swivel head, which allows you to adjust the flash window; so swivel the head (the window where the flash comes from) straight up 180º to point directly up, towards the sky (or ceiling, as the case may be:). Then, take a piece of white cardboard (available as poster boards in any art supply store, most large drug stores, and almost every variety store); in fact, I'll bet you have at least a dozen pieces of white cardboard laying around your house (try the cardboard insert they put in new shirts to keep them looking good)! All you'll need is a piece about 3 or 4" wide and 4-6" long. Take the white cardboard and with a scissors, cut it the same width as your hot shoe flash unit, and about 4-6" long. Bend a piece of the white cardboard to about a 45º angle, and use a piece of scotch tape to hold it at the proper angle. Then, with tape or velcro or something similar, attach it to your flash unit as shown in this picture. Swivel the flash head to point straight up, of course. This will "bounce" your flash off of the white cardboard, and onto your subject - without any chance of getting "Red-Eyes" in your image! Or....

2) Swivel the flash head straight up to point at the ceiling (presuming the ceiling is white or a very light color, and is not TOO high); this will "bounce" the flash off the ceiling, and eliminate any chance of ending up with red eyes in your pictures. Or....

3) Swivel the flash head up to about a 45º angle; this will most likely allow enough light to reach your subjects for a proper exposure,but make it very unlikely that you'll end up with red eyes in your pictures.
Back to top

But what if I don't have an accessory flash? What if I don't have a "hot shoe?" What if the only flash my camera has is the little flash unit built into it?

Fear not, fair photographer! I've got this eventuality covered, too. Just read on....

1) If you have one of the "point and shoot" film cameras, or "point and shoot" digital cameras that are so popular nowadays, it's likely that it doesn't come with a hot shoe, and to add insult to injury, in many instances the built-in flash "automatically" fires whenever the camera decides that's what you need. So what to do? Here's a little "secret" that works exceptionally well in nearly all cases: Take a piece of tissue or toilet paper (if it's one of those that come with 2 or more layers of tissue, just carefully peel them apart so you have one, thin and translucent layer of paper. Then cut this thin tissue into a size just a little bit larger than the flash window on your camera. Take a couple of strips of scotch tape, and tape the tissue over the flash window on your camera's built-in flash. Voila! You have just created the "poor photographer's softbox!" This simple little device will soften the flash light, eliminate red-eye, and also help to hide the sags, lines, and wrinkles on our older subjects' faces!
Back to top

A.
The Power fallacy: Wouldn't I be better off buying one more powerful light instead of 2 or 3 less powerful lights (either strobes or continuous lightis)?

It's often common for beginners in studio photography to confuse the value of power output (watt seconds with strobes and watts with continuous lighting equipment) with efficacy. True, we should buy the most powerful set of lights that will fit our needs, but what's much more important than simple power is our ability to position multiple lights to produce the best possible image. If you can afford a set of two or three (or more) super-powerful lights, then that's absolutely the way to go. But if money is an object for you, then you should seriously consider the following information before plunking down your hard-earned dollars. As an example, if we're doing a portrait session, a couple or three 40-50WS lights will do the job just fine. It's more important to have 2 less powerful lights to light our victims than it is to have one much more more powerful light (because in portraiture, we need at least 2 oppositely-placed light sources - and if we can afford it, 3 - to give us the best results). With 2 lights, we have the main light (to light the highlight side of our victim's face), and the fill light (to light the shadow side of the face), giving us the interplay of light and shadow which are necessary for the depth and texture characteristic of professional portraiture (or product photography). Ideally, with 3 lights (2 for lighting the face or product), the third lights will be our background light (to light the backdrop, which not only gives us the three dimensional look and separation between our subject and the background, but also to blow away all the ugly shadows! The backlight is the "secret" of eliminating the shadows that plague many of our amateur images.

