While flash photography to some may simply be that which causes red-eye, I have been trying to read and learn some of the nuances of lighting and flash usage in my pictures. My biggest difficulty has been the lack of a “real” flash, but I am happy to say that I was able to get one for my birthday over the weekend. The Nikkon SB-600 Speedlight is pretty much the base model in good flashes for my D90, and I’ve been waiting to find a good sale. Pricing doesn’t vary much on them, apparently, so I jumped on the chance to get one from the Circuit City liquidation pricing at almost half off retail.

As with so many other things in life, I had seen and understood a part of the difference a good flash can make, but until you actually use one, it’s hard to really grasp the significant difference in the shots. I thought I would share my first comparison with you. Keep in mind that one of the biggest differences (besides the obvious brightness difference) between using the on-board flash and the hot shoe one is the ability to be able to direct the light and reflect it off different surfaces to keep from the harsh direct lighting typical to home photography. The following two photos show this poignant difference illustrated.

This first photo was simply taken with my D90 using the on-board flash. You can see how the subject of the photo (my daughter) is nearly blown out with the glare on her pale skin while the sofa texture looks extremely dark (it’s tan, not brown).

Now, compare that to this photo taken immediately after attaching my new SB-600. Not only is the lighting more even, but being able to bounce the flash allowed me to get a little more shadow and natural coloring to her face:

Keep in mind that I used the exact same settings and layers in retouching them both, so one has not received any more attention than the other. The difference to me is astonishing. I can’t wait until I get enough time and work to be able to expand my lights even more. Once I can afford to add an SB-800 to the mix, I’ll be able to slave my 600 and use both flashes simultaneously to come up with some very dynamic lighting. One of the things I’ve been reading on, and am excited to try, is miniature photography, but to get the textures and lighting right, I really would need to use about 3 lights in conjunction to get some of the effects I want.

Anyway, I just thought I’d share my newest toy and the amazing difference it can make in results. I’m looking forward to getting some more pictures with it as time allows. In closing, I thought I’d share a few shots I was able to capture this weekend: