Nikon SB-600 Speedlight

http://www.nikonusa.com

This is my latest acquisition. I took me a long time to come around to a flash, I think that I'll be glad that I did. Studio photography isn't my thing so I don't have a lot of experience with a flash. I guess my hated of flashes started because the built in flash on all of my cameras are simply crap. They should be put on only for those who use cameras as point and shoots. Right away I found out that this flash is different. Yes is still has that horrible "Ghost Story" look when you point the flash right at the subject, but it gives me the ability to point the flash elsewhere. There is a manual mode so I could simply adjust the power, or "degrees kelvin", to have a softer shot, but I think bouncing the light is much better. It gives the photo the appearance that the light is coming from elsewhere, like a lamp or an open window, instead of the camera. There are several advantages to this. With a direct on flash, you get to see every detail of a persons face with no contrast and creepy shadows, or no shadows (which I think is even worse), in the background. I would put an example photo in here but Blogger doesn't allow photos in the middle of the text. If anyone from Blogger sees this, fix it, because it is really stupid that you can't. Anyway, a bounced flash adds shadow because the light isn't being forced onto the subject, it is coming at the subject after it has bounced off of something else which means it will look like everything else. There is also a diffuser that I want, but that can wait until my birthday or Christmas. The reason I got this in the first place, is that I have an opportunity to be taking senior photos this year. Unless you bring the subject to the sun, there will not be enough light, even outside, to get a perfect portrait. That's why studios get so bright when taking pictures. In order for me to take good senior portraits, even outside, which is where most seniors in Western Washington have their photos taken anyway, I need a flash to fill the face of my subject. I still hate flashes, but this flash is growing on me. I'm sure there will be some flash work up here soon.