I have dabbled with Speedlight flashes before, and even got some decent results by bouncing off ceilings and so on. However, I have not tried it out for real. Flash equipment has been expensive, and I didn’t see how it would fit to my way of photographing. But now, two things have happened.
- I found some really nice examples on using light in close-up/macro outdoors.
- Off camera flashes has become accessible at a reasonable price (Godox).
So, to start off, I got myself a Godox AD100Pro and a wireless trigger for Fuji. I also got a silicon dome to put on the flash, and a small collapsible reflector. Wow, this was fun. Below is my first attempt. It was taken on a gray overcast day in the forest. The first image was the one I got without flash. I tried to develop it to a decent level, but I didn’t go all in. Just 10 minutes of Lightroom work.
The next image is a composite of two flash images. I emulated a two-flash lighting setup using one flash and photoshop. Notice how the texture is improved.
I’ll definitely do more of this. Probably get a second flash unit and a couple of cheap light stands.