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I use Topaz Photo AI to remove the grain on high ISO photos. It does a really good job most of the time.

I've shot weddings with and without a diffusion dome, and I definitely prefer a diffusion dome. I don't use GF though, I use a $30 godox attachment. I would be bouncing flash regardless, but the great thing about a diffusion dome is consistency which is great when wedding days are in so many varied locations not all ideal. It's all well and good to just bounce flash in a white walled building/tent but there can often be dark walls/wood/shooting outside in the dark, etc. Where it's not the ideal scenario. That's where the dome shines, it can create a big, even white blanket of light. This is particularly great in the newly popular candlelit dinner party weddings where everything is dark and orange. I'm definitely of your philosophy Luke to try to make the flash as natural looking as possible and the diffusion dome definitely helps with this. :)

Those are really nice pictures! I learned so much too. Thanks.

This is not accurate.

Video starts at 3:30

Love it! Beautiful energy

LUKE YOU ARE AN INCREDIBLE TEACHER! OH MY GOSH! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and your overall wonderful self with us in these videos. Your editing is perfection and presentation over and above. I learned so much and can't wait to start applying these techniques!

My reasons are similar to yours. I am picking up the zf to travel as it's a light small full frame. On vacation taking photos of my family I never shoot at f2.8 or below. Generally always f4-8. Why pay for an f2.8 or faster lense and deal with he size and weight if you never going to use it. For your use case though a wide angle f4 zoom would have serve you better.

Thank You for this excellent Video, I enjoyed it very much & learned a lot. if you don't mind could you please provide the name, model of the Continuous Video Light you used. I am interested in acquiring one.

How did you measure the right focusing distance? Or did you focus on the chair or use measuring tape? Beautiful image.

Great video, thank you very much!

LOL I got scammed. Twice!! As a beginner I mistakenly thought the same thing about the fongs softening the light. Years later I learnt how to bounce my on camera flash. I now use a black card strapped with a hair tie to the flash to bounce and direct the light. This is such a great vid. And funny.

Thank you so much for this video, it inspired me and lead to so many creative ideas.❤

9:00 Funnily enough, I’ve always shot vertical with my right hand (the one pressing the shutter) in that position you find weird: under the camera, with the elbow in front of my body. And it was both an intuitive and conscious decision for a few logical reasons: - Your arm is more stable with the hand under the camera body, against your chest, So less potential for shake, and less tiring for your arm. - And if you hold the camera like you do (holding the camera from above, with the elbow out), your arm takes more space, somebody can bump into your elbow, you can bump into somebody, your elbow can block the view of another person/photographer behind you (events, fashion runways, sports, etc). - Moving from horizontal to “vertical bottom”, takes less effort than having to move your entire elbow up in the air to get there. Less effort, strength, energy, more stability, more confort, less space taken, less risky, and faster. So all in all, although it’s a feeling and a habit thing (which you can change), it also makes more sense to me to shoot vertical that way.

I’d love to see you actually set up the lights at the venue, reception, etc. I’ll check your site for other videos. Really enjoyed this one though. Thank you!

Thank you very much for this! I am starting to use the flash and you answered very many of my questions.

10:18 DId you ever get to try the 135?

3:12 To that point, Idk your set-up, but invest $30-40 (USD) in an EYE-CUP to replace the stock Nikon eyepiece. It's a gamechanger for bright/harsh sunlit days &/or glare.

As a Z9 & Z8 owner, if I didn't have those, I'd be all over this Z6iii launch 🎉 I'm hoping the feature of adding your own custom presets to show in-camera will be a firmware update soon (&/or whatever that app was).

So, now that the Nikon Plena 135mm f1.8 is out...did you end up getting it?

Excellent video. Any opinion on the Gary Fong light sphere? I rely on that so much because I’ve been nervous to bounce on wall. I’m an idiot I know 😂

Do you always angle flash head behind you to bounce of wall, no matter how tall ceilings are or how far behind you wall is? Wall has to be decently close, no? Excellent video thank you

12:03 Man, I would really really love to see how you do that. :) Now, let me ask you a question. Do you trigger your flash in manual mode because of Godox's poor ttl capabilities? :) Basically that is exactly why you have ttl, to bypass all that manual measuring and adjustments of camera and flash parameters. You just adjust your camera settings and the flash, through ttl, will know exactly how much light to let out. Providing that ttl functions work flawlessly from camera to flash. Not so with Godox. At least that's my experience with V860III and Sony. On Nikon with the native SB-800s never had a problem.

2:51 I would do full anal mode on everything….😂

That's helpful! thank you

Great Great advice , thank-you

Earned a sub! Thank you for the great work

My goodness, I learned so much from this video.....

This is probably the best how-to video I’ve seen about flash photography yet! I just photographed a wedding last night, and struggled 😩 Wish I would’ve seen this beforehand 😒

Please give a genuine 😅 feedback.... M so much torn between s5iix and z6iii ...just the video features! Photos both is more than ok. Btw its not a full stacked sensor like that of a xh2s....its partially stacked...

What lab did you use for developing?

Hey Luke! Do you have other links aside from the shorturl? I cant seem to access it on this side of the world. would love to avail your preset! Ty!

Loved what i saw but my question is when setting up thr light on the stand, where are you positioning it? And does it stay there or are you moving it?

I dont have the 50mm 1.2 but I am considering it. So far I've been loving my 135 plena

I have the Z6 and Z6ii. Waiting for the Z6iii I got the Zf and the Z8. Looking at the reviews and specs of the Z6iii has just about convinced me to get another Zf.

I agree with you Luke on the z6iii...as a z6ii shooter i have 2 of them and i preordered it the z6iii and can't wait to try the z6iii myself.. the cloud thing is amazing becausr i shoot lots of events and this is much needed

Great content!

Great advice!

Been waiting for Nikon to come out with a FF camera with flip out screen. Almost went to Sony with A7RV because of this. I do have Z9 and love it for pro shoots, hoped Z8 had a screen like the A7RV. Skipped Z8, got excited with the Zf but concerns about ergonomics got me to hold off and see what Z6III will offer. Pre ordered ZIII and will be using it as my travel and video camera.

50 1.2 just hits different. Minimal. But it hit different.

Would you show us your workflow with film photography? I've never dared to try it before but you've made me a little curious ;)

I so appreciate your transparency of not knowing exactly what they are talking about but still talking about how you feel about it! You are just the best!! 🫶 Thanks dude!!

What is the perfect camera for a CZcams channel? Would that be a Nikon Z6 iii?

Sir. Thank you...... extremely helpful.. really helped me understand flash.. Thank you again.. super video. Thx for sharing

So nice to hear your thoughts.

New cams are hyped so much these days. I fell from the Z8 only to find it’s just a mediocre camera😳. Much prefer the Z5 and have done weddings with it!

It's a partially stacked sensor, it's not fully stacked like the Z9 and Z8.

I have the Z7 which I purchased on sale for $1k off about 1.5 yrs ago. I love it but the AF leaves something to be desired. I’d like to sell it to help pay for the Z6III but I have a project I need to complete with it first.

I shoot weddings. After over 3,5 years with Z6II and now with Z8 I can tell without even seeing in person Z6III that it will be perfect camera for any wedding photographer. Z8 is fantastic nut it,s actually a little too much for weddings. Z6II was missing two things IMO. It was of course better AF performance and better ergonomics - I personally like bigger bodies. That's why Z8 sits in my hands perfectly.

Did you preorder it? Once you try the new focus system you’ll never go back. I have the new ZF and I never want to pick up my Z6ii. You don’t even know what you’re missing until you try it, then you’ll never go back.