Hello, my name is Grace. Call me "idiot"

[graciousness]

For the past 4 years, I had been accumulating all my camera gears from my photonut dad, to which I've only managed to identify: (1) type of camera body I get; (2) type of lenses I get. Any other stuff he had given me, I would say, "thanks dad!" and put them aside, not knowing what they heck they were for. I was a P-moder until this year, so you can imagine how clueless I had been all this time.

Until last week, I did not want to know anything about flash. That all changed when all of a sudden, I had been receiving requests to take photos of families and events. I've also realised that in order for me to really decide if I like flash photography or not, I need to know how to use it, first, learn, before making any quick decisions about something I haven't a clue about. Anyhoo, this is when I decided to look at the "bunch of other stuff I haven't got a clue what they're for" and finally identified what they are.

So what are these other gears I have, aside from my Canon 30D, 40D, 204-105mm L lens, 100-400mm L lens, 70-300mm lens, 50mm macro lens, 430ex flash?

• A silver, round reflector the size of a big, round dining table;
• Impact Universal Bounce & Mini Softbox Diffuser Kit For Shoe Mount Flash Units that wraps around my flash;
• And a Photoflex Platinum Litedome XS softbox .

I know they're not flashy gears, but cricky, all this time, I could have been experimenting and learning to use all that stuff that is necessary for portrait photography. But because of my fear of anything technical, didn't bother trying to know what those other stuff were used for because I didn't want to cram anymore gears to try to learn how to use in my head.

So what does this all mean?

I could have been taking better photos of my family (or anyone) all this time in almost all lighting conditions (ALMOST).

Excuse me while I bang my cavernous head with my tripod.

Sincerely,

SPOILT IDIOT

[Jim Bryant]

Yup!

[MrJones]

things take time.
I doubt if you could have learned how to work a camera and to use external lightning at the same time.
IMO, you need to master and feel your camera before you can move to external gear.

[Le Simons]

Now when you have time you can get some books and read up on what you have and how it is used.
study up and play with it to see how it can improve what you want to do.
now you can work with what you have and get it down as you go along with out a lot of cash output.
enjoy your new toy's
Le

[NicoleScraps]

I will not call you Idiot. But I will call myself Jealous. I wish that I had a photonut for a dad who handed over goodies to me.
My dad keeps me stocked up on apple juice, apple sauce and apple cider vinegar. LOL. He has worked for White House for 30 years.

[graciousness]

Hehehe, yeah, I have a few books on the list to order from Amazon, including the Canon Speedliter's Handbook, etc. I've been doing a lot of reading online, too, that's why my head is more swollen that ever.

I'm also 'accumulating' a Canon 550ex as master flash cause I just read the 430ex manual (first manual I ever read...my husband was shocked when he saw me reading a manual!) and that I just discovered that it can only be used as a slave but not off camera (unless I use those cables, etc). So now I'm going to be really catching up on 'work' that I really should have been doing months and months ago.

I'm also on manual mode now, which I find is easier to use than AV! I didn't want to know all this extra gear before until I felt I had gotten to know my camera better.

I haven't taken my flash off my camera (now with the mini softbox on it) and taking photos inside the house. One year of not taking photos of my baby because this house is too dark for natural photography......I am really kicking myself now.

But watch out, I'm gonna catch up and soon I can show off better photos!!!! And then I'll be asking for a promotion....

[ellie mac]

You've reminded me that I need to go through the stuff that I 'inherited' when my parents downsized & Dad had to dismantle his darkroom. I have all kinds of stuff - including studio lighting/backdrop stands etc. and an awesome manfrotto tripod which is pretty much too heavy for me to even lift LOL! He was a studio photographer in the 70s but I haven't really attempted to do any sort of studio work.

Sadly he's a Nikon user, but bought me a Canon for my first camera - so no nice lenses etc. coming my way!

I think when we have been given this sort of stuff we 'rediscover' it when we are ready for it. Have fun playing with your 'new' toys!

[BigFuzzy]

Originally Posted by graciousness

Hehehe, yeah, I have a few books on the list to order from Amazon, including the Canon Speedliter's Handbook, etc. I've been doing a lot of reading online, too, that's why my head is more swollen that ever.

I'm also 'accumulating' a Canon 550ex as master flash cause I just read the 430ex manual (first manual I ever read...my husband was shocked when he saw me reading a manual!) and that I just discovered that it can only be used as a slave but not off camera (unless I use those cables, etc). So now I'm going to be really catching up on 'work' that I really should have been doing months and months ago.

I'm also on manual mode now, which I find is easier to use than AV! I didn't want to know all this extra gear before until I felt I had gotten to know my camera better.

I haven't taken my flash off my camera (now with the mini softbox on it) and taking photos inside the house. One year of not taking photos of my baby because this house is too dark for natural photography......I am really kicking myself now.

But watch out, I'm gonna catch up and soon I can show off better photos!!!! And then I'll be asking for a promotion....

First off, "idiot" because you said I could.
Second, you can use your 430ex off camera with radio triggers. I use the Catcus V5 with my 430ex (it's my main OCF.. still). You can also fire it off camera as a slave using that canon infrared accessory, though I don't recommend it over cheapo radio triggers. Look at www.gadgetinfinity.com and get som v5 Cactus triggers and start playing. Also, as always, I recommend www.strobist.com to learn OCF.

Good luck idjit.