Gavin, I'm nominating you for an Oscar for "Best Teaching Style", Sofie for "Best Supporting Model", and Sam for "Best BTS Technical Artist". You and the team would win hands down!
Gavin, you’re by far my favorite “teacher” on Adorama! Very clear explanations, and you make it easy to understand as you go through the whole process, start to finish. I always learn and have fun watching!
The simplicity of the setup and and quality of the photos, demonstrate that good technique doesn't require multiple lights and complex setups. It's a pleasure to watch how simple arrangements can yield excellent results.
You are a genius!!! It is the best way I have ever seen someone explain lighting. Specially for beginners. Usually other professionals say, take down or put up 1-2-3 stop. When a beginner doesn’t know what is a stop. Your explanations are magnificent!!! Thanks 😊
The term ‘stop’ is historical where moving a setting (shutter speed, aperture) one ‘click’ would either halve or double the light. Example changing the shutter speed from 1/125 to 1/250 effectively halves the light and is referred to as 1-stop, which corresponded to the mechanical ‘click’ in the knob. The reference to ‘stops’ later spilled over to other factors such as film speed (called generically ISO) and flash output as described here. Nowadays, with finer adjustments to the settings available, you’ll hear photographers refer to changing in ⅓ or ½ stops. In this video, as Gavin adjusts the flash power, notice the 0.3 and 0.7 appear briefly in the right hand part of the LCD screen. This is another way of expressing ⅓ and 2/3 of a stop respectively.
Another one of your great portrait episodes Gavin. I don't get enough of them. Sophie is an amazing model. She is confident and beautiful in a modest way.
If you don't get the fundamentals down right, you can't hope to get to the next level. I've been using some flash for a while, but I find the more I practice, and the more videos on flash I watch, the better I get. It's not second nature yet, but if I practice the fundamentals, I WILL get there.Thanks Gavin!
Super clear, step by step guide for those new to off-camera flash. Well done to everyone, as always. The tip about camera to subject distance is often missed by other teachers, and does confuse a lot of newbies.
Dear schools, This is how you teach. You don’t vomit out a bunch of words and insist they understand you. You put your hands on, show the results reinforce the concepts. This man could teach anything.
I like the way you teach. How to do proper studio exposure by not using an incident flash meter, and how to re-position the light without re-adjusting your settings (same distance from subject to strobe flash).
I'm a beginner into studio and, due to the YT priority/algorithms, and the order of the playlist, I didn't understand why the first black image is important. Now I know... and I understand ^^ As always: just so clear and usable advises with just a little bit of funny!
Well done great video Gavin, your unique way of teaching deserves an award on its own! It is very hard to find your type these day, great sense of humour, educational and just fun al-round.
Thank you for the information on how to use some basic settings for flash photography. I have been afraid to understand the mathematical ratios and your demonstration helped immensely. I did chuckle when the model changed from using a box wrench to a pipe wrench while sitting on a tire.
absolutely love how he just gets right to the video. love his upbeat personality. one gifted photographer. another awesome video. i have that flash and all I have right now is an umbrella, not a shoot thru one though. but this was close to my setup.
Gavin, it is clear that you spent much time planning this video. It is even more polished than your usual well-done videos. I'm afraid you have moved up the bar for yourself. It is a great review or new learning experience and enjoyable to watch. I hadn't thought about tracking the distance using the arm length method before. But more importantly, what a great way to demonstrate keeping the exposure the same by keeping the distance consistent. Job well-done.
This video here is what I needed. The important, technical information I needed for flash photography is right here in this video. You hit EVERY point that Ive been looking for especially the rule of thumb where you told Sofie to extend her arm to the umbrella. I always have a problem on how far to distance the flash to the subject. Once again you kept it simple and to the point. Really love this video. THANKS!!!
Great video, Gavin! I just picked up some monolights recently and I'm getting ready to try my first studio shoot soon. This video is a great help and couldn't have come at a more opportune time. Thanks!
