Speen Light Question....

[ApertureF11Sniper]

Speed Lights.....I can do with out them but there are some situations where they are essential. 90% of the time I am using natural light.

I have this Speed Light it is a Yongnuo YN560 3 (thats roman numeral 3 I just don't know hot to do that on a key board)

I am wondering if that's a decent speed light or manufacturer. ......I need to learn to use the damn thing but for as little as I need it, 2 or 3 times a year. I thought about a ring flash but again same thing I don't need it often and it would probably take me longer to learn how to use it then I would need it.......Sigh.....

I'm not a technology based person. I went out and got a nice Kenwood stereo for the car. It changes color and does all kinds of stuff. Right now it's on CD mode and I have no clue how to switch it over to the radio and that alone will probably take me a year to learn......

 

[smoke665]

IMO all portrait photography can be improved with the use of supplemental light, whether it be a flash or reflector. A photograph is one dimensional, without shadow it appears flat. Then you have the issue of dead eyes (no catch lights) to bring them to life.

The Youngnu is a capable manual speedlight with a Guide Number (GN) of 190 at full power . GN is the light output, the higher the number the more light and will change based on the power setting.

The 560IV offered TTL meaning the camera and flash communicated to set the power automatically. With the manual 560III you'll have to do it manually. A light meter that measures "incident" is the easiest and quuckest way. Without a meter you can get close using the GN and the formula "f/stop = Guide Number / Distance" or "Distance = Guide Number / fstop". IE for a correct exposure at full power at f/8, 190/8=23 3/4 ft from the subject.

As I said earlier, shadow defines a three dimensional face on the one dimensional surface of an image. If you put the flash in the hot shoe of the camera you will still have a flat image. Moving the flash off camera and connecting wireless or with a PC cord lets you create shadow to define the face.