Far more important than power, is having the ability to appropriately light our subjects to get the best images. Sure, 3 or 4 powerful lights will eventually be more useful to us than 3 or 4 less powerful units (and if you can afford 2 or 3 or more powerful lights, definitely go for it)! Ideally, at least two MonoLight strobes - with modeling lights - (or continuous lights) and a third for a backlight, would be an ideal starter package. If you can afford the MonoLight strobes with modeling lights (they're a bit more expensive, though), absolutely go that route! It will make your photographic life much easier. But if you can only spend a certain amount of money, and can afford either one powerful light, or 2 or 3 less powerful lights (for portraiture, or small to medium product photography, for example), you'll be better off with the 2 or 3 less powerful lights, than you'd be with the one more powerful unit, for lighting your subject. Look at it like this: Sure, a big 18-wheeler truck is much, much, more powerful than a passenger car; and it would be a necessity for hauling around 2 or 3 elephants; but if all you need a vehicle for is to take you to work, the kids to school, on vacations, and on your way around town, you're much better off with the passenger car - ever try to park an 18-wheeler on the street, or in the mall or supermarket parking lot (or anywhere else, for that matter)? Do you really need a gigantic, smoke-belching, 900 horsepower diesel engine and a10-gear manual transmission? See? I hope I've been able to shed some light on this for you (sorry, I just couldn't resist). ;-)
back to top of page

So basically, if your budget will allow for it, get the most powerful set of lights you can comfortably afford, and try to get as many strobes that come with modeling lights as you can. But there are lots of us who would love to get started in studio photography, but just can't afford the more expensive units. See here for more information on this.

Sure, I'm in business to sell professional lighting equipment; but not by taking advantage of decent folks. Most other suppliers would love to sell you the most expensive (and profitable) equipment they possibly could (whether or not it would actually be what you really needed). But I do business somewhat differently; I realize that each and every one of my customers is a photographically-inclined homo sapien, a decent person, just like I am (at least like I hope I am:); every one of my customers would love to be able to make great images (just like I would), and more importantly, every customer is someone just like me: a human being struggling with life and light and beauty and photographic creativity. Someone who I'd be proud to have as a friend. When I started this business, I promised myself I would treat everyone with all the honesty and respect and decency I possibly could. I may not succeed all the time, but I will do the very best I can to do so. Trying our best is about all we can expect from each other, isn't it? Thank you again for reading this far. May the Photographic Force be with you! See my business philosophy, here, for more on this subject.

Thanks for your visit! Have patience... More's a-comin' soon... So many beautiful models, so little time... ;-)

A very personal story about seeing ugliness and beauty....

A.
Regarding that question, the answer is the same as all answers concerning photography and/or videography; and the answer is: It depends. It depends upon what equipment you're using, what your subjects will be, and what results you expect. But I'll be glad to suggest some answers for you. Since I get asked this question all the time, I've discussed this subject in detail. So let me tell where to go to find the answers.

First, though, you have to decide what lighting equipment you'll need, and to that end, please see this discussion (just below).

Next, you'll have to decide whether to go with digital (continuous) lighting equipment, or with strobes, by reviewing this discussion:

Then, IF you want to use strobes with a digital camera, you'll have to determine whether or not your digital camera will work with strobes, by reading this:

Next, review some of the packages in my eBay auctions and eBay store, here. If nothing fits your needs, e-mail me and we'll put together a custom package just for you.
Back to top

What kind of equipment should I buy? This is the most common question I'm asked (and I receive more than 1,000 e-mail messages a week - yes, that's one thousand e-mails every week)!

The answer to that question - as in ALL questions relating to photography or videography is: It depends.

It depends upon three things:
1) What kind(s) of camera(s) will you be using?
2) What will your subjects be (people? Products? High-rise buildings?)?
3) What is your budget range?

Since the most popular kinds of photography in the world today are people pictures (portraiture) and pictures of things (product photography), I'll start out with some examples relating to these two subjects. First, let's understand that the lighting equipment for portraiture as well as for product photography will most likely be the same (unless your products are very large, or extremely small), so we can kill two birds with the same stone, so to speak (and, no, I'm not suggesting any of us should actually harm an innocent little birdie or two - it's just a figure of speech, so don't waste your time e-mailing me about the sacred trust we have to protect birds and/or animals; I love animals, birds, and an occasional woman, :o) and I would rather eviscerate myself with a rusty nail before I would cause harm to any of them:).