Hi Brandon. I'm glad this video helped. Good luck with your first shoot. Bonus tip just for you... Only use one light on your first shoot, if you need two lights, figure out a way to make it work with just one. You'll learn more and learn faster, trust me!
Such a great teaching style. Comprehensive. Thanks. And my question: Just started a set up with my Fuji GFX and Bowens strobes and remote control. Problem is that my remote control goes into stand by mode only after half a minute (which I need from time to time to change settings or check photos). It's annoying always to press the "CHN" button to reactivate it. Is there something I can do?
I thoroughly enjoy your videos Gavin... always keeping it simple enough for us to be able to understand, however also thorough enough to be able to master what you describe. And the subject you touch are definitely what people need to be able to learn more about. Thanks, and keep up the magnificent work ! Greetz from sunny Flanders ! Frank
Fabulous, always great to see your regular topics and approaches on all levels, because despite my apparant years of knowledge and experience, and the rather large collection of modifiers I have accumulated for my speedlites, I still dither and procrastinate on which to get out for the actor and model shoots I do. I always want to get the best possible looks and results that will flatter and please the talent, but still after all these years I have never settled on one preferred modifier. Every shoot I find myself alternating between shoot through umbrellas, reflective umbrellas, no modifer, small softboxes, larger softboxes, bouncing off walls and reflector cards. Not sure if I just like experimenting or if somewhere in all this Im still discovering that the looks from each modifier make a differencce per person and how their skin tone, skin texture,hair, outfit, makeup react with the lighting
Hi John. I think we all dither, switch things up and experiment to some extent. I'm terrible at getting a new modifier, using it far to much and then putting it away for far to long! As long you enjoy your photography it's all good 👍
Always a plesure to watch your videos Gavin, can't get much easier than this keep it simple is always the best policy if you need to add a tad more light use a reflector first then build from there. Good on you Gavin.
Nice work in the studio Gavin. I commented on your 3 light setup, fantastic. Which left me thinking, I need to revisit all your studio stuff. I have 2 AD200's & 2 Speedlights, umbrellas and stuff. My 3 light shoot turned out well, thank you but I think this video's content will improve my next shoot dramatically. Very helpful stuff, thank you.
Hi Gavin. Thanks for the video. I have one question. When you setup everything, why distance from the subject to your camera doesn’t matter? Thank you.
Good question. Because you're recording the light falling on your subject and that is always the same no matter how far away you are. Technically distance does matter but the sort of distance we works at and the atmospherics in a studio make it irrelevant
A very good demonstration, Gavin. Many just beginning to do studio shoots with flash can learn a lot from this one. I'm now using a recently purchased 60" Vizio Smart TV as a live display, attached as the second monitor display screen of my PC. (small 9 pin to HDMI converter is needed). All of my shots now appear on the TV as well as the photo software on the PC screen. I found that when the model can easily see the result of each shot, that my shots of her improve rapidly. You seem to be doing the same with a very small display. I suggest you go much larger. The Smart TVs of today (OLED) reproduce the colors and image quality very well, once color balanced, although I wouldn't do Photoshop editing on them. I use a camera shot of my color checker and compare the PC screen image of it to the same image on the TV to get the adjustments of the TV close to the same, and close enough for this purpose and more reasonably priced than a true PC monitor that is much smaller.
@@GavinHoey It doesn't need to be 60". Any high resolution newer Smart TV should work, but it needs to be large enough so that the model can see it easily. Letting the model see each photo as it's taken has had a significant improvement in how they look in following shots for me. They just keep getting better and better. You will need to adjust the colors to match your PC monitor as best as you can, though. My laptop is on a computer table behind camera right with my TV on the wall above the laptop. The tether cable goes up to the ceiling from my usual shooting area (with slack), across, and down to the laptop. The TV is on a swinging wall mount, so can be pulled out and angled as needed. For the purpose, your older computer display might even work. I'm just suggesting something larger than your 7" monitor on light stand. My studio is in a former master bedroom suite on the 2nd floor of my home. The shooting room is 19' X 26' with 8' ceiling (my biggest limiting problem). Most shots are when seated for this reason.
how can i look through the viewfinder to find the best pose before shooting? since everything is completely black? do i have to shoot blind? brilliant lesson, thank you very much 😊
Great video, Gavin, as always - question: in order to have the subject evenly illuminated when taking a full length picture, what would you do? Use a bigger modifier? Of course, this would imply changing the distance from the subject, remetering etc… are there any other options?
