Original subtitles

Okay, so here we are in one of

the noisiest spots we could find.

This is down literally the underpass beneath the

Trans-Canada Highway.

Okay, about a five-minute walk from our

home.

And what I'm going to demonstrate here is

I'm going to deconstruct the three-step off

-camera flash process that Eric and I basically

follow.

Every time we use, we make our own

light with flash.

I think this will be a great example

because I'm going to try to essentially isolate

the top of the frame as the ambient

natural light part of the exposure.

And then down within the tunnel is where

I'm going to make my own light.

So that's going to be the flash exposure.

So you can see how I isolate those

two exposures and control them independently one at

a time.

So I've got Jesse already kind of in

position.

He's up high.

And if I move over here, right about

there, I've got Jesse basically silhouetted right up

on the skyline in between the mountains there.

Okay, and so before I even bring Jenny

into position, I'm going to get my ambient

exposure dialed in.

So if we go back to the three

-step process, I'm going to start by just

making a normal properly exposed natural light photograph.

Okay, just like any other natural light photograph

with one exception.

I need the shutter speed to be 1200

frames per second.

Or slower in order to sync with the

flash.

Okay, and because it's still quite bright out

here, and I know I'm going dark, I'm

just going to choose a nice low ISO.

Get that out of the equation.

100 ISO, 1200th of a second.

Focusing on Jesse.

Get my composition.

And at about f3.5, I'm properly exposed

here for the graffiti.

Okay, I'll make a shot of that so

you can see.

That's step one.

Properly exposed natural light photograph at 1200th of

a second.

Now I'm going to go dark.

Okay, so I'm going to underexpose by effing

it up.

Okay, I'm going to increase the aperture to

go dark.

There's f5, 5.6, f7.1. Now as

I get up here to about f9, that's

what I want.

I've underexposed the ambient by probably almost two

stops.

So all these mid-tones are falling away

into darkness.

The tunnel is pitch black.

I'm exposed for the drama in the sky.

Okay, so I've essentially laid down my ambient

canvas on which to now paint with light.

So I'm going to move into step three,

which is now add the flash.

So I'm going to grab a flash here.

I've got a Profoto A1 mounted on a

light stand.

And where I'm going to put it is,

what I want to do is I want

to create a bright spot in the tunnel.

So Erica's going to put the flash in

the tunnel and she's going to aim it

up into the wall.

The goal is to create a nice big

bright spot.

I think we're going to put a really

warm gel on there because that will contrast

nicely with the blue tones up in the

sky.

And so basically everything up above the tunnel

is ambient light, right?

Just a natural straightforward silhouette.

And now I'm not going to change any

settings on my camera.

1 200th of a second, I'm leaving it

at 100 ISO and I'm leaving the aperture

alone.

The only thing I'm going to change now

is the flash exposure.

Okay, I'm controlling these two exposures, ambient and

flash independently one at a time.

The natural light canvas is already dialed in.

Now I'm going to get the flash dialed

in.

So I need a transmitter.

Okay, and I'm going to turn the transmitter

off.

Okay, I could have already had the transmitter

on here as long as it was off

to make sure I can get the ambient

dialed in.

Okay, and then I'm going to turn it

on now Okay, make sure it's firing.

Oh, don't forget with mirrorless, you got to

flip over to mechanical shutter.

Okay, test shot.

Okay, so the flash is firing.

So I'm just going to eyeball it.

Okay, I got to turn that flash way

up and batteries are almost dead in this

transmitter, Erica.

I think we got another transmitter that might

have more.

Okay, another test shot.

Okay, so now we got a nice, warm,

bright tunnel underneath the mountains.

Okay, so Jessie, come on in.

Jenny, come on in.

Jessie's up top.

So you're going to stand.

Do you want to switch this out?

Make a nice silhouette.

Transmitter with batteries.

One of your dancing poses.

I'm going to reposition the flash slightly.

Why don't you tell me where you want

it?

Well, right now, the bright spot is the

brightest part is right here.

Yeah, and I want to bring it down

and this way a little bit.

So no other way.

Yeah, okay.

Tell me once it's in the right spot

and then I'll step out.

Okay, let's get a test shot here.

Oh yeah, money.

That's the spot.

Okay, I'm going to have to clone the

light stand out.

That's okay.

All right, so we're going to do power

poses.

Do you want Jessie to be walking?

No, I like this.

Okay, just for this.

And yeah, give me the side profile there,

Jenny.

That's good.

Okay, now let's get some separation between your

arms, Jenny.

So yeah, that's good.

Actually, that's good.

Yeah, do the hair again.

Okay, and then bring that arm down.

That's good.

And kind of chin up there, Jessie.

Powerful, man.

Hey, Jenny, just separate your finger from your

leg a little bit.

So it's not like that, but like, yeah.

Just kind of dangle.

Yeah, that's good.

Getting good separation there.

Essentially, we've got two silhouettes here.

We've got a natural light one up top

and then a manufactured light one in the

bottom.

And let's do one, Jenny, you stay just

like that.

It's perfect.

And now, Jessie, let's get you kind of

just hopping up and stepping up and down

off that rock.

But moving this way and this way.

So like going that way and then that

way.

But you can face that way.

So like you're turning and walking.

Walk sideways to me.

Yeah, there you go.

Okay, yeah, and back up.

And back down.

And I'm focusing on Jenny.

My aperture is up at f9, so it

doesn't really matter.

And one more time.

Okay, pause, guys.

Awesome.

So that's the three-step process.

Just a natural light photograph properly exposed with

the shutter speed at 1 200th of a

second.

And then effing it up to go dark

and exposed for the highlights up in the

sky.

Add drama to the ambient canvas.

Then turn on the transmitter, turn on the

flash and position it.

And then pop the flash and then adjust

the flash exposure by either turning the flash

up or down.

Or I could move it closer or further

away from whatever I'm lighting.

Oh yeah, that's neat.

Oh, super neat, yeah.