So let's start with Portraiture/Product photography. Before I go into the equipment that we would want to have in order to make professional-level images, realize that you don't have to acquire everything at once. The first thing to realize is that even ONE pro strobe or continuous light will phenomenally improve your images! Why? Because it can be MOVED; it can be placed wherever you like. This capability (choice of placement) is far more important than power or size or cost. Why is placement so darn important? For the answer to that, just look any pictures or videos made with flash units or continuous lights built-into, or attached to your camera or camcorder. For the most part, we end up with red eyes, squinting subjects, "flat" faces, and ugly shadows behind the subjects. But when we have the ability to place our light source where it will do the most good, our images will improve amazingly. And the better able we are to place lights where they'll make our subjects look best, the better our pictures or videos will look (you might find some helpful instructions in my image galleries).

Understanding this, for portraiture and/or product photography, the IDEAL minimum lighting setup will consist of at least three lights. Why? Because I said so, that's why! JUST KIDDING! I can remember when I was a kid, how I would resent it when I asked my mother or father why I had to do something (like going to bed, or doing homework), and they would say to me: "Because I said so!" Aarrghhh! The real reason is that in order to get professional-level images (or videos), we need to light our subjects from at least two opposing directions, with the light on one side less intense than the light on the other side (in order to achieve an interplay of light and shadow giving depth and texture to our subjects - see here for some examples. That requires at least two lights. But why the 3rd light?

The third light will serve as our backlight (the backlight is a light we place behind (and/or below) our subject, hidden from the camera's view, pointing backwards, to light our background). Why? First, to blow away all those horrible, ugly shadows that plague our amateur pictures, and second, to provide separation between the subject and background, adding character to our subjects and images, and third to allow the background to receive enough light to properly expose in our shots (underexposed backgrounds look dull and washed out).

Next (and it's the same for either strobes or continuous lights), we should have umbrellas to soften the light when we need to do so. Why? Because 1) umbrellas are much less expensive than softboxes or SoftCases, and 2) a soft, mellow light serves to quite effectively hide or reduce the lines, sags, and wrinkles on the faces of our older portraiture subjects (making them look younger and more vital), and for product photography helps bring out the delicate details of the products, allows us to work with soft, mellow, and almost shadowless light, and minimizes "hot spots" and reflections which occur when we photograph shiny or reflective objects or items such as eyeglasses. Yes, I realize that most photographic salesmen will try to get you to buy the most expensive accessories they can, so they can make the largest commissions; but I'm not the average salesperson, so I'll suggest the most cost-effective accessories for you to buy.

And, of course, we'll need light stands to mount our lights on, accessories to control and direct the light, and if we intend to go on location shoots (or just to safely store our professional lighting equipment when we're not using it), carrying cases.

Next, add to this basic 3 light setup, if we can comfortably afford it - without stealing the baby's food money - a fourth or fifth inexpensive little mini-light to use as a hairlight or accent light (what's a hairlight? You know that beautiful, healthy-looking "shine" you see on the models' hair in the pros' pictures? How do you think that lovely-looking got there? The hairlight is the secret! And an accent light opens up little shadows that sometimes detract from out images). But remember what I said earlier - even ONE pro light is far, far better than none, so don't worry if you can't afford the larger kits; get what you can when you can. Every step increases your creative ability, and if all you can afford is one light, that one light will seriously improve your pictures. But once you get into studio photography or videography, you'll always find uses for as many lights as you can get your greedy little photographic hands on. :)