Distance makes light more even. I guess I'd start there and then work on the size of light to get the shadow definition I'd like. Everything's a compromise of course.
Gavin, I'm nominating you for an Oscar for "Best Teaching Style", Sofie for "Best Supporting Model", and Sam for "Best BTS Technical Artist". You and the team would win hands down!
I second the nomination!
Sophie, Chloe, ... All of them for the BSM 😍😍
i loved his work and videos are very fun to watch!!!
All hail Gavin!!!!!!!!
Gavin hoey is the BEST teacher on line hands down!!!!
Gavin, you’re by far my favorite “teacher” on Adorama! Very clear explanations, and you make it easy to understand as you go through the whole process, start to finish. I always learn and have fun watching!
The simplicity of the setup and and quality of the photos, demonstrate that good technique doesn't require multiple lights and complex setups. It's a pleasure to watch how simple arrangements can yield excellent results.
You are a genius!!! It is the best way I have ever seen someone explain lighting. Specially for beginners. Usually other professionals say, take down or put up 1-2-3 stop. When a beginner doesn’t know what is a stop. Your explanations are magnificent!!! Thanks 😊
The term ‘stop’ is historical where moving a setting (shutter speed, aperture) one ‘click’ would either halve or double the light. Example changing the shutter speed from 1/125 to 1/250 effectively halves the light and is referred to as 1-stop, which corresponded to the mechanical ‘click’ in the knob. The reference to ‘stops’ later spilled over to other factors such as film speed (called generically ISO) and flash output as described here. Nowadays, with finer adjustments to the settings available, you’ll hear photographers refer to changing in ⅓ or ½ stops. In this video, as Gavin adjusts the flash power, notice the 0.3 and 0.7 appear briefly in the right hand part of the LCD screen. This is another way of expressing ⅓ and 2/3 of a stop respectively.
Having the model touch the umbrella for marking distance. Change my whole portrait setups.
@@PatronusOpacus How long have you had your models do that?
@@PatronusOpacus right? I had never thought of this..
Gavin is simply Da Best!!!!!!!!!!! Excellent video as always
Gavin is simply the best on the net to explain flash and creative photography in its most simple form, thank you Gavin for all the help.
Another one of your great portrait episodes Gavin. I don't get enough of them. Sophie is an amazing model. She is confident and beautiful in a modest way.
Been a photographer for over 30 years and enjoy Gavin's videos very much! There is so much valuable information here and fabulously presented!
Gavin, you’re by far my favorite “teacher” on Adorama! I do agree!!!!!!
If you don't get the fundamentals down right, you can't hope to get to the next level. I've been using some flash for a while, but I find the more I practice, and the more videos on flash I watch, the better I get. It's not second nature yet, but if I practice the fundamentals, I WILL get there.Thanks Gavin!
Well said Brent 👍
Thanks for another " Classic Gavin " video. Thanks also to Adorama and Sophie....
Gavin, you are so engaging as you share your expertise. And Sophie, you speak volumes with a look. Thanks for such a fun, helpful video!
Super clear, step by step guide for those new to off-camera flash. Well done to everyone, as always. The tip about camera to subject distance is often missed by other teachers, and does confuse a lot of newbies.
Hi Alan. Simple tips are the only tips I can remember 😉
Dear schools,
This is how you teach. You don’t vomit out a bunch of words and insist they understand you. You put your hands on, show the results reinforce the concepts. This man could teach anything.
