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    STROBIST L E A R N H O W T O L I G H T

    S U N D A Y , M A R C H 1 9 , 2 0 0 6

    Lighting 101

    (Photo by Strobist reader Sam Simon)

    Welcome to Lighting 101. You may not realize it yet, but you have just stepped

    through a door that may change your photography forever.

    Over the past few years, over three million people from nearly every country in the

    world have begun their lighting education right here. And if they can do it, you can

    do it.

    Photography is literally writing with light. As you read through Lighting 101 you'll

    learn how to control every aspect of your electronic flash. If you can imagine it,

    you'll be able to create it.

    http://strobist.blogspot.com/http://strobist.blogspot.com/http://www.flickr.com/photos/shmoolio/3059469680/http://strobist.blogspot.com/
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    You'll learn how to take the removable flash that you probably already have on the

    top of your camera and use it off-camera to make beautiful, more three-

    dimensional photos. Once you learn the basics of controlling light, you'll quickly see

    that most lighting is intuitive, easy and fun.

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    The Good News: The Gear Doesn't Cost Much

    Basic lighting gear is also refreshingly inexpensive. If you have a camera, lens and

    flash you have already done the spendy part. The gear needed to take your light

    off-camera is very inexpensive compared to your camera, your flash or even a

    single lens.

    By getting your flash off-camera, your images become more three-dimensional,

    more textural and more professional looking. All of the photos on this page were

    made by Strobist readers (who very recently may well have been exactly where you

    are right now) just lighting with small flashes.

    Click on a reader's picture to learn a little more about how it was made. (The

    uncredited ones are mine, mostly culled from my career as a staff photojournalist

    at a series of newspapers.) And don't worry if you don't understand the terminology

    yet. You will soon.

    (Photo by Strobist reader Ken Brown)

    The difference between their photos and yours is that they already know how to

    use their flash off camera. They know how to synchronize it with their shutter,

    position it, modify the quality of the light, change the color with gels and tweak

    the balance of exposure between their flashes and available light.

    Which is exactly what you'll soon learn in Lighting 101. That may sound difficult,

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/kenwbrown/462135050/
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    but Ipromise you it isn't.

    (Photo by Strobist reader Benny Smith)

    Learning how to light is incremental, creative and fun. There is almost no math

    involved, nor any difficult technical know-how. In fact, good lighting is less like

    math and more like cooking.

    It's like, you taste the soup and if it needs more salt you add some salt. You'll see

    that when we learn to balance a flash with the existing, ambient light.

    One Quick Favor

    Lighting 101 is totally free. Creating it was a labor of love borne of over 10,000

    completed editorial assignments over 25+ years.

    If you find this type of information to be useful and you have a Google Account

    (like GMail or G+, for instance) please take a moment to click the red "+1" button

    at the bottom of the sidebar on the right side of the page. (If you do not have

    Google+ yet, you might not see it.)

    Your clicking the +1 button on the site helps Google to know we are not spam or

    some crappy content farm, which in turn helps other photographers to find Lighting

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/whoneedsactions/4765246099/
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    101 after you have passed through. You'll be prompted to share if you like, but that

    is totally discretionary. Just your simple act of validating us with a "+1" really

    helps. Thank you!

    Now, lets get started

    NEXT: Understanding Your Flash

    __________

    Brand new to Strobist, or lighting? Start here.Or, jump right into our free Lighting 101 course.Connect: Discussion Threads | Reader Photos | Twitter

    POSTED AT 8:59 PM.

    http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101-start-here.htmlhttp://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/02/welcome-to-strobist.htmlhttp://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.htmlhttp://www.flickr.com/groups/strobist/discuss/http://www.flickr.com/groups/strobist/pool/http://www.twitter.com/strobisthttp://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.htmlhttp://www.blogger.com/email-post.g?blogID=23951026&postID=114282080122338069http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.htmlhttp://www.twitter.com/strobisthttp://www.flickr.com/groups/strobist/pool/http://www.flickr.com/groups/strobist/discuss/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.htmlhttp://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/02/welcome-to-strobist.htmlhttp://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101-start-here.html
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    1 2 1 C O M M E N T S :

    Chad Worthman said...

    Thank you very much for Lighting 101. It's just what I was looking for! I was

    looking for a new way to shoot, without lugging around big lights. Other

    lighting forums I've reviewed disregard small strobes as a viable lighting tool.

    I'll be practising and hopefully successfully applying the techniques you

    teach here.

    Thanks again!

    Chad

    APRIL 15, 2006 11:43 AM

    Anonymous said...

    Just wanted to leave a quick thank you, I have spent a few sleepless nights

    here for the past week, and then got right up in dawn experimenting. This

    has opened up a new dimension in my photography and really is helping me

    getting to that next level.

    I can't imagine how many hours and thought has gone into this, thank god for

    people like you.

    APRIL 25, 2006 1 :30 PM

    baldie said...

    WOW what a great site for us hot shoe strobe users!I was brought to your

    site from photonet...and I have been pouring over the pages again and again

    to see if i missed anything.Thanks to my 15yr old daughters

    (Candice)interest in photography we have gone back to the beginning B&W

    T-MAX,developing our film,and a darkroom to be built in the near future.We

    happen to have a 2 strobes(still with boxes)Vivitar 285HV & Metz CL-45-1

    that will injoy being used ! Sorry to be long winded....Anyway THANKS

    Cliff & Candice

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/chadworthman/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#114511578207021877http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#114598623201022616http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#114598623201022616http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#114511578207021877http://www.flickr.com/photos/chadworthman/
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    MAY 05, 2006 4 :39 PM

    Anonymous said...

    Thanks for the superb resource; this site has provided me with anunderstanding of lighting, something about which I was previously quite

    ignorant. Now all I need to do is practice :-)

    JUNE 15, 2006 5 :31 AM

    Alejandro said...

    I want to say thank you. I don't know how to express my gratitude. Much like

    chad and as a beginner i will use your site as a reference. If you ever write a

    book please do announce it. Your light on the go concept and easiness is

    incredible. I have to practice it very much. Ahh its so jaw dropping. strobes

    are filled with so much power, im just so glad you have taught me how to

    harness it and beam it well. :) Take care. Keep up the fun.

    JULY 12, 2006 7 :26 PM

    Anonymous said...

    Great articles! Thank you, I didn't realize there was so much you could do

    with an external flash, now I'm saving for one...

    JULY 16, 2006 8 :36 PM

    Joanne C.W. Chang said...

    =)

    awsome~!!

    Thank you~

    JULY 19, 2006 8 :39 PM

    Matt said...

    http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#114686159248056613http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#115036390524851689http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#115274677823813685http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#115309660067286002http://www.blogger.com/profile/13705282040540405085http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#115335598674047153http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#115335598674047153http://www.blogger.com/profile/13705282040540405085http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#115309660067286002http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#115274677823813685http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#115036390524851689http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#114686159248056613
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    What a great site! I admit to being intimidated of off-camera lighting set ups

    until reading L-101. Thanks for sharing your knowledge....Second, my father

    just gave me his SB-28 to sell, but even though I shoot Canon (and own a

    580EX), I plan to keep it for off camera use. Is it possible to trigger the 580

    with the SB-28?

