Episode Summary 
DTown TV is a weekly show brought to you by Scott Kelby and Matt Kloskowski with KelbyTraining.com.
Episode Summary
In this week's episode, Scott and Matt discuss:
- Scott shows how to set a custom white balance in the camera (see link to PDF below for creating a custom white balance on other cameras)
- Joe McNally drops by to show how to adjust the brightness setting on your camera's LCD, and also has a tip on getting your focus cursor back to the middle quickly
- Scott goes on location to show the benefits of getting your flash off camera for a beautiful portrait
- Larry's back with another Cheap Shots to show his "budget assistant" for holding reflectors
- This week's inspirational photographer is Sally Photography who shoots creative portraiture
Thanks, it was fun/great.
Hey Scott! Thank you for another great episode, and congratulations with the worlds fastest off-camera flash tutorial!
Had to watch it three times and replay a bunch. But great info. Scott, Matt and crew. Nice to see D-Town again.
I really enjoyed Scotts, off camera lighting effects, it made such a difference seeing a actual photo along with each step taken. It really made the good, the bad, and the ugly, “shine” through.
Hi Scott & Matt, a really great show this week, packed full of great tips and tricks, the on location flash tutorial a real help in using just a few simple bits of equipment, the best show of this series, good work, david…..
Thanks for a great show guys,
i’m glad that you are going towards shooting techniques than just plain know your camera stuff.
I hate that epson ad which drops down whenever I move my mouse over it.
I know that they sponsor the show but at least their ad’s should be so obtrusive.
The cheap shots is a great addon to the show, really liked the cheap modeling light idea and now the portable boom
Great Show !
Great tip about WB on Nikon D90.
Magnus , Sweden
Great episode!! thanks guys!
Another great show! Thanks so much and thanks for the white balance pdf. I shoot a lot of High School sports in very mixed light — some areas may get some window light, others weird gym light — so I shoot RAW and have two questions. Does applying a camera specific preset in Lightroom (Nikon standard for example) affect the custom white balance? Is there a way to take several wb readings during warm-ups, each followed by a test shot of a player in that lighting and then shoot with auto wb but apply the info/settings from the test shots later. Thanks again!!!
Another great show guys. The off camera flash segment was timely as I want to take pictures of my pregnant wife before she pop’s.
Listening to podcasts, there are pauses frequently – what do I need to do to my Mac to eliminate these pauses? or is this inevitable?
Thanks for another great show. IWhere do you set your white balance if you are shooting at night without a flash? I have read and researched this and have been unable to find the corract answer.
One thing that might be interesting for you guys to touch on is using the EV adjustment and the FV adjustment in conjunction with each other. For example, you can lower the EV and bump up the FV to darken the background keep the subject exposed nicely. I had been using my flash off camera for a while and it wasn’t until I read Joe McNally’s “Hot Shoe Diaries” that I realized that EV value effects the flash and so if you dial down the EV you’ll likely want to bump up the FV. Of, course you have to be using a set up that supports the iTTL/eTTL systems. It’s surprising how much this can help even using the on-camera flash.
Great shows!!!
I wouuld like to see a review of the SR Electronics LED Ringlight. Top model has 32 LEDs, can be used as a constant on or PC Synced flash, adjustable power and can use either left or right side of lights. Price: $269.00.
Also, who is SR Electronics?
Thanks,
Chuck
Great episode! Nice Pixar T-Shirt Scott.
I really look forward to each episode, keep up the great work!! One question, you mention that you have to dial down the flash power. Are you shooting TTL and using a minus setting in flash compensation or are you using manual flash and just lower the power?
Thanks,
Kevin
Love the show but miss the openness and windows of the old set, as simple as it was. This one feels like an internet show set – claustrophobic.
Great episode, by the way!
Great episode guys.
One constructive comment on your piece on setting the custom white balance. While I agree it is important to set it when shooting JPEGs, it is also important to remember to reset the CWB every time the light changes, and especially when the shoot location changes. And it is a good idea to reset back to Auto WB at the end of the shoot just to be safe. Remember, live by the custom WB and die by the custom WB.
Thanks again for providing a great show.
Jeff
I understand how the Expodisc works but what about when you are going to shoot with a flash ie. pop-up( i don’t own a onboard flash yet) in other words does it still keep the WB the same when a flash comes into play ?
Thanks for the show I’ve been watching since day one!