I like the way you teach. How to do proper studio exposure by not using an incident flash meter, and how to re-position the light without re-adjusting your settings (same distance from subject to strobe flash).
I like the way you explain these videos and You got a fantastic personality as well,
Thank you 👍
The idea of having the model touch the modifier so as to keep it at the same distance was a good one!
Thanks Robert 👍
Thanks. Gavi. We learn every time with your videos. Thanks again..
What an excellent presentation! Your demonstration and explanations are simple and direct. Much appreciated!
I'm a beginner into studio and, due to the YT priority/algorithms, and the order of the playlist, I didn't understand why the first black image is important. Now I know... and I understand ^^
As always: just so clear and usable advises with just a little bit of funny!
gavin hoey is the best photo grapheyi teacher
This is gold! Thank you for simplifying lighting for studio newbies like myself.
You are the best...Love the way you break everything down and explain it all. Thank you for your commitment to make us all better photographers!
This has to be the best introduction to flash photography, thanks a lot!
Well done great video Gavin, your unique way of teaching deserves an award on its own! It is very hard to find your type these day, great sense of humour, educational and just fun al-round.
Back to basics solid tutorial. Excellent as always and professionally explained. Well done Gavin 👍
Thanks! I didn 't work with transmitters and this lesson helped a lot . SOPHIE IS LOVELY
All hail Gavin Hoey!!!!!!!!! Incredible!
Thank you for the information on how to use some basic settings for flash photography. I have been afraid to understand the mathematical ratios and your demonstration helped immensely. I did chuckle when the model changed from using a box wrench to a pipe wrench while sitting on a tire.
Thanks Mike. I don't know much about mathematical ratios (or spanners) but I do know what looks right to me 😉
I'm learning flash photography, and this was the easiest and simplest video. Loved it. Thank you.
absolutely love how he just gets right to the video. love his upbeat personality. one gifted photographer. another awesome video. i have that flash and all I have right now is an umbrella, not a shoot thru one though. but this was close to my setup.
This is great. Gavin is the best. I wish he would have had this out when I started messing with strobes. It would have saved me HOURS.
Gavin, it is clear that you spent much time planning this video. It is even more polished than your usual well-done videos. I'm afraid you have moved up the bar for yourself.
It is a great review or new learning experience and enjoyable to watch. I hadn't thought about tracking the distance using the arm length method before. But more importantly, what a great way to demonstrate keeping the exposure the same by keeping the distance consistent. Job well-done.
Thanks for the kind words. Yes the planning time for "back to basics" videos takes a long time for sure but the editing takes way longer!
Hey Gavin I am an Indian I am learning a lot from your workshop video and my work is improving.
Gavin, you rock.
Great video, as usual! Thanks Gavin!
Great video Gavin! Love the reminder to play with one variable. Question about tethering - what are tethering to in these videos?
So helpful thanks
Thank you, Gavin and Sophie. Always fun, and Sophie is great. Take care.
Thanks Mike 👍
This video here is what I needed. The important, technical information I needed for flash photography is right here in this video. You hit EVERY point that Ive been looking for especially the rule of thumb where you told Sofie to extend her arm to the umbrella. I always have a problem on how far to distance the flash to the subject. Once again you kept it simple and to the point. Really love this video. THANKS!!!
Thanks Fred, that's exactly what I was hoping to hear.
Hi Gavin, I really like your presentation style. That makes all your videos just great. Thank you.
Thanks Patrick 👍
This was amazing vary helpful thanks for sharing
Superb video Gavin - pitched at just the right level - bravo! I will be using this for my new camera
Yes, I really enjoyed this video. I’m a hobbyist and am getting ready for studio lighting. Thank you for making it look easy.
Gavin, love the videos you create. They always motivate me and make me want to go out and shoot!
Very helpful video, and amazing photos!
Extremely useful to a complete beginner! Thank you.
