External flashes...

[Deadly]

Whats the deal with external flashes? What advantages do they have? where can they be used to effect?

I've seen a few people using flash units to bounce the light off the ceiling, and off the wall behind them etc rather than just firing the flash directly at the subject. What kind of situations would you use this in?

Also, what advantage does an external flash have over the internal flash? besides being more powerful/bright.

Then there's "slave" flashes im not sure about. Are they just other flash units you have positioned around the subject, which fire in sync with your main flash? What kinda situation would you use a slave unit?

What is a strobe flash aswell? i know what a strobe light is so i guess it flashes on and off? lol

I guess i should really get my arse onto google to figure all this out lol thought i'd ask anyway.

Cheers

[Conkers]

External flashes as you've said are more powerful, they have a higher 'guide number' This basically measures the brightness at a set distance.

You can use an external flash just as you would a normal flash in dark situations or as a fill in light to lift the shadows.

A Bounce & swivel head allows you to bounce the light off say a ceiling which gives a softer more diffused light without the harsh shadows associated with flash.

Advantages generally are as you say more brightness, greater flexibility as you can position it off camera, greater seperation of the flash bulb & lens so avoiding red-eye and a host of other advantages.

Slave flashes are exactly as you've described... they allow you to illuminate a subject from more than one angle..

A good site for flash advice is http://www.theflashcentre.com/ they have a few free guides to have a look at and are quite helpful over the phone.

[druidvideo]

Like pingo said.. an external flash gives you alot more control over lighting direction and amount. When doing macro work, a macro ring flash gives even resuklts at closeup range

[slartibartfast]

"Strobe" is a term used sometimes instead of flash, particularly in relation to studio type flash units.

Although some flash units do have a "stroboscopic" mode which is like the strobe lighting effect you're thinking of.

[Deadly]

Thanks for all the replys, much appreciated,

pingobingo - Cheers for that link, taking a look through the site now

On another forum i check out, a guy posts skateboarding photos and he's put the flash to really great effect in alot of the shots. The flash unit is totally seperate from the camera and he takes the photo from a little back, but because of where the flash is positioned it lights up the subject really well and looks great, making the skater really stand out, lighting him from an angle the camera with its internal flash wouldnt of been able to.

Anyways, thanks again.