    JULY 20, 2006 9 :08 AM

    Davidsaid...

    Good idea to keep the SB-28. You'll need to slave the 580 somehow. Not

    knowing the pin configuration on a 580, I would defer to one of the Canon

    guys for a suggestion.

    Post the question in the strobist discussion thread on Flickr - I am sure you'll

    get specific help there.

    -DH

    JULY 20, 2006 1 :59 PM

    arun said...

    I hardly used to use flash. After reading in strobist for a few months I am

    even making my own macro studio.

    The results are not very good so far. This is my first digital camera and

    having problems with metering the flash.

    I think it would be great if you add another article to lighting 101 on flash

    metering with ambient light mix.

    I use D200 with sb-28.

    SEPTEMBER 15, 2006 10:26 AM

    LAN MAN said...

    http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#115340089046180594http://www.blogger.com/profile/13303290880581288834http://www.blogger.com/profile/13303290880581288834http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#115341834436462671http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#115833036066619905http://lan-guage.com/http://lan-guage.com/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#115833036066619905http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#115341834436462671http://www.blogger.com/profile/13303290880581288834http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#115340089046180594
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    I am an absolute beginner to lighting and a novice to photography. I went

    and purchased a Rebel XTI and the EX580. My question is can I start learning

    about lighting on this site with just these two basic tools? or do I need all

    that extra gear to benefit from this wealth of information on here?

    OCTOBER 04, 2006 1 :57 PM

    Jason said...

    David, your blog has kept me awake many work nights in a row. I've gotten

    fidgety and decided that after months of reading Strobist to actually put the

    knowledge to practice and make the leap into Pocket Wizard-synched off-

    camera flash photography. The initial jump isn't too bad considering Ialready have continuous tungsten lighting equipment (I am an indie

    filmmaker) and really only need the PWs and a Nikon flash for my Canon

    20D. So, I pulled the trigger tonight and I feel better having done so. It's

    time to get serious as a photographer and learn how to light with strobes.

    Thanks for clearing my head, David.

    OCTOBER 17, 2006 4 :35 AM

    Anthony said...

    I just have to say thank you. I discovered your blog yesterday and cannot

    stop reading it. I already have nearly 90 feeds related to design, filmmaking,

    technology and photography in my feedreader, but Strobist is by far the

    most informative sharing of professional knowledge I have ever seen.

    I purchased a SB-800 for my Nikon about a year ago and it still has more

    control over me that I have over it. Strobist has allayed some anxiety I had

    about purchasing an umbrella and requisite accessories and I am anxious to

    start trying out all these techniques I have read.

    I look forward to joining the Flickr group and sharing my results.

    Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

    OCTOBER 27, 2006 4 :05 PM

    http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#115998464558378469http://www.blogger.com/profile/11776533544882699351http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#116107415428960235http://www.flickr.com/photos/boz/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#116197952438440351http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#116197952438440351http://www.flickr.com/photos/boz/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#116107415428960235http://www.blogger.com/profile/11776533544882699351http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#115998464558378469
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    Matt Bennett said...

    I'm confused. The Lighting 101 section seems to advocate a procedure of

    getting a base ambient exposure for aperture and shutter speed and then

    dialing up/down the flash of moving its position. However, all the OnAssignment postings describe doing something different, that is to say

    choosing a power setting for the flash, adjusting aperture until the flash

    looks good and then slowing the shutter until the ambient looks right. Why

    the different accounts?

    NOVEMBER 18, 2006 6 :23 AM

    scott said...A lot of great information here, especially for someone like me, totally

    unfamiliar with this thing called a "strobe" (I only have a Leica MP).

    My point in bringing up Leica is only that people like me are interested in

    strobe work with cameras that don't have any smarts of their own, but it

    seems most of your on assignment examples use the histogram of a camera

    to get the light right.

    I would love to see more writing on how to setup flash using rules of thumb

    and rough calculations, instead of relying on digital cameras. For e.g., I'd

    like to add an almost imperceptible amount of strobe light to help add a bit

    of pop to ambient, low light, wide-angle environmental portraiture. So I am

    concerned about keeping the flash from overpowering these shots.

    Thanks for sharing all your great information.

    NOVEMBER 22, 2006 2 :25 PM

    Dean Parsons said...

    Thanks for all the time and knowledge you've put into Lighting 101 !

    I've learned a lot from this and I'll likely use it as a reference later on as

    well.

    Thanks Again.

    http://www.blogger.com/profile/09358238016211552615http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#116384900454583415http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/sspncr/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#116422355184790769http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#116422355184790769http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/sspncr/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#116384900454583415http://www.blogger.com/profile/09358238016211552615
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    cheers,

    Dean

    DECEMBER 02, 2006 11:45 AM

    Harry Hole said...

    What a fantastic site. And there was me about to invest in some of those

    heavy cumbersome lights that would stay in the boot. Ive read and digested,

    now for boot camp. Great stuff.

    Harry

    DECEMBER 06, 2006 3 :23 PM

    Jan Huniche said...

    Whow !!!.

    Lots of very usefull tips & Tricks.

    A great wish ...

    Was it possible to put together all the articles to one pdf file ?.

    Best regards.

    Jan Huniche

    MARCH 18, 2007 4 :35 AM

    Harry said...Hi, I learned a lot from your blog, thank you! I have a question about a trick

    you used a lot. you often set the camera to its high synch speed and

    explained to let you use the least amount of strobe possible. But I think it

    should let you use the least amount of ambient light, coz strobe light is

    constant as long as you keep shutter speed longer than the sync speed. The

    higher the shutter speed, the less ambient light plays a role. am i right?

    MARCH 26, 2007 12:28 PM

    http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#116507790188448613http://pinholeimages.co.uk/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#116543658157873914http://www.mobilfotografen.dk/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#4721675231083807312http://www.blogger.com/profile/18370892029688325509http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7059376167951928174http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7059376167951928174http://www.blogger.com/profile/18370892029688325509http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#4721675231083807312http://www.mobilfotografen.dk/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#116543658157873914http://pinholeimages.co.uk/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#116507790188448613
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    Glen said...

    Thank you for this!

    MAY 27, 2007 9 :49 PM

    Premier Lighting said...

    Its nice to see a comprehensive post like this. Its good to get a good

    refresher on the tips even for professionals. Im surprised at the stuff I tend

    to forget about.

    JUNE 25, 2007 6 :56 PM

    Gugs said...

    this is the first time I comment this site. I have been lurking for sometime.

    This is one of the best resources there is on the net about lighting and

    photography.

    Gugs from www.fredmiranda.com

    Thanks for maintaining this high quality blog.

    AUGUST 05, 2007 6 :57 AM

    On Stage Lighting said...

    Thanks for this fantastic resource of information. It has given me loads of

    things to think about and to pass on to my aged mother, who is just starting

    digital photography (don't ask) with some good results.

    OCTOBER 10, 2007 3 :06 PM

    belfast_instinctive said...