Great stuff as always, more of these beginning type videos would be really cool, thanks again for your videos.
That's good to hear Thomas as I have lots more "Your First..." Videos in the pipeline 👍
Going through a class in flash ...this has been most helpful. Thank you x 100.
Thank you for this. I love simple setups. I love every single one of your videos!!!
Thanks Patty, that really means a lot 👍
the best moment is always when Gavin introduces the model: "the amazing SOPHIEEEEEE".
I love how creative your videos are. And super helpful.
Great video, Gavin! I just picked up some monolights recently and I'm getting ready to try my first studio shoot soon. This video is a great help and couldn't have come at a more opportune time. Thanks!
Hi Brandon. I'm glad this video helped. Good luck with your first shoot. Bonus tip just for you... Only use one light on your first shoot, if you need two lights, figure out a way to make it work with just one. You'll learn more and learn faster, trust me!
Such a great teaching style. Comprehensive. Thanks. And my question: Just started a set up with my Fuji GFX and Bowens strobes and remote control. Problem is that my remote control goes into stand by mode only after half a minute (which I need from time to time to change settings or check photos). It's annoying always to press the "CHN" button to reactivate it. Is there something I can do?
Many thanks Gavin. Another great tutorial from you
A great beginner/refresher, Gavin. Thanks!
I thoroughly enjoy your videos Gavin... always keeping it simple enough for us to be able to understand, however also thorough enough to be able to master what you describe.
And the subject you touch are definitely what people need to be able to learn more about.
Thanks, and keep up the magnificent work !
Greetz from sunny Flanders !
Frank
Thanks for the kind words Frank 👍
Fabulous, always great to see your regular topics and approaches on all levels, because despite my apparant years of knowledge and experience, and the rather large collection of modifiers I have accumulated for my speedlites, I still dither and procrastinate on which to get out for the actor and model shoots I do. I always want to get the best possible looks and results that will flatter and please the talent, but still after all these years I have never settled on one preferred modifier. Every shoot I find myself alternating between shoot through umbrellas, reflective umbrellas, no modifer, small softboxes, larger softboxes, bouncing off walls and reflector cards. Not sure if I just like experimenting or if somewhere in all this Im still discovering that the looks from each modifier make a differencce per person and how their skin tone, skin texture,hair, outfit, makeup react with the lighting
Hi John. I think we all dither, switch things up and experiment to some extent. I'm terrible at getting a new modifier, using it far to much and then putting it away for far to long! As long you enjoy your photography it's all good 👍
Amazing!
love learning from this guy. thank you!
Easy one light setup Gavin! Excellent tips. Thank you.
Brilliant as always and love that music too!
Thank you so much, Mr. Hoey! What a class!
The practical theory is really good 👏🏻.
Great video! Simple instruction that guarantees results.
Great stuff!! Thanks Gavin!
Thanks Lisa 👍
Always a plesure to watch your videos Gavin, can't get much easier than this keep it simple is always the best policy if you need to add a tad more light use a reflector first then build from there. Good on you Gavin.
Great simple and easy to understand tutorial!
Superbly explained. Very enjoyable and inspirational.
Great video. We would also like to see video on white balance
super! Thank you Gavin!
Im doing my first studio session tomorrow.
I have two speedlites and one strobe. Im hoping it goes well.
Oh, how I wish i'd seen this years ago. But better late than never. Thanks a bunch, you and your team are doing an excellent job!
Always the best tutorials 👏👏👏
Nice work in the studio Gavin. I commented on your 3 light setup, fantastic. Which left me thinking, I need to revisit all your studio stuff. I have 2 AD200's & 2 Speedlights, umbrellas and stuff. My 3 light shoot turned out well, thank you but I think this video's content will improve my next shoot dramatically. Very helpful stuff, thank you.
Thank you🙏
Excellent! Straight-forward and very well presented! Are you tethered to that tablet in the corner?
