Shooting in manual mode provides complete control over your exposure and lighting, eliminating inconsistencies that can arise when using automatic settings. While TTL (Through-The-Lens) metering can be useful in some situations, manual mode ensures that your lighting remains constant from shot to shot, making it ideal for portrait photography. The good news? It’s easier than you think!
Download and print the cheat sheet below and use as a reference for your manual flash setup:
Manual Flash Setup Cheat Sheet
Your Reliable, Repeatable One-Light Setup
Once you’ve determined the correct flash power for your setup, you now have a repeatable one-light portrait setup. This means:
- You can use the same camera settings, flash power, and light position every time you start a shoot.
- Your exposures should be consistent from shot to shot.
- If needed, you’ll only have to make minor adjustments to fine-tune the lighting.
This setup is the foundation for all future lighting techniques. As we progress, we’ll build on this by introducing fill lights, hair lights, rim lights, and background lights to create more advanced and dynamic portraits.
For now, focus on perfecting your one-light setup. Practice taking test shots and adjusting power levels until you’re comfortable making quick adjustments. The more you practice, the more intuitive working in manual mode will become.
Next Steps
- Practice setting up your one-light portrait system in different environments.
- Experiment with subject positioning and light placement to see how it affects the final image.
- Prepare for the next module, where we introduce additional lights and refine your control over portrait lighting.
By mastering manual flash control, you’ll gain the confidence to create professional-quality portraits in any setting. Keep practicing, and see how this setup becomes second nature!