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David Hobby on the phenomenon that's Strobism
Techniques
01 April 2009 09:31
Strobist website boss David Hobby has built up a worldwide following, but it's in the gloomy UK that we're most passionate about using off-camera flash.
David Hobby worked for more than 20 years as a newspaper photographer in his native USA before starting his free blog site Strobist.com in 2006, explaining how to use small flashguns creatively. It now has 250,000 regular viewers!
How big is the Strobist phenomenon? There are 1.5 million visits to the site every month. Actually it’s so big it scares me! It’s translated into 30 languages. Brits are the biggest fans though. Perhaps because it’s always so dark here?! I think Brits like Strobism as it’s artistic and intellectual with a certain finesse. They’re not like that in Los Angeles...
Why has Strobism taken off? DSLRs have re-energised photography – you can now see whether you’ve messed up using the screen on the back! And you don’t have to be a geek in a darkroom any more. Besides, modern flashes are so small and portable, lots of professionals are using them now instead of carting huge studio flashes around.
Why did you start your website? I wanted to help young photographers learn how to use light. A guy called John Ashley helped me to learn and I just wanted to pass on that knowledge.
Do you need the latest TTL camera kit? Modern cameras with auto-everything TTL flash can make it easy, but I recommend people learn the basics of light and how to control it. If you rely on the latest technology to do it for you, you’ll always be a slave to the latest $500 flashgun. It’s all about learning how to balance the ambient light with the flash, which you should control manually.
Is it difficult to learn? Once you’ve made up your mind to learn how to use light, it’s easier than you think. If you have a camera and a flash, then you’ve already got the expensive part. It’s a financial no-brainer. A whole world of creativity opens up to you. There’s no magic, it’s just a process you need to learn. Start off with a single technique, like using a single flash through an umbrella three-quarters on to your subject, then once you’ve mastered that, move on.
What’s the biggest mistake you see people making? I see these guys spending ages getting all their lights set up, carefully balancing the flash and ambient light to the point where their picture is perfectly lit. Then they take the photo far too quickly. Don’t let the lighting be the star of the picture.
What’s the most surprising use of flash? Landscape photography! Landscapes don’t move, so you can set your camera on a tripod and make several different exposures, moving the flash around between each exposure. You can take seven or eight shots and align them all in Photoshop, using the eraser to remove where the flashguns show.
To find out more about the strobisit movement visit www.strobist.com
