By Pete Jones
I have recently started using a single flash during some of my client photo sessions. The use of the single light is very useful for that touch of fill light that you need to brighten certain areas or features taken in shaded areas.
One common misconception is that you need more than one flash unit to get any decent light with off-camera flash. While having additional flash units does help, there are an incredible amount of things you can do with only one. Using some simple workarounds you can often make it look like there are more then one. I am a bigger fan of only using natural light during my sessions, but on one occasion, the client needed photos quickly and time did not allow for a day light session.
I have recently started using a single flash during some of my client photo sessions. The use of the single light is very useful for that touch of fill light that you need to brighten certain areas or features taken in shaded areas.
One common misconception is that you need more than one flash unit to get any decent light with off-camera flash. While having additional flash units does help, there are an incredible amount of things you can do with only one. Using some simple workarounds you can often make it look like there are more then one. I am a bigger fan of only using natural light during my sessions, but on one occasion, the client needed photos quickly and time did not allow for a day light session.
The session was held in a dark gym room with poor lighting provided. So to make the best of the situation, I visioned a theme with dark tones. The use of just one Canon 580 EX II speedlight worked excellent for this theme. It was just a matter of placing the flash at several locations around the subject during the shoot and selecting the photos that I felt had the lighting effect I was looking for. Several light effects can be obtained by relocating the flash . Since the client wanted to emphasize the logos on his clothing that represented his sponsors, the spot light look was what I was trying to get while leaving the surrounding area of the gym a shade or two darker. I know this effect can be achieved in a photo editor, but you should aim to do your work with the camera for a more original look so that you spend less time on editing.
Pretty self explanatory, you light one element with the flash to draw attention to it. The power of the flash in relation to the ambient light will determine how powerful the effect is. In this shot, we were totally aiming for the logo on his shirt. I moved the flash in towards the subject, reduced the flash output and took the shot.
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