Scott, awesome quick and simple off-camera tutorial. It is the best short explanation I’ve yet seen and it was super clear as you showed each shot. Loved this segment.
Hey, been trying to access dtown, but it says access denied or no video! Is anyone else having trouble watching the video?
Check your firewall. If it has video/photo sharing sites blocked then DTown won’t play.
Hi Sandy. Did you get your problem solved? I have the same problem – even when firewall is disconnected…
I understand how to setup WB for the Expodisc, I just wondered if it stays true when you use a flash whether popup, onboard etc…..
Also I love the show great tips , I’ve been watching since day one!
The off camera flash, would TTL-BL be an option (with sb900) for fill?
I am your number 1 fan from Indonesia, keep it up the good work guys !!!
Cool…
I found the off camera flash sequence very useful. Real situation and seeing the step by step results. Extra work for you guys but the result is well worth it. Would love to see more techniques demonstrated this way
If you’re a Nikon shooter – check out Nikon’s Creative Lighting System DVD by Joe McNally.
Hi guys,
Love your show(s)!
Your links to Sallee photography in the video description are off. You’re showing Sallee in the video but link to Sally
Thank you for another great tip. Very helpful for
Beginner Photographer.
Scott, the way you showed ‘off camera flash’ was beyond words, you know a picture is worth a thousand yada yada yadas. Brilliant!
Scott,
In the off flash segment, what lens are you using?
Looks like the Nikon 70-200 2.8
Love the lighting tips, I really need a lot of help in this area, so as far as I am concerned, the more the lighting tips the better,
One suggestion, I don’t know if this is the show for this type of tips, but how about doing your “recipe” type tips Scott? And if your looking for more ideas I would never mind hearing a good printing tip, Thanks again for all you do.
Hi Jack:
That’s a 70-200mm f/2.8. I usually shoot portraits at the 200mm focal length because of the nice compression it creates.
In my Digital Photography book Vol. 2 (I believe), I showed side-by-side what an advantage you get for portraits shooting at the longer range.
Hope that helps,
-Scott
Great video again. I am extremely thankful on the great tip on off camera flash for a beautiful portrait.
By the way, understand that Nikon’s great feature of using iTTL for flash enable the flash to give an output, balancing the surrounding ambient light through the intelligent metering.
In this current episode, you used the pocket wizard to trigger the flash without manually determining the flash compensation require or the number stop of lights. TTL is able to work through this wireless mode as well?
As always I enjoy your weekly sessions with great tips. I particularly enjoyed the white balance session where you illustrated the setup on both Nikon and Canon cameras. It was interesting to see how easy it is the setup with Nikon vs Canon where there are more steps to be taken to achieve the same goal.
Thanks again for helping us becoming more proficient .
Hi Scott,
I loved the part of the off camera flash. I was wondering what will be the effect of lowering the power of the on-camera flash in this case. (For those who don’t have the ability for off camera and umbrella)
Scott mentions that you need to zoom in and fill the frame using the Whibal. It is my understanging that the Whibal just needs to be visible in the image. The white balance is corrected in post-processing (typically using an eyedropper tool placed within the gray portion of the image of the card as it appears in your WB test image). Addtionally, the white and black decals on the Whibal can be used to set white and black points in the image.
You mention salleephotography.com, but the link below the video points to sallyphotography.com. This probably needs to be corrected although I’m sure the folks at sallyphotography don’t mind the exposrure ;o)
Thanks for a great show and glad to see you back “on the air”. Mike
Thnx mat, scott, brad and everybody.
Awesome show, watch it every week here in sweden.
Espacially thnx for the custom WB-tip that scott showed on the Nikon.
How do use the expo disc when shooting a
Flash? and why did you need to use a pocket wizard? Doesn’t your camera communicate
with your 900 flash
The link mentioned is incorrect, Scott. I were there flipping thru the photo, they are nice but made me wondering why it got recommended
The real one is
http://www.salleephotography.com
Lesson learned here is to put your last name into URL.
Excellent, very tight show.
Now, please do the same for Photoshop User TV.
Great episode. Will you, in the future, have an episode dedicated to architectural photography?
Particularly interior lighting and how to achieve seamless lighting using flash.
thanks
Scott, I have used my flash, on camera only, and have not made the investment in any lighting gear. What you did there by moving the flash off camera and shooting through the umbrella explains why I have not been happy with a number of my shoots. At this point taking pictures is just a hobby, but I am shooting with a D3s and sb-800. Is there any merit in those soft boxes we see advertised that attach directly to the flash on camera?
