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Most photographers will, at some stage, realise that ‘light’ is a fundamental, core component of successful photography. Natural light is of course, beautiful, but how often do we experience it not being in the right quantities, in the right place, at the right time!

This dilemma leads us to feeling we need to ‘add our own light’ into the scene and the simple solution often appears to be a camera flashgun or ‘speedlite’. For many photographers, this new piece of equipment fast becomes a source of mystery, suspicion and disappointment, and there is no doubt that using flash can be far trickier than we initially imagined.

However, flash can be an amazing, creative tool that when used well, adds a completely new dimension to the way we work. Imagine looking at a scene and not being entirely dependent on the natural light within it!

During the 1.5-hour presentation David will start with some simple basics, including types of flash and their relative merits. He will then move on to laying the foundations of an understanding of ‘synchronisation’ which, in turn, opens the door to more complex techniques like ambient to flash lighting ratios. He will also look at taking flash ‘off camera’ for greater creativity and the use of accessories.

As with all of our on-line, ‘Zoom’ presentations, we will limit the number of delegates to provide ample opportunity for everyone to ask their own, individual questions.

About David Southard:

David has worked in the photographic industry for over 35 years and has always been involved in Wildlife.  After studying photography at college, he started taking Natural History image making seriously in 1986 when working as an assistant cameraman for a specialist wildlife filmmaker. During this time, he concentrated on technical macro work including time lapse and studio lighting.  He has photographed many subjects both in the UK and overseas, and in that time made many friends in the photographic and wildlife communities.  

He has been involved in management and photography training with a number of major photographic companies including Canon UK and also participated in event management since 1997.  David founded Wild Arena in 2003 with the idea of sharing his knowledge with others and utilising his contacts in the photographic industry and zoological institutions to provide informative workshops with special access to a wide variety of interesting subjects.

David is an ambassador for Manfrotto, working with them on training and development with a particular focus on video convergence and studio lighting. He has also been widely published in the photographic press having contributed to many titles over a number of years, along with providing video footage for Winterwatch and Granada. David has judged numerous competitions, including long list judging for BBC Countryfile and British Wildlife Photography Awards.