    This site is amazing. I've recently just got rid of a set of bowens studio

    lights(that incidentally took up an extreme amount of storage space) with all

    the other garb that comes with it, backgrounds etc etc. My photography has

    been sort of stagnating since, but this has given me the kick i need, now i

    know that i was just getting too far ahead of myself with all that expensive

    equipment.

    http://www.blogger.com/profile/10830363240723862272http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#4283550584091328413http://www.shoppremier.com/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#2339239063835271502http://www.blogger.com/profile/14283062190704247660http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#40089011344588113http://www.onstagelighting.co.uk/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#2252376301108087452http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#2252376301108087452http://www.onstagelighting.co.uk/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#40089011344588113http://www.blogger.com/profile/14283062190704247660http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#2339239063835271502http://www.shoppremier.com/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#4283550584091328413http://www.blogger.com/profile/10830363240723862272
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    back to the old school i say!!

    DECEMBER 01, 2007 5 :17 PM

    Ads said...

    Love the 'done that and got the photo' confidence of your recommendations

    and great writing style. And the irony is running into your site while

    searching to buy monolights and (now)old school and uncool studio lighting.

    Looking forward to learning more.

    Adityahttp://sontagraphy.blogspot.com/

    JANUARY 12, 2008 2 :43 AM

    Anonymous said...

    That lighting 101 video by Paul Duncan was probably the most informative

    seven minutes of my entire life. I learned so much from it. I knew some stuff

    by just reading this site a lot, but too actually see demonstrations of themand comparison shots of different light mods really made things much

    clearer for me. This is a must see video for anybody that is getting into off-

    camera lighting. David, this should be placed near the top of the site

    permanently. Very informative!

    MARCH 08, 2008 3 :09 AM

    Akshahkumar Shetty said...Hay David,

    thanks for sharing your knowledge with all of us. I have put together a small

    thanks post at my blog with a quick start guide to Strobisim. Hope many

    more join the moment. Thanks again.

    MARCH 15, 2008 1 :54 PM

    CMM said...

    http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#4499335474098991373http://www.blogger.com/profile/09817713214464990762http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7139397163330116718http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#1008909710431164209http://blog.akshathkumarshetty.com/http://blog.akshathkumarshetty.com/2008/03/15/a-quick-start-guide-to-strobisim/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#4914133541422236486http://www.blogger.com/profile/09398339562338178234http://www.blogger.com/profile/09398339562338178234http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#4914133541422236486http://blog.akshathkumarshetty.com/2008/03/15/a-quick-start-guide-to-strobisim/http://blog.akshathkumarshetty.com/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#1008909710431164209http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7139397163330116718http://www.blogger.com/profile/09817713214464990762http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#4499335474098991373
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    Thanks for that great video, you must have some really good video editing

    software ;)

    Seriously, this is a great intro. I feel much less intimidated by lighting

    already!

    MARCH 24, 2008 2 :01 PM

    Anonymous said...

    This is great! I was looking to learn about studio lighting and this is perfect!

    MARCH 31, 2008 11:49 PM

    Anonymous said...

    I am setting up a home photography studio, and this is exactly what I

    needed. Thanks!

    APRIL 02, 2008 9 :48 PM

    Anonymous said...

    I am setting up a home photo studio, and this is exactly what I needed!

    Thanks!

    Eric

    APRIL 02, 2008 9 :49 PM

    Anonymous said...

    You just saved me from buying one of those studio lighting kits!

    I already have two small flashes. I had no idea hey were this useful as studio

    lighting equipment.

    APRIL 02, 2008 9 :51 PM

    J said...

    http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#3045151614640406225http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#3839979110750099625http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7190061847751482943http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#6702081502269592571http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7087050191710394967http://www.blogger.com/profile/01913456129647803550http://www.blogger.com/profile/01913456129647803550http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7087050191710394967http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#6702081502269592571http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7190061847751482943http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#3839979110750099625http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#3045151614640406225
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    Great tutorial. You will see a lot of links to this article from other forums.

    At my next wedding I plan on bringing a mono light to help light up the

    background a bit more then a strobe. I don't have to worry about batteries

    that way and they can give off a lot of light. For everything else, and

    especially outdoor work, strobes are hard to beat.

    secretsofphotography.blogspot.com/

    APRIL 06, 2008 1 :38 PM

    Eric said...

    Cool! I can use my Canon flash with a Pocket Wizard! (I have three flashes,

    actually: a 580 Ex, and 540 Ex and a 430ex.)

    I was thinking about the new elinchrom skyports, or maybe a gadget infinity.

    But pocketwizard it is!

    APRIL 09, 2008 12:50 AM

    Bazzen said...

    I've just discovered your blog. Thanks a lot for these tips and tutorials. Helps

    me a lot

    MAY 05, 2008 8 :38 PM

    Eric said...

    Great tutorial. Thanks.

    One thing... please turn the background music down as it is hard for me to

    hear your voice.

    :)

    MAY 08, 2008 7 :00 PM

    Barry said...

    http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#6463583108878284885http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/www.yahoo.comhttp://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#812161469727038382http://www.digitalslrcamera.org/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#1722666923289847392http://www.blogger.com/profile/15823692177678010654http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#3527094077293662035http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#3527094077293662035http://www.blogger.com/profile/15823692177678010654http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#1722666923289847392http://www.digitalslrcamera.org/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#812161469727038382http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/www.yahoo.comhttp://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#6463583108878284885
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    David - ok, I'm officially a convert! I have a D80 and an SB600 and like so

    many others, I blindly flipped through the manual, slapped everything on

    auto and snapped away with "less than optimal" results. After finding the

    blog, I just spent an hour playing with my camera, flash and a poor abused

    little wooden box that has now been photographed in a multitude of flash

    settings.

    Wow! Thank you so much. After reading the blog, understanding 1) what I

    was trying to accomplish in my playtime and 2) what the heck the settings

    could do, it really was an hour well spent. Now I can't wait for my next

    opportunity to use a flash!

    MAY 12, 2008 11:26 PM

    alex said...

    I love you man. Don't let those nasty peeps put us down. some people still

    don't believe in these methods but we know the truth. that's all that

    matters. Sorry you have to deal wit harsh nay sayers, but they will always

    exist. I guess we could just ignore them. They probably haven't tried half

    this stuff anyway. Thank you for the lesson. I just don't have the right wordsto share my gratitude for this information.

    MAY 22, 2008 5 :15 AM

    Mark n Manna said...

    Thanks for putting this up for folks like me, Mr. Hobby. This blog has helped

    me understand things that I have noticed in other's photography,but was

    never able to achieve.

    Now I need to get BUSY doing the things you have explained so well!

    MAY 27, 2008 11:51 AM

    Onno said...

    David, I was looking at the photosites I enjoy most and I found out that there

    were new posts on dg28.com. This one was very inventive and could maybe

    be on lighting101: http://www.dg28.com/technique/two_set_ups.htm

    http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#3104116761894543901http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#2845783629263496http://www.blogger.com/profile/02520725864469342733http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#3027586856481092369http://www.flickr.com/photos/88342453@N00/http://www.flickr.com/photos/88342453@N00/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#3027586856481092369http://www.blogger.com/profile/02520725864469342733http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#2845783629263496http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#3104116761894543901
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    Strobist reader Ozine

    JUNE 07, 2008 6 :22 AM

    Alan Coon said...

