For people that new to camera flash, they tend to use TTL function. However, the capture can be more creative if both flash can camera set to manual mode. As a simple example, like the photos in last post. The way I took it is in 3 steps:

1. take meter reading of the sky, and under expo it 2 stops (by set it in manual mode and faster the shutter speed)
2. add the manual flash in, with a guess power setting (I usually start with 1/32, but depends on the distance to shooting object)
3. Take test shot and adjust the flash power setting accordingly, until I get what I want.

Do you see the problem here? I need to running backward and forward between my shooting position and the light stand. That looks really unpro. So I search the Internet, to find the right steps to set things up and shoot effectively.

After reading others posts, it sums up to two main points (from http://www.planetneil.com/tangents/2009/05/28/shutter-speed-controls-background/)

• aperture controls flash light
• shutter speed controls available light

Think about it for a second, the flash light only lights up for a fraction of seconds. During the flash only think that can control the amount of light coming into the film/censor is the aperture. Whereas the case of shutter speed, shutter can still open after the flash. During this time the light coming into the film/censor is the ambient light.

According to this, the shooting steps should be as follow:

1. set up the flash with reasonable power setting (You should have an image in your mind of what kind effect you want)
2. adjust aperture to get the exposure right on the subject that flash is lighting on
3. adjust the shutter speed to get thing other than flash light on subject with right exposure (remember don’t go faster than your camera’s sync speed)

So what happen to ISO? ISO will effect on both lights. But if you are too lazy to run around to increase the power setting on your flash, increase the ISO is a good way to do it.

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