THEREFORE: To start out, presuming your budget is not large, try for a minimum of a 3 light package; if you can't afford a 3 light kit, go for a 2 light kit, or even a single light. If you can afford it, a 4 or 5 light kit would be a great way to start off in studio photography. If money isn't a limiting factor, then definitely go for one of the 7-15 light packages that come with all the lights you're likely to need or grow into, plus you get many light-modifying and image-improving accessories (snoots, honeycombs, umbrellas, softcases, background support sets, and custom muslin backgrounds) as well! Also remember that my prices are phenomenally low, so you can buy a 5 light package for about what a single light would ordinarily cost you, and you can own a 10 or 15 light package for what you'd pay for just 2 or 3 lights in any camera store. In fact, many of my (very happy) customers were told by the sales people at their local camera shop that it was impossible to get brand new, fully-guaranteed equipment for these prices. Duh! They just wanted to make their commissions on whatever they were selling.

Now let's consider one of the most helpful and virtually necessary photographic tools ever made: The Handheld Flash/Ambient exposure meter. I don't sell them, but please review these discussions about meters; I make some suggestions, and explain how and why they're so important to us: See above.

The next question is whether you're going to use a standard film camera (35mm, medium format, large format, etc.) or a digital camera (or a video camera/camcorder), or all the above. Read this discussion and then read this to determine whether or not your digital camera(s) will work with strobes.

Review the information, and then feel free to contact me.

Meanwhile, you might want to consider packages in my eBay auctions and store.

NB: Photographic lighting equipment is like internet connections and salaries: no matter how fast your internet connection is, it's never fast enough, and no matter how much you get paid, you never get paid enough. So the best advice is to acquire the most powerful lights (whether strobes or continuous lights) that will comfortably fit into your budget, and be appropriate for your needs. I'm NOT suggesting someone buy 1,000WS lights for photographing nothing larger than stamps or coins, but just that we consider what we will be photographing in the near future, and acquire lights capable of fitting our needs, and have a little extra power left over for us to grow into. You'll find strobes from 20ws to 1,000ws and continuous lights from 100 watts to 1,000 watts in my auctions and eBay store; without straining your budget, consider the most powerful lights that will work for your needs, and remember that you can always order more whenever the need arises.

But always remember, if all it took to make someone a "great photographer" was an expensive set of strobes and fancy equipment, then everyone who could afford a fully-outfitted photographic lighting studio would be a great photographer! So don't let anyone promise you that "If you'll buy MY lighting equipment, you'll become a great photographer!" Sure, great images are much easier and much more convenient to make with studio lighting equipment than without equipment, but it also takes some time and effort on YOUR part, too. You have to first learn how to use your equipment, and then start making some fantastic pictures with it. But I promise you, if you'll give it a fair chance, you will make some fabulous pictures!

Note: Although much of the terminology in this discussion refers to strobes or flashes, it applies to digital/video continuous lighting equipment as well. Just look at any video or movie set, and you'll see folks running around with handheld meters all over the place. The pros never open the camera/camcorder's shutter without first taking handheld exposure meter readings! The meters built into all digital cameras and camcorders are reflection meters, and will try to shoot everything based upon 18% gray. But you can get by with your built-in meter when using continuous lighting better than when using flash or strobe units.

A. Sorry about the "Because," above; I just couldn't resist the temptation; please forgive me. OK, here's the real answer: Because ALL in-camera exposure meters are "Reflection" meters, meaning that they read the light reflected by your subject(s) - as opposed to the light falling on your subjects - as do handheld exposure meters. This wouldn't be so bad if they read ONLY the light reflected by your subject; but they read ALL the light coming in to your frame, including light from areas around your subject. Yes, they have sensors that enable you put more emphasis on certain areas of your frame, like "center-weighted evaluative metering," for example. And for many shots, these built-in meters work very well. And that's as good as it gets for most snapshooters or "point-and-shooters." But for photographers, and videographers, it's not good enough. A photographer requires perfect exposure for virtually every shot, no matter what the circumstances may be. A photographer is paid very well to get perfect images.

