Looking at Flash & Aperture in a different way

If you are a photographer who is using lights you already know that the aperture controls the flash exposure and the shutter controls the ambient and a little of flash. So if we needed to lighten a subject that is too dark at f/8 we would open to f/5.6. Vice versa, if the subject was too light we could close up to f/11. If the subject is ok at the current aperture but the background is too light you could change the speed from 1/60 to 1/125.

So if you knew that already than great, I just refreshed your memory. If you didn’t then awesome, I just taught you something new. So here is why I titled the post “in a different way”. As photographers we are so used to seeing the flash aimed at our subjects. How often do you photograph your flash to learn about your craft?

In the photos below you will see photos taken of a Nikon SB800 from f/1.4 to f/16 (but I accidentally skipped f/5.6 & f/11 for some reason). They all have the same shutter speed of 1/250. Watch what happens to the light.