Designed to take the guesswork and calculation out of photographic lighting, the Nikon Creative Lighting System performs admirably in a number of tricky lighting situations. This line of lighting equipment works with Nikon camera bodies to calculate and output the precise amount of light needed for a correct exposure. The Nikon Creative Lighting System works with both film and digital bodies, eliminating the need for two separate flash units and awkward switches.
TTL Mode
Setting your flash in TTL or iTTL mode is the easiest way to start using your Nikon Creative Lighting System Flash. In this mode, the camera body and flash communicate seamlessly to produce the right zoom head calculation and light output for a perfect picture. You won't need to calculate the distance to your subject or the flash output with TTL metering.
To use this mode, attach the Creative Lighting System flash head to your camera and turn both pieces of equipment on. Press the "MODE" button on the flash until it displays "TTL", then use your camera as normal -- the two pieces of equipment communicate with each other to create the right effect.
Bouncing Light
TTL modes offer photographers a lot of flexibility and freedom, but they do not control some of the other issues with flash lighting, such as harsh shadows. In low-light situations, aiming a flash directly at the subject produces undesirable, high-contrast shadows around objects in the scene. This can be solved in two ways with the Nikon Creative Lighting System. First, pop the plastic diffuser cap over the flash head and aim the flash head itself away from the subject. This softens the light falling on the scene and mitigates these shadows. An alternative method is to use the bounce card, a small, white pop-up card built into the Creative Lighting System flash units--just aim the flash away from the subject, pull out the bounce card, and fire.
Things To Remember
When shooting with the Nikon Creative Lighting System, you'll be using a lot of battery power, so always make sure to have battery backup. If you are using an external battery pack for faster flash recycling times, take care to avoid overheating the flash by giving it ample time to cool between uses. Finally, make sure you are using fresh batteries in your Nikon Creative Lighting System flash, since poor battery power leads to slow recycling times and reduced flash output.
Tags: Creative Lighting, Creative Lighting System, Lighting System, Nikon Creative, Nikon Creative Lighting