I am indeed tethering to my Lenovo Miix Tablet Stephen 👍
Great Presentation. Thanks Gavin, Sophie and Sam! 😎👍🇨🇦
Thanks Alan 👍
Great, as per usual! Thanks Gavin!
Awesome video! About the ambient light; how do you see through the viewfinder when it is completely black without the flash?
Excellent as always.👍
Your looking good Gavin, thank you for video!
Brilliant thanks
Hi Gavin. Thanks for the video. I have one question. When you setup everything, why distance from the subject to your camera doesn’t matter? Thank you.
Good question. Because you're recording the light falling on your subject and that is always the same no matter how far away you are. Technically distance does matter but the sort of distance we works at and the atmospherics in a studio make it irrelevant
Hey Gavin, so I've seen you tether to both the lenovo mix and the Microsoft surface. Which one do you prefer over the other and why? Thanks
How did you get the image to show up on the monitor? What kind of setup is that? Looks very useful.
Talking about transmitters, can I use a transmitter lets say a goddox one, made for canon, and use it in a Nikon camera in manual mode???
Fantastic video. So easy to digest
Great explanation - thank you !
Brilliant Gavin great video.
A very good demonstration, Gavin. Many just beginning to do studio shoots with flash can learn a lot from this one.
I'm now using a recently purchased 60" Vizio Smart TV as a live display, attached as the second monitor display screen of my PC. (small 9 pin to HDMI converter is needed). All of my shots now appear on the TV as well as the photo software on the PC screen. I found that when the model can easily see the result of each shot, that my shots of her improve rapidly. You seem to be doing the same with a very small display. I suggest you go much larger. The Smart TVs of today (OLED) reproduce the colors and image quality very well, once color balanced, although I wouldn't do Photoshop editing on them. I use a camera shot of my color checker and compare the PC screen image of it to the same image on the TV to get the adjustments of the TV close to the same, and close enough for this purpose and more reasonably priced than a true PC monitor that is much smaller.
Hi Charley. It sounds like tethering is an essential tool for both of us. But giving up 60" of wall space in my small home studio is not an option 😉
@@GavinHoey It doesn't need to be 60". Any high resolution newer Smart TV should work, but it needs to be large enough so that the model can see it easily. Letting the model see each photo as it's taken has had a significant improvement in how they look in following shots for me. They just keep getting better and better. You will need to adjust the colors to match your PC monitor as best as you can, though. My laptop is on a computer table behind camera right with my TV on the wall above the laptop. The tether cable goes up to the ceiling from my usual shooting area (with slack), across, and down to the laptop. The TV is on a swinging wall mount, so can be pulled out and angled as needed. For the purpose, your older computer display might even work. I'm just suggesting something larger than your 7" monitor on light stand. My studio is in a former master bedroom suite on the 2nd floor of my home. The shooting room is 19' X 26' with 8' ceiling (my biggest limiting problem). Most shots are when seated for this reason.
tis is so good, realy love the information you give. realy thank you
What would be an equivalent flash trigger to Flashpoint for UK buyers? Great video, easy to follow and loved the touching umbrella tip!😀
Totally enjoy your videos! How are you using the tethering and incorporating the iPad screen in the shoot?
Hi Richard. That's not an iPad, it's not an Android tablet either. That's my Lenovo Miix 2 in 1 laptop / tablet.
What was the material for the background that you used? The one with texture
Thank you Gavin, really useful and well explained video..
how can i look through the viewfinder to find the best pose before shooting? since everything is completely black? do i have to shoot blind? brilliant lesson, thank you very much 😊
I have the exact same question.
Magic great video, thanks
Thank u
Great video, Gavin, as always - question: in order to have the subject evenly illuminated when taking a full length picture, what would you do? Use a bigger modifier? Of course, this would imply changing the distance from the subject, remetering etc… are there any other options?
Distance makes light more even. I guess I'd start there and then work on the size of light to get the shadow definition I'd like. Everything's a compromise of course.