Hi Gary,
I’ll jump in and help on this one. Basically, you can do whatever you want to the flash on camera. You can soften it, you can diffuse it, you can gel/color it… whatever. But in the end its still one big source of light coming at your subject directly from the front.
The main reason for getting the flash off camera, is that on-camera flash (no matter what you do to it) is not flattering. Directional light is more flattering to people’s faces and more realistic, as it creates depth with shadows and highlights. Most light sources in real life are directional coming from one side or another – rarely ever straight on.
So, if you need some fill light and you’re stuck with on camera flash then by all means those modifiers may help to soften and diffuse the light and make it more flattering. Its not ideal but better than nuthin’
: )
Hope that helps a little.
- Matt K
Someone needs to tell poor Joe that its a forward slash not a backslash!
I would like you to possibly go through what the different filters on lighting will accomplish. Meaning specifically what colors should be used to accomplsh what results
Already covered – check episode 20.
Already covered – check Episode 20
Enjoy another great episode again.
Nikon uses TTL to allow flash to compensate based on auto metering against ambient light.
I am using D90, as commander mode, I can control all flash setting through the cam body. Using a simple dumb radio trigger, I have to set the flash output manually.
Scott uses pocket wizard and just composed the shot. Pocket wizard is able to transmit TTL info as well?
I have a canon eos 30D(APS-C body)
What “cheap” lens do you recommend for portraits?
I don’t know which lens is better for great dof.
Which lens make better bokeh?
The 85mm f1.8 USM or the 70-200 f4L USM?
The 70-200 is a little bit more expensive(but you can zoom with it) but the 85mm is a faster lens.
I have an 50mm/f1.8 II too. Is the 85mm much better than the 50mm lens or should I buy the 70-200?
PLS HELP ME!
HI THERE ….
HOW I CAN DOWNLOAD THIS EPISODE?????
Great show guys.
Could you do me a favour, please? A lot of people, especially those who are moving from point-and-shoot to DSLR photography, are still googleing Canon vs. Nikon and deciding which is better. Of course, the best is the one that fits into your hands and fits your needs.
But here is the favour.
Could you take an entry level DSLR from Canon and Nikon (T1i aka 500D vs D5000), take “same” lenses (70-200 mm f/2.8 IS /VR/ 2nd edition) and take 2 absolutly same shots and show them unprocessed on TV? Of course, with Canon you have to set-up the right Camera Calibration.
I think this could really help to someone who is new to photography and also for me
Of course I know that Canon lens is different than Nikon … What do you say? 
Could you guys do a segment on external light meters? Didn’t see Scott use one in the shoot, so do you guys use them? I mostly shoot my family outdoors and a lot of travel photography. And I have a D300s if that helps.
Great show!
i second the notion of a Dtown segment on using lightmeters…
tws
Guys, very good! God bless!
Thanks for another great show filled with tips!
Can we get an episode/segment with regards to Macro lens with the R1C1
Thanks Love Thursdays!
what if you are using flash how do you do a custom WB ON SITE ?
I love your tips, I own a D300 and I never made custom wb with an expodisc, for this I blame canon because I owned a canon before and the custom wb was a pain.
I am now ordering an expodisc
Great show as always!
Could you go trough how to set the color profile in phototshop. I have some serious problems with my colors in my pictures, I never get them right because it looks right on my computer but not when I publish them on the web.
// Tommy
HEY GUYS I ASKED HOW I CAN DOWNLOAD THIS EPISODES PLZ ??????
go to podcast and download from there
Hello, I was able to find it free on iTunes. Just do a search for D-Town. All the old and new episodes are available.
iTunes!
Another great show as usual. I loved the WB tip and the off camera flash piece gave me lots of ideas. I especially like the new cheap shots portion with Larry Becker. This is getting to be one of my favorite parts of the show. Thanks again guys and keep up the great work!
Wow, #28 was a GREAT show! All are good, but this one was so informative. I like to know more about the one light set up, such as using a softlier softbox with the Nikon SB800, would that be too big for this light source? Also, if I’m to use off camera flash at a Wedding shoot how do I hold flash off camera? I cannot seem to be able to find a bracket and Scott doesn’t mention it in any of his books? I have a D200, and a Nikon SB800. The light stand boom, would my scrim jim 42×72 panel fit on it? More future episodes on lighting, metering, studio lighting, exposures, why etc. Good show and LOVE you guys!!
