Home >> Hobbies >> Photography

A Guide to Set up Speedlight Photography

When you turn the pages of a fashion or glamor magazine, you̵7;ll notice that the photos all have a professional look to them. This professionalism in photography is achieved using studio lighting that allows the photographer to create a variety of effects from dark shadows to glowing halos of light. Learning how to set up your speedlights properly is an essential skill for any aspiring photographer. Fortunately, speedlights are relatively quick to set up and tear down, and they can be packed in a case for on-the-road photo shoots.

Speedlight Overview
- A speedlight is a type of small strobe or flash that is used to produce a quick burst of light. These types of flashes are portable and can be placed anywhere in your studio (or outside) to create a burst of light. Unlike the mounted flash on your camera, speedlights are activated using an optical slave that is plugged into the speedlight itself. When you press the flash on your camera it will automatically trigger the speedlight to go off.
Speedlight Uses
- Speedlights are used both indoors and outdoors when there is not enough natural light to light a photo, or when you want to create a special lighting effect. When setting up your speedlights, you should know exactly what type of effect you want the speedlight to create. The placement and direction of the light will effect how the picture turns out. For example, placing the speedlight high over the subject̵7;s head will produce a halo of light.
Equipment You Need
- In order to set up a speedlight, you will need a few basic pieces of equipment. The first thing you will need is a good DLSR camera with a popup flash that will be used to take the photograph as well as trigger the speedlight. You also will need either a flash sync cord or an optical slave that allows you to trigger the flash automatically from your camera. Finally, you will need a speedlight and a tripod to mount the light on. Many professional photographers attach several flashes to a single camera for the best lighting effect.
Speedlight Setup
- In order to set up your speedlights, you will first need to mount the light onto a tripod. Set the tripod to the desired height that will achieve the effect you want. Then, attach the flash sync cord to the speedlight and attach the other end into the camera̵7;s flash sync port. If you don̵7;t want cords everywhere, plug an optical slave into the power pack on the back of your speedlight. Adjust the speedlight to the desired angle and then trigger it using the flash on your DSLR. When you take the photograph, the speedlight will automatically go off.

Photography