
How to mix flash with ambient light
Part 1 of 3 in the Fundamentals of Lighting series
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Reviews
very good introduction into light... thank you
Diagrams and more specific information would be helpful.
Need few more examples and the picture review to show how the lights are making the difference.
:)
These courses are such a major shot in the arm in building my confidence by building my knowledge and understanding in a way that I can grasp so well and apply. Thank you
I wanted to see the actual shooting situation of mixed light bigger
very interesting and well explained
Plenty of food for thought and things to practice.
I recently submitted a negative review about the course not being good value for money as I mistakenly thought that the first part was the whole thing!
Having realised my error I feel the need to redeem myself and let it be known that the course was very informative, concise, logical and easy to follow, would definitely recommend it!
More technical detail would be nice, is the mainlight 1 stop less than the kicker, 1/2 stop, etc.? I know with digital everyone just goes by eye but sometimes for speed it's easier to just know to set the mainlight to half stop less than where the kicker ends up. And some people still like to shoot film for fun so looking at a tethered display won't work for them. Just a suggestion.
David Bicho
Frequently Asked Questions
A series consists of two or more courses from the same photographer. If you buy a series, you will benefit from a bundled offer for the entire package. Also, when you complete a series, you’ll receive personal feedback from one of our instructors and become a Certified Light Shaper.
No. All our courses are designed to improve your photography, regardless of what equipment you’re using.
As soon as we’ve received payment, you can view or take all your courses online - simply by logging on to the Profoto Academy website. You’ll find your courses at the Profoto Academy start page.
Clear explanation of the steps in the lighting proces.
Competent, amusing, inspiring – thanks!
This was very informative!
I would have more details about the gear, and maybe use even less flashs to create a beautiful picture
The courses are good and the explaination are good but at the end of each video we still have some mystery so for exemple on the last video is taking about led barre on the bag to make the orange ligne so this is it done with the A1 with CTO and Bandor ? or with led bar ? so if its with the led bar the A1 with the CTO is for the face to have less shadow and more strong face ? at the end of each video is the same we don't see the complete setup. But it fine I will reproduce it rock on! thanks YOU
Very interesting to see Bicho working with an assistant. And many tricks very usefull.
The more I watch this the more valuable it becomes - the Two Problems segment was very useful - the Gym Shoot David is a light magician, a sensational shoot with lots of great tips - David is a wonderful teacher
Very good. I will use this for my trainee. :-)
Really great course just cementing some of the concepts from the other courses.
It was a good lecture to learn how to use kicker lighting.
I like the Course , maybe how he colourgraded the Pictures would have been interesting too.
Nice course
Although I shoot weddings for 10 years and use Profoto flashes for 3 years, in this course I learned some essential basics that help me doing my flash images better.
the explanation was perfect but we need a layout of the flashes.
would like to understand more on the flash setting: TTL or Manual ? Or I missed something
The behind the scenes Gym video is longer than necessary. It’s interesting but not as informative as the preceding videos.
More info on the power settings or how the power settings are arrived at would be helpful.
The best photo course I've ever known. Very clear, very humorous, very informative, too little German language ... ;-)
I loved it, it made me more understanding of the light, thank you
Nothing
Interesting and clear. I suggest to give us more details regarding manual configuration of the flash and not only TTL mode. Thank you!
this was the best i needed this to take my photography to a whole new level
Great instructional video. Loved the knowledge and the humor.
I was given the pleasure of learning much more creative lighting to capture the perfect shot
I did expect a more lengthy course, although it's definitely worth the money. Thanks
Expertly produced lesson and quality content.
Really loved this. Fast, simple, and informative without being extremely technical. Also, adding a little comedy really went a long way. The camera click trick was awesome. I think have videos where there are little tricks like that really make me want to watch more tutorials of Profoto's to see if I can learn any other cool tricks. Thank you!
The instructor was informative and entertaining at the same time. Instilling confidence through knowledge and reminding us that we should be having fun in doing something we love.
you didn't show every setting on set, for example how you put your orange light at the bar in gym. how to meter the light power. this is way too basic to do by myself without paying for this course
Clear explanations, well structured and easy to understand
The charisma and the personality of the instructor was phenomenal!
