Ignite Your Creativity: Mastering Speed Lights with Tom Bol Photography

Flash technology has evolved significantly in the past ten years. Contemporary strobes are more compact, more potent, and offer advanced features like TTL and High-Speed Sync. For many of my shoots, I rely on my Elinchrom Three and Five monolights… I simply attach the transmitter to my Z9, and I have access to 500 watts of power with HSS and TTL… it’s plug-and-play shooting that works seamlessly. When combined with the outstanding Elinchrom softboxes, you’re all set.

But are you truly ready? One flash always accompanies me on my travels, and it isn’t a studio light. Speedlights remain remarkably powerful and inventive tools, yet numerous photographers tend to underestimate them. During workshops, I emphasize that while subject matter is crucial, lighting is the foundation of the image. Without light, photographs cannot exist. Light is the crucial factor that can either break or make incredible images. Stunning subjects under less-than-ideal lighting still look good. Conversely, the same subject illuminated beautifully appears… breathtaking!

The creative freedom I experience when carrying a speedlight in my bag is invigorating. I utilize them frequently during assignments, workshops, and personal projects. Here are a few examples that come to mind.

While exploring the Scottish Highlands, we stumbled upon a classic red telephone booth. It was midday, and the exterior was nicely illuminated, but the interior felt rather dull. We set a Nikon SB-5000 inside the booth, triggering it with a wireless WR-R11 transmitter. The intense light within added depth and ‘life’ to the booth. I also underexposed the daylight by one stop to enhance the drama of the clouds and make the flash more pronounced.

Have you ever considered visiting an outhouse in Alaska? That was the self-assigned challenge for this image. We were in Fairbanks capturing the auroras, so we aimed to make this outhouse appear inviting. Shooting at twilight (-20F), we set our white balance to incandescent, placed a single SB-5000 flash inside, and added a warm gel to the light source. Using manual mode, we triggered the flash through a wireless transmitter. The incandescent white balance turned the twilight into a rich blue, while the warm gel emitted a cozy glow indoors.

In Chile, we discovered a fascinating typewriter, although the room was quite dim. To create an engaging image, we attached a snoot (check out Rogue Flash Benders) to the flash and illuminated the keyboard using a warm gel. What started as a flat photo transformed into a vintage typewriter with a narrative.

Speedlights can be utilized on-camera for a variety of techniques, but I frequently employ mine off-camera to produce captivating highlights and shadows. I often use TTL mode and fine-tune flash compensation as necessary. Bringing along a simple set of Rogue flash gels and a snoot will provide additional light control options. Also, having a small softbox is ideal for portraits. January is an excellent month to hone your speedlight skills at home before the hectic summer shooting schedule.

I receive numerous inquiries in January regarding methods to enhance creativity as a new year of shooting begins. Consider introducing a simple speedlight into your setup… I utilize mine for capturing nature (flowers, plants, sand dunes…etc), travel, and portraits. They may be compact, but speedlights deliver a substantial creative boost to your work!