Please can someone explain what Guide numbers are and what they do? I use flash (on auto and on manual) all the time and have varying degrees of success...getting better at it I think, but have no idea what guide numbers are! On 8/1/09 02:49, "karl shah-jenner" <shahjen@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > Lea Murphy writes: > >> OR just look at your digital readout. >> >> If your highlights are blinking turn your flash down. If things are >> dark, turn it up. >> >> You can do this without knowing anything about guide numbers. Flash >> can be as easy as reading your histogram. > > > black cat in a coalmine, white dove on a sheet. Know your GN's and there's > nothing to think about, the shot will be correctly exposed every time from the > first shot. rely on auto and you better have studied the manual of the > specific flash and know how to compensate! > > Teaching guide numbers was abandoned in the photo course I was involved with a > few years back, however, contrary to expectation and as flash automation > progressed and units became more camera specific, people in the course became > more frustrated. > > When I showed a few how to use a manual flash and work with guide numbers > there was a backlash as other students wanted to know why they hadn't been > taught this system they saw as easier, more reliable and more flexible than > relying on flash meters or camera / flash automation. > > it subsequently was adopted again and students were also a lot happier being > able to migrate their chosen flash unit to whatever cameras they used. > > > Automation may have taken over a lot of things to make it easier for almost > anyone to get acceptable results, but the camera and flash is still a lot > stupider than any photographer who knows what they are doing > > k > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------- Jonathan Turner Photographer e: home@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx t: 0113 217 1275 m:07796 470573 7 Scott Hall Walk, Leeds, LS7 3JQ http://www.jonathan-turner.com
