Flashflavor is getting a total makeover and we are excited to put up something different / more professional for this blog! The look is coming from our friends at flosites who have worked on this with me for some time now. We ask for some patience as we get things together to make the change. Since Flashflavor just had its one year anniversary, it makes me think back on old times and where the flash madness every started. I brushed the dust off one of my old portable hard drives from back in 2004, a few terabytes ago and found one of the first images that I made with the off camera flash.

 

I knew that I would be upstairs on a balcony with guests some 20 feet or more away from my bride and groom, doing the bouquet toss. Knowing this, I knew that there was a technical answer to make a better photo so i asked a friend of mine to give me an idea or two. He handed me 3 ideas. 2 pocket wizards and a potato masher Metz flash. He said "here ya go". By no means is this fine art, but its the very first time I every used a remote flash at a professional gig. Thinking ahead of time can literally change your life. Flashflavor has been very fun for us because we are always challenging ourselves with new ideas and concepts to keep this thing going. Flashflavor has introduced me to many new photographers and helped me build networking relationships with some amazing peers! The moral of the story is to let every wedding be an eye opener to a new idea and an open door to a lifetime of possibilities. I've grown quite a bit since my first attempt using a remote flash. Keep in mind that I had NO idea how to use this prior to the wedding. Trial & Error made this photo. Don't be scared to use flash, just be quick to react to any problems! Shot with a fuji finepix S2 Pro on July of 2004. ISO 400 1/60th F6.7. I have no idea what the flash power was, but It was very very powerful. In hind site, I'd probably have used it on the lowest power setting to get more ambient.... oh well... Fast forward to October of 2004, I shot this one with a little more creative flavor... Less power and as an accent light.... getting better!

 

Thanks for keeping patience with my posts on FF. My wife and I are on vacation and are redesigning our del Sol wedding website as well as FF makeover. Keep your eyes peeled for a new look! Cheer! matt