    Thank you for sharing this information. Found it very helpful for what I am

    trying to do.

    JUNE 10, 2008 11:38 AM

    Sony Alpha said...

    Thank you very much for Lighting 101. this site has provided me with an

    understanding of lighting, It's just what I was looking for!

    JUNE 13, 2008 6 :50 PM

    mcwatersfly said...

    Awesome! Thank You for sharing!!

    JULY 01, 2008 9 :55 PM

    Anonymous said...

    I found a site with some pretty inexpensive prices. I am on the other side of

    the camera (the model) but I know how important lighting is. This site has

    many tools (lighting, filters, clamp mounts,Gels, Digital SLR Remote and

    such) I wish I knew more about lighting to experiment but I leave that to the

    Pro's. Go to the other categories too like: Flashlights, and DIY tools theyhave some neat gadgets I am sure someone would find useful. Just letting ya

    know and wanted to tell ya to keep up the good work! =}

    Erica

    This is the home page and the other go straight to camera categories which

    is I think under hobbies:

    http://www.dealextreme.com/default.dx/r.69437590

    www.dealextreme.com/products.dx/category.806~r.69437590

    http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#2476995215992242241http://www.betterlightingdesign.com/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#2248572567381676645http://sony-alpha.org/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#1711387482781847685http://openid.aol.com/mcwatersflyhttp://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#6678754269932944491http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#6678754269932944491http://openid.aol.com/mcwatersflyhttp://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#1711387482781847685http://sony-alpha.org/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#2248572567381676645http://www.betterlightingdesign.com/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#2476995215992242241
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    .........oh you get rebates also depending who you tell about the site and

    what they buy which is kinda cool not much but hey every little helps =].

    They have other stuff besides camera equipment too.

    JULY 07, 2008 11:36 PM

    Eric said...

    There is a ripoff site in the UK called strobistonline, or strobist online or

    something, but this is the original Strobist and everyone knows it.

    JULY 14, 2008 11:53 AM

    Anonymous said...

    Hi, it seems that the youtube video is no longer available :-(.

    JULY 17, 2008 12:39 AM

    Kingsley said...

    Hi David,

    Firstly just a great big thank you. For everything you have done with

    "Strobist" I've been lurking in the background since the begining and have

    just been amazed and your generosity and wisdom. Thank you.

    Now, the second reason is to share my first attempt at off camera manual

    shooting - and doing it in a funky way... the background was a straw

    cream.... the result... http://theboystravel.blogspot.com/2008/07/too-much-flashing.html

    Again thank you very much for the journey to date, looking forward to more.

    With warm regards

    Kingsley

    http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#5730924961396434932http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#510765032607626499http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#3921477438915166516http://www.blogger.com/profile/06553214367234803641http://www.blogger.com/profile/06553214367234803641http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#3921477438915166516http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#510765032607626499http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#5730924961396434932
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    Perth, Western Australia

    PS just finished the DVD's and its awesome!

    JULY 22, 2008 6 :08 AM

    Barnacle said...

    i have been reading and absorbing all this site offers and i don't think i have

    ever said thank you!

    so,, thank you!!

    JULY 31, 2008 7 :26 PM

    Robert Miller said...

    A great little video packed with information, you did a great job.

    AUGUST 14, 2008 8 :47 PM

    Peter S said...

    Thanks for the very informative video. This has been a great help in reducing

    the size of my location kit.

    OCTOBER 11, 2008 2 :36 PM

    Andy T said...

    This site is what I have been looking for... Right on! Thank you! I Wish I

    would have found this site 2 weeks ago but found it now. I got all but the

    umbrella. I will have to order a couple of those... a couple of days ago I

    ordered a soft box. I will be getting that today so I will start experimentingtonight. yea!

    OCTOBER 31, 2008 11:29 AM

    Sterling Hancock Photography said...

    all this off camera lighting stuff is a lot simpler than it sounds. its a little

    daunting reading about it in all these tutorials with terms that are foreign to

    you.

    http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#6431308664783076696http://www.blogger.com/profile/05869798449884415793http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#3073685155625479424http://www.blogger.com/profile/16428668377596272050http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#3194164124412296067http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/www.fotoeire.comhttp://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#1801550619955900655http://mammothafterdark.com/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7104238618479047974http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7104238618479047974http://mammothafterdark.com/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#1801550619955900655http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/www.fotoeire.comhttp://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#3194164124412296067http://www.blogger.com/profile/16428668377596272050http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#3073685155625479424http://www.blogger.com/profile/05869798449884415793http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#6431308664783076696
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    my advice: go out, buy some pocket wizards, a nice light stand, flash

    bracket, and umbrella, and just experiment. youll get the hang of it. the

    best way to learn is to just do it and practice practice practice. when you

    experiment you discover new things. its really not hard at all.

    NOVEMBER 05, 2008 9 :37 PM

    kessler.aj said...

    This is spectacular. Thanks for taking the time to publish this material. As

    someone whose never seriously used lighting, your efforts are tremendously

    appreciated.

    NOVEMBER 22, 2008 10:08 PM

    fotografie.peter said...

    This is amazing.

    Many thanks for this information!

    Keep up the good work.

    Greetz from a great fan and also a professional freelance photographer from

    Belgium (Europe)

    NOVEMBER 28, 2008 2 :36 PM

    HBY said...

    Thanks a lot for sharing with us all this informations.

    Great video.

    DECEMBER 16, 2008 8 :35 AM

    Tiger Cosmos Photography said...

    Just received your Strobist Lighting Seminar. I read your site all the time -

    101 & 102. But seeing the set-up, the progression, your discussion. Well

    worth the money! The bonus DVDs really pull it all together. Great work! I

    http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#2576287801430951311http://www.blogger.com/profile/00137417270997938683http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#8002407002420422496http://www.blogger.com/profile/15620185242240942453http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#8939217582961116129http://www.blogger.com/profile/02257236313620392058http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#905590117397741418http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265760498044538392http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265760498044538392http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#905590117397741418http://www.blogger.com/profile/02257236313620392058http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#8939217582961116129http://www.blogger.com/profile/15620185242240942453http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#8002407002420422496http://www.blogger.com/profile/00137417270997938683http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#2576287801430951311
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    will go back to these a few times as they are so loaded with great

    techniques.

    DECEMBER 16, 2008 10:25 PM

    1downfall said...

    excellent read here. Look forward to trying some of the techniques out!

    thank you!

    DECEMBER 17, 2008 7 :44 AM

    Oberazzi said...

    I have learned more from Strobist than any other source.

    The tricky bit for me is that I am visually impaired (legally blind). So I have

    had to adapt the Strobist approach for my eyesight. I have been posting

    about it on my blog. If you, or anyone reading this, has any interest or ideas,

    please come by and comment.

    The folks on the Strobist Flickr group have been very helpful.

    DECEMBER 18, 2008 3 :13 PM

    Sheralle said...