The content was lacking in a few areas:
1. There were no specific lists describing the exact nomenclature of the equipment used. Sometimes students want to purchase the same gear that the video lesson is using so we can put to real practice what we learn (as if we were physically with the instructor and got to use the same gear he was using).
2. There we no diagrams of the lighting setups used. We simply got a single angle view from the video camera that was recording the course. Having a "map" to copy what we have learned for further study would be wonderful.
Good information, but it seems way overpriced for what you receive.
I found the content useful, but I have to say I find it very overpriced for a full lesson that doesn't make even an hour of video. I am disappointed for that, to be honest with you. I don't mind paying for a course, but I expected more content for the price I paid
When balancing the ambient light with flash and exposing for the background, I think a explanation on metering choice, what you are actually focusing on in the background and camera settings would be a great benefit in this course.
Good information, strait to the point
Sens of humor.
The animations to show light spread is really good and effective compare to other video training.
I would advise for the 2 last videos (boxing) to show where the lights and add a 2D diagram from above to make sure novices or intermediate (as myself) understands well the placement of light sources.
I loved every single bit of information in this course, every little nuance that can make a photograph special, natural and interesting.
Wonderful course! The information is presented in an easy to understand format, and is also fun at the same time!
The demonstrations only added to my existing knowledge of lighting and were truly an advantage to be offered "another way" of obtaining a similarly good result, but with a more professional lighting effect, outcome. Thank you ProFoto. :)
The instruction was clear and concise. No BS.
All is allright . Maybe a traduction of the quizz for foreigner students. ;)
Specifically and briefly as it should be
I like the simple approach you have shown to much complicated subject.
David Bisho is a awesome guy. I love to listen to him. His tips and advices in this video helped me a lot.
I could learn the basics of Lighting some other time and was very significant.
Informative, but he spent too much time on the execution of the gym photo shoot and failed to address all three points he promised to address during the introduction. More fundamentals would've been appreciated. But I still got a lot out of it.
Excellent presentation and information, loved it.
I Loved how clear the information is taught, also it is very concise, it makes flash light less scary
A pdf with a recap of the important things like the click trick or steps is needed.
Very well explained, as it is more about feeling the location rather than focusing on numbers.
The trainer is serious but keep some humour that make the training not boring.
none
Great course and a lot of fun!
Good course but a bit more detail would be helpful e.g. to talk us through the flash powers. I use a lightmeter, so it would be nice to know what kind of ratios he's aiming for between the kicker and main light etc. I also wanted to know about gelling lights to match the colour temperature of the room light or contrast with existing lights like tungsten or fluorescent.
Great distraction free information.
I'd like to see examples of rooms with worse conditions to shoot in
Hi, I like the course, but I think it's a bit overpriced.
Good content, but too expensive taking into account that its provided by Profoto
great suggestions for using live feed for adjusting background
Fantastic teaching.....!!!
Not bad but for 59 euros I think it's expensive. Escpecially after I bought one of your product. You should include those for your customers. Thanks
For the price of this course I expected it to be more in-depth and lengthier.
Would be helpful include the Flashmate light meter for a better understanding
Very good tutorials.
Well structured tutorial and good insights on how the lighting setup is motivated by the ambient light.
ok
I enjoyed watching this course and learned an equipment trick and how better to position and direct lighting. I also enjoyed seeing how the photographer interacted with the subject and assistants. I would like to see in future episodes different video shots showing the scene in a larger view, details of equipment as it is being adjusted. The same video angle doesn't provide very much visual interest. Thank you!
I expected to balancing by metering the flashlight with a lightmeter. With other words what are the ratios. Set-up with too much flashes to understand how to mix ambient with flash.
Watching David work and being able to see the thought process behind his light configurations was equal parts entertaining and informative. I absolutely loved the course!
wow is this it? I mean it's helpful and a good basis but I expected more for $65
The setting with iso, shutter speed, and aperture had been to be explained in this movie.
Course is to short. I‘d guess more fore the money
Very straightforward and practical tips for a photographer that used to fear flash photography.
Really fun and easy going lectures!