The best solution to this problem is for the photographer to own a good handheld flash-ambient-spot meter (see above for more information on meters). But whether or not he or she has a handheld meter (like the Sekonic L-508 in the image to the left), s/he needs to understand how meters work, so s/he can achieve perfect exposures no matter what kind of meter is being used. So now let's take a moment to learn how meters work.
Back to top

As we've just learned, ALL meters built into cameras are reflected light meters, which means they read the light that's reflected by your subject (and areas surrounding your subject), rather than the light falling upon your subject. Much of the time, using sophisticated computer chips to analyze the reflected ight, these built-in meters do a pretty good job. But for many other circumstances (backlighting, very light or dark subjects, bright and/or dark areas of the frame, etc.), these meters fail us. Why? Well, there's a two part answer: one part is because we don't understand how to properly use our built-in meters, and the second part is because ALL meters are geared to 18% gray. What's "18% gray," you might ask? Well, the scientific gurus have determined that the average reflectance of the average scene is 18% gray (some of the latest research indicates it might actually be 14% gray, but that's just splitting hairs). Why a "normal" scene reflects 18% gray might be fodder for physicists to discuss, for our purposes, just accept it. And anyway, every meter in every camera is keyed to 18% gray. That's just the way it is. And, for this discussion, we'll speak of black and white photography (because it's easier to understand), but pretty much the same problems occur in color photography too, and the same solutions also result in us getting perfect color prints, slides, and negatives.

Now, IF the scene you're photographing IS a perfect 18% gray, wonderful; you'll get a great exposure. But in real life, some things are white, and some things are black, and some things varying shades of gray. So if we were to take a picture of a snow-covered field, and let our camera's meter set our exposure for us, the print will come back with the white snow reproduced as gray. On the other hand, if we were to take a picture of a big pile of jet-black coal, and let our camera's meter set our exposure for us, the print will come back with the black coal reproduced as gray. Why? Because ALL meters are keyed to reproduce 18% gray! Hmmm. Why? Because MOST scenes reflect 18% gray, and so that's as close as the scientists can get to a thinking camera. It's better than a dumb camera, but it usually results in acceptable results for most of the snapshooter's pictures.

For some great images illustrating how and why we all need a meter, please see this!

What can we do to assure that WE get proper exposures for OUR pictures? There's two ways: one, and the best solution, is to get a good handheld exposure meter; and two, is to learn how to "trick" our built-in "dumb" reflection meters into setting the correct exposure for us whenever we're photographing a challenging scene.
Back to top

Why are handheld exposure meters so much better than meters built in to our cameras? Because the handheld exposure meters don't read the light reflected by our subjects (and everything surrounding our subjects, too); they instead read the light that's falling on our subjects! Consequently, the handheld exposure meter can tell us exactly how much light is illuminating (falling upon) our subjects. Why is this important? Well, dark colors don't reflect much light (they absorb more light), and light colors reflect (bounce back) more light, so a meter reading the light reflecting from our subjects is easily confused by the different amounts of light it's reading, and sets our exposure incorrectly in many instances. But a meter that reads the amount of light falling upon our subjects, can't be confused by the different amounts of light reflected by lighter and darker subjects, and consequently can tell us exactly how to set our exposure for virtually perfect pictures every time. With a handheld exposure meter telling us how to set our exposure, snow will come out perfectly white, coal perfectly black, and everything else exactly as it appears to our eyes (within the limits of the film and paper the pictures are printed on, of course). So, the easiest solution is to get a good handheld exposure meter. BTW, a handheld exposure meter is placed right in front of, or right next to, your subject, pointed directly towards your camera, and then the reading is taken (push the reading button on the handheld exposure meter, and it responds with proper settings, and allows you to choose ANY available combination of apertures, shutter speeds, and films, and automatically calculates and gives you proper settings for any of the variables! This allows you to "ask" the meter: What if I want to use a larger or smaller aperture (to control depth of field)? or, What if I want to use a faster or slower shutter speed (to control movement)? Most handheld exposure meters will also take several readings, from different parts of your subjects (such as sunlit and shadow sections of a landscape, for example), and will average them for you to achieve proper exposure).
Back to top

Next, let's learn a couple of ways to "trick" the reflection meters built-in to our cameras into giving us good exposure settings for almost all our shots. Remember I told you that ALL meters are keyed to 18% gray? OK, so how do we trick a reflected-light meter into giving us perfect exposure settings? The easiest way is to buy a "Kodak Gray Card." They usually sell for under $10.00, so it's something we can all afford. What is a "Kodak Gray Card?" It's a piece of cardboard that's printed gray; 18% gray, to be exact! Hmmm. What good is it to us? Read on.