    I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I

    would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have

    enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

    Deborah

    Term Life Insurance

    JANUARY 16, 2009 12:20 AM

    Supermance said...

    http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#8221448745696491061http://www.blogger.com/profile/15008837220436709035http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#4145374033753576489http://www.blogger.com/profile/11431527972383878460http://www.timobrienphotos.com/tag/strobist/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#6698817718877595708http://www.blogger.com/profile/04339686077178923275http://termlifeinsurance2.com/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#4711950782260683541http://www.novickarija.com/http://www.novickarija.com/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#4711950782260683541http://termlifeinsurance2.com/http://www.blogger.com/profile/04339686077178923275http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#6698817718877595708http://www.timobrienphotos.com/tag/strobist/http://www.blogger.com/profile/11431527972383878460http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#4145374033753576489http://www.blogger.com/profile/15008837220436709035http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#8221448745696491061
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    this for this, im a newbie to lighting, so much valuable article about lighting

    article here. keep it up :)

    FEBRUARY 03, 2009 10:14 PM

    Anonymous said...

    hahah nice one. with the female & male

    FEBRUARY 16, 2009 9 :44 AM

    Andy said...

    David - I very much appreciated that short video, both for the educational

    content and for the excellent deadpan humor.

    -Andy

    APRIL 03, 2009 1 :27 AM

    Anonymous said...

    David,

    Just purchased and finished watching the DVDs from your seminar.

    Absolutely great stuff. I really enjoyed the tips and techniques.

    Your sunflower and macro material helped me get inspired to stretch beyond

    the macro ring light.

    Shooting with an A700 makes it a bit more of challange in the geardepartment as I will be looking for generic vs sony light solutions.

    Thanks again

    Bob

    JUNE 14, 2009 9 :46 PM

    Shreyasi n Arindam said...

    http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7802052943538181469http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#4132028705380450998http://www.blogger.com/profile/06586116805276473590http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7264649439396943970http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#2214337614611974270http://www.blogger.com/profile/14291799676066949382http://www.blogger.com/profile/14291799676066949382http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#2214337614611974270http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7264649439396943970http://www.blogger.com/profile/06586116805276473590http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#4132028705380450998http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7802052943538181469
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    David,

    Like everyone else I must say the details you provided is just phenomenal.

    Now I exactly know what I can do with what gadgets.

    Thanks a bunch

    JUNE 17, 2009 1 :34 PM

    Morten said...

    Thank you thank you thank you. This is just what Ive been looking for. I

    cant wait to get some new gear and start tryig with umberellas andreflectors

    JUNE 19, 2009 2 :04 PM

    AuBit said...

    Thanks for the short but very informative video about lighting!

    JUNE 19, 2009 6 :59 PM

    Simon said...

    Thankyou so much for creating this resource!

    I couldn't get the video to work at first - but I found that if you're using

    FireFox on the Mac, try opening the page in Safari instead.

    JUNE 27, 2009 4 :53 PM

    Karen said...

    Thanks so much! This is awesome and exactly what I'm needing.

    JULY 03, 2009 2 :09 PM

    Cafe Marly said...

    Light makes our life brighter and funner.

    http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#699031956232905969http://www.blogger.com/profile/12419933512540775707http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#443943442179333869http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#1737997577725965915http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#491966724522554006http://www.topshelfink.com/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#8770545522581798802http://www.cafemarly.com/http://www.cafemarly.com/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#8770545522581798802http://www.topshelfink.com/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#491966724522554006http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#1737997577725965915http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#443943442179333869http://www.blogger.com/profile/12419933512540775707http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#699031956232905969
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    JULY 25, 2009 4 :40 AM

    JonRyan said...

    hey... i have an old novatron 500 plus set up... i need to know the best wayto sync it with my 50d.... it did come with a slave... but im not having any

    luck syncing it... ideas?

    JULY 30, 2009 1 :38 AM

    Ed Leadership said...

    nice lighting guide, thanks for sharing. This is what i looking for to my final

    exam.

    AUGUST 04, 2009 1 :22 AM

    Parkwa said...

    Hi everyone. I recently started reading this series and am making all the

    purchases to really expand my off camera lighting. I thought I would share

    some info to make things easier for others who are shopping for items in the

    UK.

    I've looked through loads of websites trying to find the equipment and at the

    best prices but please don't moan if the prices have now changed.

    These are narrowed down to only a few options but this is after much

    research and thought.

    Light stand: Interfit COR751

    First Call Photographic - 37.99

    Hilton Photographic - 39.99

    Fotosense - 37.18

    Karlu.com - 34.99

    Studio Kit direct - 39.78

    Light stand: Manfrotto Nano001TeamWork Photo & Digital - 36

    http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#6256171564404075737http://www.blogger.com/profile/11765068778190520793http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#2532677945120587015http://www.ed-leadership.com/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#1400023000438203490http://www.blogger.com/profile/11082769047529402463http://www.blogger.com/profile/11082769047529402463http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#1400023000438203490http://www.ed-leadership.com/http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#2532677945120587015http://www.blogger.com/profile/11765068778190520793http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#6256171564404075737
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    Robert White - 38

    Umbrella Holder: Manfrotto 026

    Calumet Photo - 18.99

    Team Work Photo - 25

    Robert White - 23

    The Flash Centre - 27

    Fotosense - 18.95

    Karlu.com - 24.99

    Warehouse Express - 18.59

    There are cheaper umbrella holders available such as the Interfit Strobiesversion and the Calumet holder with hot shoe included, but apparently these

    do not have the umbrella holder hole at an angle so are not designed as well

    as the manfrotto option.

    Flash Shoe: Manfrotto 143S

    Fotosense - 8.05

    Karlu.com - 9.75

    Umbrella: Dual Duty Silver / Black / White

    Calumet Photo - 37.98

    Team Work Photo - 33

    Karlu - 29.35

    Now, which to shop from? I compared the prices for various stores including

    the delivery charges and finding out how much the prices change once the

    VAT is actually added on (a very annoying feature of some websites).

    I originally ordered all my things from Crazy Cameras.com but I have not

    listed them above because everyone should avoid them like the plague. They

    seem to be a Philipino company shipping items via California (if they ever do

    ship). I have read numerous bad reviews about them and am currently trying

    to get my money refunded. They also take the money from your card the

    moment you order, regardless of whether they have the items in stock, and

    even if they don't dispatch for up to a month.

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    The best company that I found - for prices and customer service is

    karlu.com

    The staff were very helpful and the prices are up there with the cheapest.

    I'll let you know if things change for the worse, but at the moment, I just

    wanted to share my experiences to save other people the time I spent in

    searching through loads of different sites and wasting time with a terrible

    company.

    Best of luck everyone with the strobing and thanks very much to David for

    this awesome informative blog

    AUGUST 20, 2009 4 :33 PM

    Florida Strobists said...

    Hey David, I would love to get more strobist starting up in South Florida, but

    with the commercialization of the strobist movement, prices are sky

    rocketing to the point where going the ebay monolight route is cheaper. If

    there's ANY way you can put together a fully functional kit (2 lights,wireless) for under $150, and pitch it to a sponsor, it'd sell ridiculously.

