Shooting at Higher ISO Ratings

I recently returned from WPPI where there was a lot of discussion about the increasing capability to shoot at much higher ISO ratings without objectionable noise. This is great for flash photography in that you can bounce the light off more distant surfaces. One word of caution though...IF you are using a device/technique that sends a portion of the light directly toward the subject and a portion to a significantly more distant wall(ceiling), that bounced light will have less (or perhaps no) impact on the subject. In other words, due to the light fall-off over distance, the ratio between the light directed at the subject and the light directed at the distant bounce surface must be adjusted. Considerably more light will have to be directed toward that more distant bounce surface to restore the balance between the two light sources.

Light: Logic Not Magic

Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind when modifying light is to rely on logic - not magic! Light behaves in very predictable ways and to "paint" with it you must understand where it is going and what effect it is going to have on your image. It's also important to remember that any light that is not directed at the subject or toward a bounce surface that is redirecting it toward the subject, is "lost" . . . negatively impacting recycle time and battery life while having no impact whatsoever on the photograph.