Very funny - but even better: very very easy and simply explained. Sometimes however, I wish I would get to know the more detailed power settings of each flash. Realizing that this could differ from situation to situation. This is one of the best courses yet and I am eager to learn more - we never stop learning in life. 👍😊
Considering the professionalism and quality of Profoto gear this was a very basic course and apart from a few neat tips, was actually pretty empty of real content. Disappointing really. Topics that could have been covered: Mixing light qualities and colours in difficult ambient lighting situation. Incorporating the accessories of the new A1 in said situations.
I would love to see some more b-cam footage to change up the angles and show lighting configurations from different perspectives. Keep up the great work!
The key learning for me: learning how to adjust the camera for perfect exposure through Live View and then understanding how background light determines the shoot. I've been struggling with these issues for years, and have had them resolved in a number of minutes with this class. Terrific!
Each step carefully explained and reasons articulated. Easy to understand. Shows use of B1 and A1 together.
not enough content learning for the money overpriced!!
I was expecting something more from this course, it is a little to beginner level I think.
Also I was expecting as well some outdoor examples. And didn't really like the resulst of the lighting, din't seem much natural in most cases.
Could use more info on setting camera ratios, high speed sync, and camera mode mode. When setting by light is manual mode used? If using manual mode high speed sync available? I've set by exposure for background and desired aperture in past expecting HSS and had banding when using manual mode.
It's a excellent short course on lighting. Of course not all can be covered in that short time, but it's enough to get one started with confidence,
I took this course based on the weekly webinars that David and Anders conduct. I like David's style and process. Since I have watched their series, I was super familiar with his techniques. I just wished that this was longer. I only rated it an 8 because most of my friends are already proficient with these skills.
It was easy to understand, I used my camera while I watched the course and tried at the same time at the office
I loved the course, the InstriInst explained it in a clear and concise manner. My favorite part was the click trick. I never knew that before. 😊
This course has been a refreshing eye opener for this old veteran. It brought back techniques that over time I had forgotten. What wonderful motivation
Really amazing course. Fun, funny, and easy to follow. One suggestion: sometimes it was hard to tell where the lights were being placed in the shoots. For example, in the gym shoot with the boxer, it was hard to tell where the kicker and main lights were exactly as far as front to back placement. Maybe a simple diagram at the end would be helpful to give us a more clear idea of where the lights were.
David Bicho is a remarkable teacher. would like more Bicho lessons.
Great course. Wish that he had discussed the settings on the Profoto flashes.
Over all a good tutorial. The goofy jokes might not be for me but its not a dealbreaker. In the part setting up the lights in the gym I think you could have benefited from at least one more camera angle. Now we did not get to see two of the flash placements, just the effect of them.
Great explanations
Great fundamental lighting course, it's very easy to understand
This course was very informative, but it would have been useful had you shown the light positions.
Very good instructional content. David is not only a great light shaper but entertaining in his teaching method.
clear, straight forward, no bla bla bla... Great course which makes the whole stuff easy
Just a little too short, would like to see at least 3-4 set ups.
This is great. I have learned a lot thus far. I am excited to start applying these new ideas and practicing the Click Trick.
This part of the course was far too basic. I don't feel like I learned anything new.
Personally I think the courses should be a little cheaper
Really great content
there is some good information, especially about setting your background exposure first, and about motivated light, however, $65 is incredibly pricey
Some nice reminders and refresh of process for setting up shots. However, I think when utilizing the special features of Profoto gear, like A1/B1 or Air Remote, this video missed an opportunity to talk to those specifics, like which "mode" color/freeze he'd prefer in each situation, whether he was starting with random chosen power levels, using TTL then Manual etc. I appreciated many of the tips on direction of certain lights, angling of modifiers and overall relationship of multi lights, but I just thought there could easily have been a bit more room to talking to some technical specs, while still keeping it applicable to any equipment and fun in it's mood.
No explanations on balancing the light, no light meters, last video nothing to do with teaching.
In the planning lesson it looks as video camera is in one position. You can't see where the lights are positions and what is the directions. In next lesson specification of lights is different that lights used in previous lesson. Why so much time is spend on posing not on lighting. This is a course about light no posing.
A bit too broad brush. I wish you had shared more useful information such as how you set up your light mode/power, how to determine that, what if outdoor ambient light is very bright (HSS), light fall off principle etc.
A waste of money...come on Profoto you can do better than this....this probably the worst instructor I have come across. He is all over the place with no flow to his shoots.