I can recall my first use of a non-built in camera strobe/flash. It was pretty significate, so the date sticks out like a sore thumb for me. The first time I used one was to shoot U2. Yes, the band- U2.
Here is a brief back story:
I was getting in to photography, really feeling my oats so to speak. I had been looking at the idea of adding a strobe to my mix. However, I knew once I got it there would be a ton of settings, configurations, etc that I wasn't ready to take on yet. So I put it off. After all, I was an available light only sort of shooter. Why bother adding?! (Literally: Little did I know....)
Then U2 released it's semi-autobiography: U2 by U2. They also announced a support run of bookstores in three cities. One turned out to be New York City, a no brainer for a band who owns places in that city. There were contests for fans to get a copy of the book signed, and I failed that entry. However a buddy of mine in the Baltimore area won. I won my own lotto of sorts when I said I wanted to get a press-pass to shoot the band. I was in!
However, here is where the problem started: It was indoors along side some of the biggest news sources in America. I couldn't shoot available like and be any bit serious. I didn't have a spare $300 for a strobe, and very little time toprepare. So I asked for help from a friend who I knew would be there, and had a strobe to lend me for the event. Thats right, I went in to shoot U2 with a borrowed strobe with no clue how to use it, no experience, and very little idea of what I was trying to do.
I think I wound up getting some decent shots. However it drove me, I had to face the monster- strobes would be something I would need to bring in to the arsenal.
(The ATU2 flickr set of the event)
Since then I have moved away from available light. I have gotten almost snooty. For instance, my daughter was making sugar cookies with my wife this week. She was having a BLAST. Of course I wanted to shoot it... available light would have been awful. Bouncing the light was bad shadows... so I HAD to get out a lightstand and shoot thru-umbrella to give a wonderfully soft light to the fun. If I attempted the photos with the pre-strobe me, they would have been flat, grainy, and blech. Now I almost didn't take any photos because I wasn't happy with the light I was able to get. Thankfully my gear was nearby.
What was the differenece? A lot of reading, looking at how-tos, discecting photos, and not being happy with what I achieved. Even from my little photo shot of cookies being made, I still added some decent editing to make the image even better.
Here is a list of five sites that have helped me tremendously:
- Strobist
- S.U.M. on Flickr
- Digital Photography School
- Zach Arias
- And a TON of practice. =)
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