Speedlights and Why I Love Them

I’m Jessica Sterling, a portrait and event photographer based here in Los Angeles! Today I wanted to talk about Speedlights… and why I loved them.

1. Small and Lightweight

First of all, they are small. You can put them any place, you can kind of go, “Hey, I would like to have some light over here.” And you can just put a little Speedlight there. In a basket or a can or something or just tuck it behind something. They’re very handy that way. They’re tiny. I’ve shot in very small spaces with them.

Because they’re so small, they’re easy to pack so you can bring a bunch of them. And because they’re so lightweight they’re a bit safer than a regular studio strobe head in a very crowded, busy, bustling environment. Let’s say the stand gets knocked over (a real bummer if it hits the ground), but the good thing is is that if it bonks somebody, it’s not like a big hit.

2. Self Powered and Don’t Get Hot

They don’t require outside electricity. Which is awesome because you can bring them outdoors, you can bring them to the park, to the beach… wherever. Anywhere you want some light, just stick a Speedlight there. It’s really handy.

They don’t get hot like continuous, movie lights do. Nowadays with LEDs and such, it’s less of an issue. But Speedlights, they don’t get so hot to the touch where they’re going to burn you.

3. Look more Pro and Add to Existing Light

Because strobes freeze motion, your pictures look sharper. They look more professional; they look more magazine quality. It’s way better way to work, in my opinion, than only using natural light. You can augment natural light. You can make strobes look natural. They are a fantastic tool. And they are the photographer’s best friend.

Tips for Speedlights

I am a Nikon Speedlight person. I’ve been using them for years. They are workhorses. I have put them through their paces for over a decade, and they last a long time. So here are some tips:

1. Don’t Set Your Power Too High

Number one, don’t set your Speedlight up in the plus side, above zero. Don’t do it because you’ll burn out your flash. I did many times years ago, and I kept asking myself, “Why is my flash keep exploding and breaking?” And it’s because I was just making that little guy work too hard. It’s better to set it at 1/2 or 1/4, or something lower. It is best to bring the power down and use multiple Speedlights to bring in more light. So that is the tradeoff of Speedlights is that you can’t always produce as much light as you might like to.

2. Use Rechargeable Batteries

I always use Eneloop rechargeable batteries. First off because you’re not constantly throwing batteries away into the landfill and polluting our oceans and streams, but you also get a lot of consistent power and they hold their charge for a long time once they’re charged. If you have any problems with your flash, the first thing you should check is your batteries. Because if they start going bad, the flash will start acting up. So that’s why having really great batteries on hand, always is the biggest, most important thing with using Speedlights.

3. Be Aware of Indoor Lighting

The color of light that comes out of them is the same color as the sun light. So for outdoor use, it looks fine. But if you bring it inside and then white balance to your flash, the other lights inside the building (say, incandescent bulbs or LEDs or fluorescent) will have a different color.

4. Don’t Shoot Too Fast

Another thing. Don’t shoot too fast with your flash. And I hate when people have told me that in the past, but it really is true. The limitation with Speedlights, and I hate to say it, is the recycling time for when they’re fully powered and ready to rock. It goes from good, to okay, to not so good. And that’s especially true if your batteries are running low.

5. Modify Your Speedlights

Oh, the next thing about Speedlight is always, always modify it. Bounce it off the ceiling, etc. Think of it like a bare light bulb. I love my LumiQuest Quik Bounce, put it on there. You want to do something more fancy with it. More fun. Put a couple of them in an umbrella or a soft box.

I hope you found this helpful. Please like, subscribe to our YouTube channel and mark down any comments or questions you have below. And don’t forget to keep an eye on the blog for more articles. Be sure to get out and capture your own images of life.