    I assembled a basic one here which should get the job done with JUST

    enough power.

    http://floridastrobists.blogspot.com/2009/11/cheap-strobist-kit.html

    Let me know what you think (I now use the yn460 as a backlight, it's reliable

    and it seems they fixed all the kinks out)

    Thanks for everything you do,

    -BM

    NOVEMBER 16, 2009 8 :06 PM

    Jignesh said...

    http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#4909125003105303414http://www.blogger.com/profile/18119080984835082668http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#6755405158202079607http://www.blogger.com/profile/01459262317559598519http://www.blogger.com/profile/01459262317559598519http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#6755405158202079607http://www.blogger.com/profile/18119080984835082668http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#4909125003105303414
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    Can't thank you much.. So happy I found this link from some Flickr

    Discussion. I am wanted to start taking pictures with my D70s and D90 with

    additional lights. Learning everything by experience and from online blogs.

    This helped me most. Thank you again. I will be reading lot more here now.

    DECEMBER 21, 2009 12:56 PM

    marc said...

    This "lighting 101" might just go down in history. Classic resource that always

    has something new. Great job!

    JANUARY 11, 2010 4 :54 PM

    disjecta said...

    I know I'll probably get shot for asking this because I have a feeling I'm far

    from the first.

    I have a Canon ST-E2 and a 480EXII and I want to add another slave flash. I'm

    on a slim budget so the Vivitar 285hv looks like a good option. I realize I

    would have to use this in manual mode but what do I need to make itcommunicate with the ST-E2?

    FEBRUARY 12, 2010 2 :34 PM

    john said...

    Just an unbelievable amount of info here. I'm taking a lighting class at

    college and this is a great supplement

    and learning resource. Thanks so much. John

    MARCH 25, 2010 9 :45 PM

    Craig said...

    Thank you so much for this! The presentation of your tutorials makes this a

    lot less intimidating for beginning strobist like myself. I've been into DSLR

    photog for about a year and a half. I started out with a Nikon D60 and

    upgraded about a month ago to the D90. I am picking up an SB-600 within

    http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#5428965778148979918http://www.blogger.com/profile/07413069870451529107http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#8563190252619417713http://www.blogger.com/profile/02251137249349538024http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#138293793174618971http://www.blogger.com/profile/17464168793269873835http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#1326778155015675152http://www.blogger.com/profile/01035202901641005987http://www.blogger.com/profile/01035202901641005987http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#1326778155015675152http://www.blogger.com/profile/17464168793269873835http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#138293793174618971http://www.blogger.com/profile/02251137249349538024http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#8563190252619417713http://www.blogger.com/profile/07413069870451529107http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#5428965778148979918
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    the next couple of days and look forward to experimenting!

    Thanks!!

    MARCH 27, 2010 4 :35 PM

    Linda Armstrong said...

    Thank you so much for this terrific resource!

    MARCH 30, 2010 2 :07 PM

    Food.By Mark. said...

    Again and again, I find myself coming back here for reference. What a

    superb resource! Thank you.

    APRIL 28, 2010 6 :24 AM

    Beth said...

    Thank you. I know it's been said many times already, and probably not even

    close to enough, but thank you for posting Lighting 101. I jumped from aused D70 bought Sept 2008 to a D300s, purchased in Feb 2010.

    In a very short year and a half I've gone from P - that means Panning, right?

    to shooting full time manual, and getting results. I've acquired a SB800 flash

    and am trying to get the hang of making event photography look as good as a

    staged shoot. Reading your blog has made me think and learn, and today was

    THE day, when I looked at a photo of a baby in arms, and thought, hmm,

    there was strong light coming from off camera right, and probably some kind

    of bounced light from the left, which is why there are gentle highlights.Kind of an AHA! moment - and those come too seldom.

    Thank you.

    MAY 07, 2010 2 :19 AM

    Japanese said...

    Hello & Thank you for your very useful video.

    I do have a problem though. I did followed (i hope) the guidelines but i still

    http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#8585408944329916466http://www.blogger.com/profile/04194576722935106134http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#8065504315600169428http://www.blogger.com/profile/11115266124151871647http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#2347899257379855229http://www.blogger.com/profile/02873370146590480827http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#4635944105566913763http://www.blogger.com/profile/13083555540341560783http://www.blogger.com/profile/13083555540341560783http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#4635944105566913763http://www.blogger.com/profile/02873370146590480827http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#2347899257379855229http://www.blogger.com/profile/11115266124151871647http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#8065504315600169428http://www.blogger.com/profile/04194576722935106134http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#8585408944329916466
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    can not get my strobe to work.

    I got the lamp tripod, the hot shoe, the strobe, the radio trigger and the

    umbrella but i think there must be something i'm missing because i can not

    get my strobe to work.. hmmm. Any ideas???? Your reaction is more than

    welcome!!!!

    Thanks in advance.

    Maria

    MAY 10, 2010 11:26 AM

    Alan said...

    Hi. I shoot with a D-90 and have a SB-600. I've been considering buying a 300

    w/s monolight with stand, umbrella, battery pack, etc. but wonder how

    much I'd actually use it. I enjoy stills and macro around the house but also

    enjoy attempting "artsy" shots and macro outdoors. My main issue is getting

    the lighting/shadows right with stills and macro.

    I need help trying to figure out the best bang for my buck. Would I end up

    using the monolight more once I use it or would I get more use out of asecond SB-600 along with a stand and umbrela? Thanks!

    JUNE 02, 2010 7 :20 PM

    Alan said...

    Hi. I shoot with a D-90 and have a SB-600. I've been considering buying a 300

    w/s monolight with stand, umbrella, battery pack, etc. but wonder how

    much I'd actually use it. I enjoy stills and macro around the house but also

    enjoy attempting "artsy" shots and macro outdoors. My main issue is getting

    the lighting/shadows right with stills and macro.

    I need help trying to figure out the best bang for my buck. Would I end up

    using the monolight more once I use it or would I get more use out of a

    second SB-600 along with an umbrella and stand? Thanks!

    JUNE 02, 2010 7 :20 PM

    http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7347206097070872339http://www.blogger.com/profile/14726596657481904481http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#8412075851489807502http://www.blogger.com/profile/14726596657481904481http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#5130086719447969741http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#5130086719447969741http://www.blogger.com/profile/14726596657481904481http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#8412075851489807502http://www.blogger.com/profile/14726596657481904481http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7347206097070872339
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    LilyPetals said...

    David,

    Thank you doesn't even begin to cover it. I would have considered myself apro before. Your site is life changing (like thrice already). Things that I never

    thought of - things I never knew to think of - this I wish I'd known to think of.

    WOW!

    SEPTEMBER 29, 2010 2 :19 PM

    Miller said...

    David,Your blog has been extremely useful in learning all about lighting for

    photography. Just wanted to say "Thank you"! If you have a chance check out

    my work and let me know what you think. Thanks!

    Miller

    http://www.millermobley.com

    OCTOBER 12, 2010 8 :27 PM

    Connor Walberg said...