How do we use a "Kodak Gray Card" to get proper exposures with our built-in meters? Here's how: hold the gray card in the same light our subject is in (e.g., if our subject is a person standing in the sunlight, we hold the gray card in the same sunlight as the subject - in other words, don't hold the gray card in the shade of a tree to take the reading, hold it in the sunlight; conversely, if our subject is standing in the shade of a tree, we should hold the gray card in the same shade to take our reading). OK, now, hold the gray card in the same light our subject is in, tilt it to about a 45º angle, point your camera at the gray card, and fill your finder (looking through the camera's eyepiece, fill your whole frame with the gray card), and then take your exposure reading. Lock in this exposure reading... on many cameras, pressing the shutter button half-way down will lock in the exposure for you... and then recompose your shot (without releasing the shutter button, or other device your camera uses to lock exposure - see your manual - aim your camera at your subject, focus, and shoot the picture! This "tricks" your built-in meter into "reading" the light falling upon your subjects by reading the light reflected by the 18% gray card, and giving you perfect settings.

Since the gray card is a perfect 18% gray, and the camera's meter is keyed to 18% gray, if we make the meter read the light reflected by the gray card (instead of the light reflected by our subjects), we're "tricking" our meter into reading the light falling on our subjects, rather than the light reflected by our subjects. Get yourself a gray card (sorry, I don't carry them yet - I will have a supply shortly, and if you're a subscriber to my mailing list, you'll be notified as soon as they're in stock), and then you'll be getting much better pictures. We can't make our meters "smart," but WE can become smart enough to "trick" our (relatively) dumb built-in meters into giving us perfect exposures.
Back to top

But what if we don't have a handheld meter or a gray card (yet:)? Here's a few alternatives we can use:

1) Instead of letting our camera's meter read the light reflected by our subjects AND everything else in our viewfinder, either zoom in to fill the viewfinder with our subject (i.e., the face of our subject, or the flower's petals, or the black cat's coat, etc.), or, if you're not using a zoom lens, walk up close to our subject, fill the viewfinder with the most important part of our subject (i.e., the face, etc. as described above), then, when our viewfinder is filled with our subject and NOT with the surroundings, lock in exposure (e.g., press the shutter button half-way down), and zoom out or back up, re-compose the shot, and then press the shutter button all the way down and make the exposure! I think you'll be amazed with the results!

2) Instead of letting our camera's meter read the exposure from our whole frame, set your built-in meter to its "spot" setting. Then, center the most Important part of your subject (i.e., the face of a person, the petals of a flower, the coat of a dog, etc.) in your meter's spot circle and take your reading; then, when our viewfinder's spot circle is filled with our subject and NOT with the surroundings, lock in exposure (e.g., press the shutter button half-way down), re-compose the shot, and then press the shutter button all the way down and make the exposure!

3) If we can't use any of the above techniques for some reason, then try this: If your subject is a person with a skin tone similar to yours, take a reading off your own hand (but be sure to hold your hand in the same light your subject is in), lock in the exposure, recompose your scene, and shoot. Another possibility is, if you're outdoors, and your subject is an outdoor scene, you can take an exposure reading off the grass (in the same light as your subject), since a normally-green lawn is often close to normal reflectance (18% gray).

Of course, these techniques will only work in available light photography; if we're using a flash or pro strobes, we can't take readings off gray cards or substitutes; for flash photography you'll need a flash meter.
Back to top