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All right, there you have it.

That's our approach to off-camera flash.

Well, it's not our approach, but it's the

approach that we use.

And I think we originally learned that on

the strobists years ago.

But it's the approach that's worked best for

us when we want to make our own

light, or when we have to make our

own light.

And sometimes we don't have a choice.

I feel like one of the best tests

of a wedding photographer is to put them

in a dark venue or a situation they

don't have any control over.

I remember the first time we actually used

off-camera flash during a ceremony was at

an aerospace museum.

And literally three minutes before the ceremony, they

turned all the house lights off.

And so we were forced into the situation

where we had to use off-camera flash.

And we practiced it, and we knew how

to.

And if we hadn't, I don't know what

would have happened.

But it wouldn't have been pretty.

ISO a million.

ISO a million.

Okay, so off-camera flash to the rescue.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg,

guys.

Off-camera flash opens up a whole crazy

world of creative possibilities.

And so next week, we're going to start

to get into those possibilities and show you

how and where we use off-camera flash

to help us solve all kinds of photographic

challenges.

And in order for that to be as

valuable as possible for you, for this week's

homework, we want you to just practice the

mechanics of balancing your ambient exposure with your

flash exposure.

In order to make this a little easier

for you, if you're just starting out, perhaps

try this indoors or after dark.

Pick a subject, and we're not looking for

award-winning photos here.

Just practice that three, or perhaps you're at

the stage where you can make it a

two-step process.

Practice controlling the light with grids.

Practice having that light coming from different angles.

Experiment with broad light and short light.

Practice tweaking the color with gels.

And if you're looking for something a little

bit more challenging, practice using two or three

speed lights and isolating two or three separate

subjects within a scene.

And then, if you want to go really

advanced, try practicing this outdoors with moving targets

that you have no control over.

We'll see you back here for week number

five, where we're going to dive into the

two-man toolbox of tricks.