Objects for shooting

[Destructor]

Good afternoon,

I have “eaten” enough technical documentation related to shooting with or without flash, I can imagine how to expose a scene correctly and I have made a number of senseless shots just in order to check how theory works in practice. Now… I am confused… What to do next? What to start with? What/whom to shoot? People? Animals? Macro? Sunsets/Sunrises? Your advice is much appreciated. Thank you.

Regards,
Pavel

[Carl in Louisiana]

That's easy, decide what it is you like most to do with your camera and pursue it. You'll be much happier that way, because you'll be doing what you like and enjoy doing. But to get there you may have to try each area you mentioned above, and then it could be a combination of many. It helps me to watch tutorials on photography for each area and then decide do I like that or not. Some will say give me a well equipped studio, other the plains of Africa and others the woods and parks or America....and so on......you fill the blank. For now just keep practicing.
Hope this helps you find what it is your looking for.

[Destructor]

Carl,

Thank you. I fell better now

Regards,
Pavel

[herbert]

Hi Pavel,

You use your flash to add more light. So you need to find a situation where you need more light to achieve the photo you are after.

As Carl has suggested, look for examples in books and online where flash has been used. Then try to copy the set-up. This will help you put your theory into practice.

Some examples (with the light problems in braces):

- Indoor people photography (low light problems)
- Backlit portraits with fill flash (dynamic range problems)
- Sports or other high speed photography (capturing motion in low light)
- Macro photography (shallow depth of field due to low light)

Portraits are a great place to start using flash. The control over the light allows you to highlight only part of the scene (the person) and to create emphasis.

Hope this has given you a few ideas. Remember that you are only limited by your imagination and the motivation to achieve your vision.

Practice, practice, practice.

Alex