Chop'n Broccoli

Trying to balance the kids' chicken nuggets (actually Mickey Mouse nuggets from Costco) with something green and then thought it might make a good blip image. You decide.

If you've been following my recent blips then you might know that I've been focusing on learning/using off camera flash. Well, this blip is lit using only flash and I didn't need any light stands or umbrellas or light meters either. It's a good example of using ETTL II and a slave speedlite (flash) to do most of the work for you.

I got Holly (my second photographer) to capture me in action. You can see that I've got the master speedlite (on the camera) pointing directly at the ceiling. I set its light level (FEC) to 1 stop under normal exposure. Here is a shot with just the master flash firing (though in that shot the FEC was -2, I think). As you can see it is providing a fill light to "open up" the shadows, as they say, basically bringing out the shadow detail. (The light is also nice and even and flat as we are bouncing it off the ceiling.) I then set the FEC for the slave speedlite at +1/3 stops and used my left hand to position it, while shooting with my right. Easy Peasy! :)

Anyway, it was quick and dirty and I got a blip that has a little more pop than if I had just used the room lights.

In other news.... Kim is down with a serious head cold. She has a big day planned tomorrow so hopefully she's better by then. Fingers crossed. The girls have had a day full with play dates and now a sleepover. No meltdowns yet. I've been Mr Mom with driving kids around and cooking meals. Off now to dish out dessert...