    David,

    In the 2nd comment you mention "spending several years not knowing this

    stuff when you first started out". It's awesome that your educating

    photographers on the subjects that you didn't know up front. I do a similar

    thing on my blog, and have an article with the top 20 things I wish I had

    known from day one. I thought readers here may find it helpful, so here's a

    link to the post: http://bit.ly/b93Djj

    OCTOBER 20, 2010 6 :30 PM

    Sharna said...

    I just wanted to say thank you for doing what you are doing to help the

    newbs! No words can describe the gratitude I feel for all your help and all

    http://www.blogger.com/profile/10551698503654725672http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#9167303512659996750http://www.blogger.com/profile/02010875818844631381http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7038434568457302682http://www.blogger.com/profile/16001680024428324193http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#5185093027397392413http://www.blogger.com/profile/09475900735000655014http://www.blogger.com/profile/09475900735000655014http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#5185093027397392413http://www.blogger.com/profile/16001680024428324193http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7038434568457302682http://www.blogger.com/profile/02010875818844631381http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#9167303512659996750http://www.blogger.com/profile/10551698503654725672
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    the help I've gotten from the strobist group on flickr. It's truly amazing to me

    that there are still people out there who are willing to help without getting

    paid for it. Thank you! Bless you!

    Sharna

    OCTOBER 29, 2010 9 :58 PM

    Julie said...

    I just wanted to say thank you for sharing this information with the world. I

    just watched your short intro to lighting video, and already know I am going

    to learn a lot from your posts.

    Thanks

    NOVEMBER 18, 2010 6 :01 PM

    Lillian said...

    Thank you for this post. It was fantastic. Very well explained and easy to

    understand. I appreciate you taking the time to show us all this information.Thanks again!

    JANUARY 08, 2011 8 :27 PM

    Raquel said...

    Hi, it's my first here and an amateur in strobe. It would be nice if you can

    install a search button here. It is much easier to find a specific topic. I have

    so much questions and I know most of the answers are all here but it's awaste of time to dig the whole archives. To be specific, I am looking for

    family group lighting tips.

    Thank you for all the tips.

    JANUARY 09, 2011 8 :05 AM

    allled said...

    http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7866957155987462750http://www.blogger.com/profile/08278540932042805598http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#8906783604954231610http://www.blogger.com/profile/10087828150657603899http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#4072410192590659979http://www.blogger.com/profile/01730909003145851577http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#5114307821348491089http://www.blogger.com/profile/18418017608935468989http://www.blogger.com/profile/18418017608935468989http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#5114307821348491089http://www.blogger.com/profile/01730909003145851577http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#4072410192590659979http://www.blogger.com/profile/10087828150657603899http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#8906783604954231610http://www.blogger.com/profile/08278540932042805598http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7866957155987462750
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    thanks for the video.

    APRIL 27, 2011 9 :28 AM

    Corporate Nomad said...

    Hi -

    I've read through the 101 series, and I've learned great deal of in techniques

    and knowledge about strobes.

    As I am about to put together my kit, I found that a lot of the products

    mentioned are not compatible with Sony's Alpha cameras. Now I'm frustratedand overwhelmed.

    Are there resources on Alpha compatible flash gear?

    MAY 14, 2011 3 :26 PM

    C J said...

    Love this blog!!!!!!!!

    JUNE 01, 2011 4 :19 PM

    Param Aggarwal said...

    101st comment! Yay, great tutorial. Very nice.

    JUNE 06, 2011 5 :05 AM

    Tam Steele Daly said...

    Hi,

    I would like to link you to a easy-to-follow tutorial on how to cross-light AND

    overpower the sun....with one speedlight

    The link is - http://wp.me/pIydu-9j

    Kindest regards

    http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#4466667932943622286http://www.blogger.com/profile/06040633287831100438http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#6382648348227913982http://www.blogger.com/profile/06633873858601311276http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7885032619082708685http://www.blogger.com/profile/15871989080348478242http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#5802682201353203697http://www.blogger.com/profile/17767999565365497884http://www.blogger.com/profile/17767999565365497884http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#5802682201353203697http://www.blogger.com/profile/15871989080348478242http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7885032619082708685http://www.blogger.com/profile/06633873858601311276http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#6382648348227913982http://www.blogger.com/profile/06040633287831100438http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#4466667932943622286
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    JULY 08, 2011 4 :25 AM

    T.bias said...

    Your Lighting 101 has made me explore an entirely new aspect ofphotography as I have nearly avoided all flash photography.

    That being said, I would love to have the entire Lighting 101 as a PDF for

    when I don't have a net connection (e.g., flying or in the field) to read and

    reference. Any plans to compile this into something we can download or

    purchase? If not, I would highly recommend it!

    OCTOBER 30, 2011 9 :42 AM

    Kharen said...

    This site is amazing! Photography is not a simple thing, but with techniques

    & information provided by Lighting 101, it surely is fun and wonderful! I'll

    keep updated!

    DECEMBER 28, 2011 9 :03 PM

    Elle said...

    THANK YOU! I did indeed have my umbrella/flash set wrong (but not the

    spectacularly wrong one, thank goodness) - much appreciated - and I am

    looking forward to watching more.

    JANUARY 03, 2012 3 :15 PM

    Elle said...

    THANK YOU! I did indeed have my flash/umbrella set up wrong! (but not the

    specactularly wrong one, thank goodness) Your videos and time are much

    appreciated! - Elle

    JANUARY 03, 2012 3 :17 PM

    Casey Wise said...

    http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#391612611771567137http://www.blogger.com/profile/00105689233539087790http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#6425772971474290296http://www.blogger.com/profile/02620340163524278783http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#3531948958572779263http://www.blogger.com/profile/13534012002727418440http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#4758180281939407421http://www.blogger.com/profile/13534012002727418440http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#3363198585864539668http://www.blogger.com/profile/00956911147462079519http://www.blogger.com/profile/00956911147462079519http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#3363198585864539668http://www.blogger.com/profile/13534012002727418440http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#4758180281939407421http://www.blogger.com/profile/13534012002727418440http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#3531948958572779263http://www.blogger.com/profile/02620340163524278783http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#6425772971474290296http://www.blogger.com/profile/00105689233539087790http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#391612611771567137
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    Oh boy, that was the best 7 minutes I've spent in months. Stacks of thanks

    for making and sharing this video!

    FEBRUARY 07, 2012 1 :15 PM

    pattij said...

    I want to thank you for your info on using a D70 which I found on your DVD

    Lighting seminar copyrighted 2008. Old I know but very useful to get back to

    the beginning. I have an old D50 which I was on the point of giving away

    when I saw the DVD. It shoots using speedlights up to 650s. Here is the link

    to the shot I took trying this out. Masses of sunlight pouring through a

    window in a basement flat (English for Appartment).http://www.pjwebbphoto.com/strobist-tip-that-worked

    The reason this is so fantastic is I am going to Myanmar and I was going to

    buy a good compact, as well as my D300s to be less conspicuous. Now I can

    take out the D50 and use speedlights in bright sunlight, which there will be

    lots of. So thank you, thank you.

    FEBRUARY 16, 2012 4 :02 AM

    C. Elenbaas said...

    Thank you so much for putting this together! After purchasing a flash and

    never having my pictures turn out by looking over these posts I have learned

    so much! Thanks!!

