365:66 Clicketty-click

So, it is a vile day and an ideal opportunity for studio work. I wanted my 365 to be a learning experience and I knew that at some point I would plan in a week of learning with my Speedlite.

I know nothing - less than nothing - about flash photography. I bought a speedlite a while ago and managed to set it up to test that it was working. It has never been used to take a photograph. Why not use a flash to freeze motion and capture my fingers doing a snap? (The bingo call for 66 being clicketty-click)

I set up simply to fix a focus and check that the flash was working on top of the camera. My mannequin hand filled in as a stand-in model. I took a few shots on 2 secs delay remote and it all worked out OK. Very harsh shadows as might be expected.

The next step was to remove the Speedlite and to use it off-camera.

Well, could I get it up and running? No, not at all. I did remember that when it first arrived I had found this part challenging and enlisted help. The enlisted help can recall no better than I can what it was that we did to get things going.

The camera manual pointed me at the speedlite manual and the speedlite manual pointed me back at the camera manual.

I googled and I googled and then a light began to dawn. I saw mention of a transmitter on the hot shoe acting as the Master to the Speedlite's slave. And there lies the problem. I do not have a transmitter and have no other way to make the camera act as the Master. What I do have is a 6D, with a hot shoe. I used to use a 600D, with a built-in flash. That unit is out on loan. So I have been unable to learn this bit of camera work today.

What I have learned is that a transmitter unit is going to put a large dent in the small pot of money that I am awaiting.

Anyway - this is the final image, taken when the off-camera flash failed to flash because it lacked a command. I brought up the exposure in LR and have to admit that the movement blur from the slower exposure is probably a better indication of the finger snap than the frozen image would have been.

So, all's well that ends... well, ineffectually, I would have to say.

I grunged the image up a bit. It was very so-so.

Now I have to decide whether or no to sell the Speedlite with the 600D or to save up for a transmitter.

Feel free to comment and advise