I would like to see a segment that explains why, when and how to move the Autofocus to the back button, and how to use it there, rather than halfway press on shutter button.
Can you talk a little about how durable the cameras and lenses really are? Nikon says: “Rugged construction with professional-grade dust and moisture resistance.”
Just how moisture resistant are my Nikkor lenses and my D3s or D300 cameras?
I obviously don’t want to find out for myself how much of the San Francisco fog and drizzle my 14-24 f/2.8 can handle. Or, if I’m out in the light rain will my 70-200mm lens eventually break down and get destroyed?
This is a topic I just don’t see discussed online or in books.
Thanks
Hi.
I’ve been using the Custom White Balance for a while – but I was wondering – do you know if it’s possible to tag a name onto each setting (rather than just d-0, d-1, d-3 etc) ?
E.g. it’s possible for Menu Custom banks. Thanks.
Hi – I’ve been using custom white balances for a while. I was wondering if it’s possible to tag or rename the options to something other than d-0, d-1, d-2 etc
As it’s possible with the Custom/shooting menu banks. Thanks.
hey guys, i’ve watched all your shows and they’ve been immensely helpful!
i’ve got a suggestion for a several part series. i’d love to see you guys go through some sort of photoshoot (indoor, outdoor, whatever) where you talk a bit about what is going through your head, how you want to set things up, why, etc. basically, getting a more detailed look into the behind the scenes of the end product!
anyway, keep up the good work!
Hey guys!
Thanks for a great show! What would be nice, would be an episode on Macro photography! Lenses, what to think about, flash and so on.
Thanks! Keep up the good work!
Hi guys love the show, you finally realised that not everyone has a Nikon? The tips are excellent and I enjoy the spot with Joe McNally even though he only talks about nikon & speedlite’s still someone has to use them.
Would you have a segment on using Nikon legacy lenses (AI, AIS) on D300,D700 etc. Also, non AI lenses on D40,D60,etc using an external light meter. Thanks.
Hey Guys,
Very informative this week. I liked the location lighting segment where you showed how different flash lighting affected the photo. I t made it easy to understand how different flash methods effect of the lighting on the subject. Hope to see more cause and effect type demos like these in furure episodes.
Jeff
David asks above, but I don’t think it came out quite right – interested in the effect that different coloured gels have on light thrown through a flash unit. Also would be interested in seeing the advantages and disadvantages of the different options for getting a flash off a Canon 50D.. off camera shoe vs sync cord vs infrared vs radio slaves (maybe talk about more then just the Pocket Wizard.. i.e. Elinchrom, etc)
Awesome show! The lighting on location was just terrific!
How do you set WB using an Expodisc if you only use SB flashed
Can Mr. McNally explain what he do’s as he only use’s SB?
Grate show -love kelby TV site as I do not have to find all ones to see them
I use the Expo Disc, great tool, but can find no way of attaching a lanyard as Scott had in Episode 28.
How do you do that, it is an excellent idea.
Great show again. What do you shoot in in ref to RGB or Adobe RGB? I just took a Nikon class in Houston and one of the instructors shoots in Adobe RGB. I have a D300 and a D90.
Scott,
Re the off-camera flash tutorial I don’t think you mentioned whether the flash was on TTL mode or manual, and were your exposure settings based on the original ambient reading you took at the start of the video without flash?
I understand the point of the tutorial was about getting flash off-camera – perhaps you could do a similar one explaining the balance between ambient and flash lighting in more detail.
Cheers David
Hi, Matt and Scott. I’m Dmitry from Russia.
Thank you for your show.
I want to share with you couple of tips for Nikon. I found it extremely useful. I haven’t heard about it in D-Town TV, so may be you’ll tell about it.
1. Use AF-ON button.
- Switch parameter A5 in menu to “AF-ON only”.
- Switch parameter A1 to “Relese+focus”.
- Switch AF-mode to C.
Now you will never need to switch to S-mode your AF.
2. Use easy exposure compensation in A-mode.
- Just switch parameter b4 in menu to “ON”.
Now you don’t need to press exposure compensation button.
Sorry for my English.
Best wishes.