    APRIL 13, 2012 3 :00 PM

    Mike McClelland said...i've been a strobist for about half a year, and i still love telling other

    photographers about this "house built by david". others have blogged about

    it, but nobody makes it as non-threatening. thank you for making off camera

    lighting such an approachable, fun subject!

    APRIL 19, 2012 11:18 AM

    Clark Schierle said...

    http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#6390335347222224781http://www.blogger.com/profile/03376441607850974431http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#1465102620915331946http://www.blogger.com/profile/04214027177437898917http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#8560738342018419328http://www.blogger.com/profile/06155487986812968599http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#9070304512140964520http://www.blogger.com/profile/17268152049484078988http://www.blogger.com/profile/17268152049484078988http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#9070304512140964520http://www.blogger.com/profile/06155487986812968599http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#8560738342018419328http://www.blogger.com/profile/04214027177437898917http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#1465102620915331946http://www.blogger.com/profile/03376441607850974431http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#6390335347222224781
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    What happened to the video? Am I crazy or is this where the little video intro

    to speedlights, umbrella adapters, snoots, grids and gobos used to live? Is

    there another source for it? I have directed many friends here for the quick

    intro to the equipment. The flickr slide show is pretty spectacular

    inspiration, but I think the video served a purpose as well.

    APRIL 20, 2012 4 :13 PM

    David Hobbysaid...

    @Clark-

    You're not crazy. (Well, you MIGHT be crazy, but not because of this.)

    L101 gets updated periodically. And I felt it was long time to point some

    energy back at the readers. The video you are looking for can be found here.

    -DH

    APRIL 20, 2012 5 :10 PM

    David Hobbysaid...

    @Clark

    p.s. FWIW, I am gonna reinsert it a little later into the L101 stream, closer

    to the relevant info.

    -DH

    APRIL 20, 2012 5 :14 PM

    C. Elenbaas said...

    Thank you so much for putting this together and breaking everything down

    into easy lessons that clearly demonstrate how light works and that it can be

    an option to photographers on a lower budget!

    APRIL 24, 2012 9 :47 AM

    http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#3235528828159721215http://www.blogger.com/profile/13303290880581288834http://www.blogger.com/profile/13303290880581288834http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKAD7leNOVYhttp://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#5757912432831517031http://www.blogger.com/profile/13303290880581288834http://www.blogger.com/profile/13303290880581288834http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7393752096787238830http://www.blogger.com/profile/04214027177437898917http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#8381989019105386986http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#8381989019105386986http://www.blogger.com/profile/04214027177437898917http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7393752096787238830http://www.blogger.com/profile/13303290880581288834http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#5757912432831517031http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKAD7leNOVYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13303290880581288834http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#3235528828159721215
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    www.stephaneevras.com said...

    Hello David, Thanks for sharing all your lighting knowledge. I learned a lot

    from you.

    APRIL 29, 2012 4 :41 AM

    dbdigitographer said...

    I think I've found the cure for my strobeophobia in your Lighting 101 course.

    Thanks!!

    I'd love a single page with links to each lesson so that I can go directly to a

    lesson that I want to review. If such a page exists, would you please post thelink to it?

    APRIL 29, 2012 11:37 AM

    David Hobbysaid...

    Check the drop down menu on the sidebar.

    APRIL 29, 2012 5 :33 PM

    Clark Schierle said...

    @DH Thanks for the pointer to the vid. Thank you so much for the world that

    has been opened up to me and countless others by this site. Glad I wasn't

    going crazy... although my wife might beg to differ since she keeps coming

    home to find me taking countless photos of our dog/ orchids/ random shoe

    while handholding a gridded SB-800.

    MAY 01, 2012 12:04 AM

    Cynthia L. Hofmann Orsetti said...

    Hello All,

    I would like to know what flash could I buy for my Pentax Kr camera, so I can

    take professional pictures on discoteques or very dark places.

    Thanks a lot for your help

    http://www.blogger.com/profile/13754780943183643081http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#3868982539854940272http://www.blogger.com/profile/01355335876487728190http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7961143816686852057http://www.blogger.com/profile/13303290880581288834http://www.blogger.com/profile/13303290880581288834http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#1391563383488364946http://www.blogger.com/profile/17268152049484078988http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#3882340306521419551http://www.blogger.com/profile/03438462235245277626http://www.blogger.com/profile/03438462235245277626http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#3882340306521419551http://www.blogger.com/profile/17268152049484078988http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#1391563383488364946http://www.blogger.com/profile/13303290880581288834http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7961143816686852057http://www.blogger.com/profile/01355335876487728190http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#3868982539854940272http://www.blogger.com/profile/13754780943183643081
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    C

    JUNE 15, 2012 5 :57 AM

    fl said...

    Thanks for this into to lighting. I read it. and then read it again. and then

    headed outside to take photos of trains at night:

    http://ihearttrains.us/night-train/boston-maine-railroad-at-night/

    JULY 20, 2012 10:19 AM

    Davidson Meds said...

    Wonderful update, now and only now I can understand why you said :"just

    walk through the lighting101 and you will see", now I see, wonderful job and

    I have finished the two parts 101&102 just two months ago, this new update

    is a very good intro to what will really happen in progress I'm in my 2nd tour

    of reading and deciphering the elements of how to light. Thank you very

    much

    but the only a thing I regret in my learning curve is that I was directed to

    this blog over a year ago, but I preferred to read books , books and magz but

    this blog shortcuts many of things I spent a huge amount of my poor time

    after them. Now I can't stop checking this blog at least once a three days.

    SEPTEMBER 06, 2012 3 :36 PM

    Frank Kruller said...Lighting 101 is awesome. Your writing style is down to earth and is totally

    demystifying. Awesome!

    SEPTEMBER 16, 2012 4 :20 PM

    Heather Nilson said...

    I just noticed the 101 revamp on my umpteenth visit. This is great--even

    more clear and accessible. I'm once again amazed at your ability to deliver

    http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7438799238197540006http://www.blogger.com/profile/18188741609816431572http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7492333169190224565http://www.blogger.com/profile/12545674119376746696http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7861174368835947953http://www.blogger.com/profile/00192986561533199511http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#3290729008781687568http://www.blogger.com/profile/13294006470121386020http://www.blogger.com/profile/13294006470121386020http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#3290729008781687568http://www.blogger.com/profile/00192986561533199511http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7861174368835947953http://www.blogger.com/profile/12545674119376746696http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7492333169190224565http://www.blogger.com/profile/18188741609816431572http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html#7438799238197540006
  • 7/28/2019 #01 Lighting 101 - Intro

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    content that is hugely instructive, motivating, AND entertaining, twice (or

    more) per week for years. And then you go back and improve the older stuff

    even more! Bravo, and I can't thank you enough. I really am grateful for

    Strobist.

    SEPTEMBER 19, 2012 10:43 AM

    ABWC said...

    This site is an off-the-charts, outstanding piece of work. A million thanks; I

    feel my mission now is to contribute something back to the community

    here... stay tuned !

    OCTOBER 08, 2012 8 :41 PM

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