Photographer JC Carey challenges the common approach to flash photography, emphasizing a process over a rigid set of settings. His method prioritizes ISO, focal length, aperture, and shutter speed before adjusting the flash, treating each shot as two separate exposures—one for ambient light and one for flash. This approach ensures consistency and adaptability across various lighting conditions, from dim barns to open fields.
A Process, Not a Recipe
Carey’s technique begins with ISO, followed by focal length and aperture, which he uses creatively to control depth of field rather than exposure. Shutter speed comes next, and only then does he adjust the flash. This order allows him to maintain consistency even as lighting conditions change. For instance, in a dim barn, he starts with a Westcott FJ100 at f/4 and 35mm, setting the shutter speed to 1/100 s to balance the ambient light.
Read Also: Fujifilm’s X-Trans sensor eliminates moiré without anti-aliasing filters
If the flash overexposes the subject, he increases the strobe’s power instead of altering the aperture, preserving his depth-of-field choice. Without the strobe, Carey drops to 1/60 s, the slowest he trusts handheld, and still has to push ISO to 1,000 before the model looks right. He demonstrates the “correct” ambient exposure at 1/20 s, which results in a flat frame that lacks the desired impact, highlighting the importance of his process.
Two Exposures in One Shot
Carey’s core insight is that every flash photo combines two exposures: one controlled by the camera and one by the flash. This is evident in mirrorless cameras, where the electronic viewfinder simulates ambient exposure but excludes flash. Photographers can use this to their advantage by disabling exposure simulation once the flash is set, focusing on ambient light adjustments first.
When shooting outdoors against a red barn, Carey uses a Westcott FJ250 with a Rapid Box Switch Octa-S, stopping down to f/8 at 70mm to maintain detail. He underexposes the background to deepen colors, demonstrating how shutter speed and flash work together to shape the final image. A hot spot on the wall is corrected by feathering the box away from the background while keeping it aimed at the model.
Read Also: Tamron releases new 16-50mm f/2.8 APS-C lens
Adapting to Changing Conditions
Carey’s approach remains consistent across various setups, from a river shoot to a Land Rover scene. He swaps modifiers, like switching to a larger Octa-L for full-length shots, and adjusts flash power accordingly. For example, when moving to a full-length shot, the Octa-S is replaced with an Octa-L, and pulling it back to keep it out of frame doubles the distance, requiring two stops of additional power.
Even with advanced techniques like high-speed sync and dual-base ISO, his decision-making order stays the same. Later setups introduce a Westcott FJ400 II, a Westcott FJ800, a 300mm focal length, and a river shoot, all while maintaining the same process. This method highlights the importance of understanding how ambient and flash exposures interact, offering a flexible framework for photographers to adapt to any lighting scenario, as seen in Carey’s river and Land Rover setups featured in the video.