Hi guys – thank you so much for your great shows!
I am new to DSLR (bought Nikon D90), I have somewhat of a disability learning the academic way of reading a lot, so your way of visually presenting theory and practical stuff of the art of photography is absolutely the motherload for me
What I really loved about your Episode 28 (and have been missing from previous episodes) was the section “on location” shooting pictures of a model in front of a window. The way that you showed the progress and results using different techniques was absolutely brilliant, because you used instant viewable examples of, what you were trying to teach.
English is not my native language so I don’t know if I am putting this together the right way – but what I want to say is that I would LOVE IT, if you used more tell-and-show in your tutorials. I mean if you showed more examples on screen about how a picture will look if you use this or that setting on the camera – instead of just mentioning a method, camera setting etc.
If you can or want to, I would really love and appriciate to get more of that visual way of learning – being able to see photographic examples of what it looks like using your advice. It can be just a few quick examples – or prefferebly seqments like the one in Episode 28 – getting to actually be “the fly on the wall” looking you pro guys over the shoulder when you are taking the pictures.
Hope you understand what I am trying to say.
Thanks again for your great shows!
With regards
Martin
Would also like to know about the expodisc and flash for setting white balance.. I know there is a flash setting for white balance, but would love some further clarification from you guys.
Great show! Very happy to see season two!
Love the shows and save them to disk as Quicktime movies. Any chance of including an index of subjects covered at start or end of each segment ?
Hi Guys
Fantastic show love the new series! One thing…when you set custom white balance does it stay the same until you re set the balance from the menu?
Keep these tips coming, all the best
Stephen
When we use the expo disc, where do we aim it? At the light source or at the subject?
-Scott
I was thinking if you guys can do a tip video on the Photovision Camera Target that helps with exposure and white balance
Thanks
Hi guys – great show as always (have been watching since episode #1. Greatly enjoyed the off camera flash section, something I’ve been doing a fair bit of lately with a D300 and SB800/SB600’s. One question – when you were shooting Scott, I heard you mention Ap priority mode, but what mtering mode were you shooting in, multi-segment, CW or spot??
Thanks!
Matt,
Where did you get your “Nikon” coffee mug”?
[...] wat oplichten met een reflectiescherm. Maar goe bezig hoor Grtz. Peter Wordt hier uitgelegd klik Over de foto's [...]
1st- Finally I was able to access the shows again for weeks I have been ‘denied access’ even after multiple updates. Today a miracle. It’s a good thing.
2nd- Scott you left me hanging right at the end of the off camera flash segment.
“You said ‘lower the light source’ because the light gets more powerful as it gets closer.
I just need that last step- where do I lower it?
New to flash- I have an SB900 that sits in the box most of the time.
Assuming your flash is in Manual mode (repeatedly press the Mode button until the display shows ‘M’ in the upper left corner), press the far-left round button – the one where there is an ‘M’ showing in the LCD display right above the button. This will highlight the ‘M’ mode at the top of the screen; then you rotate the control wheel/dial to change the flash output. Hope that makes sense!
Great yore back!!!
Thanks for many intresting camera and Photoshop tips. Great shows as usually, I´ll be back
Best regards
Christer
Sorry to delve so far into the minutiae…but can you tell us where you get the rubber lens hoods I see you guys and Joe using? Are they the same crummy $4.50 version I got on eBay? Something tells me they’re not…
Thanks for all the content, well done.
-Nelson
excellent tutorial of off camera flash
Hey guys! I was wondering if you need to have the SB-900 on Master instead of On or Remote when you are using wireless triggers like Cactus, Elinchrom Universal or Pocket Wizard with it? My SB-900 with a Cactus V4 can´t be fired unless it is on Master and i can´t adjust the power as much as in the “On” Mode.
That would be really nice to know!
Great work guys.
I really enjoyed the website pick for this episode … I was especially interested because the photographers are a couple, which is the same as my husband and I. I would like to know your opinion on how to charge for weddings when both photographers are lead photographers.
Hey Larry!
This one for cheap shots after Scott’s great Expodisk exposition
.
Don’t know if you guys have a deal with expodisk, in which case this will not be good, but you might like to pass on the Melita (Coffee Jug) Filter white balance tip — use just like an expodisk, but available in packs of 150 for $2, just add an elastic band to hold it over your lens
SPASIBO VAM!!!
VI PIZDATIE!!