Why not simply use a quick shutter speed to stop movement? That’s what I always believe, however, there are valid arguments in favor of using a flash or Speedlight instead. Look at them to see what they are.
I grew up close to Sydney’s southern beaches and more recently in the extreme southwest of Japan, so I’ve always lived near the water. I have always had a passion for the outdoors and the ocean, especially surfing.
Therefore, it seems sensible that when I started taking photography more seriously during my time in college, I would be drawn to landscape and maritime sports photos. Because of this, I never truly required a flash and didn’t bother to research them.
I didn’t know what I’d been missing out on all those years until my first daughter was born and I dabbled with portrait photography. However, flashes are useful for other types of photography as well.
This takes us to Kai Wong’s fantastic film, in which he demonstrates how to freeze motion by combining an off-camera light with an on-camera flash. Understanding the fundamental guidelines for employing a flash outdoors and the circumstances in which it will be preferable to ambient or natural light can be learned from this video.
In his illustration, he demonstrates how utilizing a flash synced with another Speedlight is still superior to using a camera without a flash at a shutter speed of 1/8,000th of a second.
Give this movie a watch and let me know what you think if you’ve never used a flash outdoors (on camera or off camera) and you’re curious about how to set it all up and get the most out of it.
