Joe McNally, the wizard of flash photography, has created six, two-minute videos in which he quickly and expertly demonstrates the basics of flash photography using built-in flash and camera-mounted Nikon Speedlights.

Each of these videos offers quick and easy tips to make your D-SLR photographs better.

Note: Camera dial configurations and designations can vary from model to model, so please be sure to check your manual for specifics.

Joe McNally
Joe McNally
In this video, see Joe photograph a family portrait using the D-SLR’s built-in pop-up flash. The simple addition of the pop-up flash provides enough light for a well-exposed, sharp photo. Shoot fast and make the session fun for your subjects—especially helpful when photographing children, who will often loose interest and attention easily.
Joe McNally
This video shows how Joe photographs a couple indoors, using the D-SLR’s built-in pop-up flash—with tips to keep out unwanted harsh shadows. Simple tips include watching for shadows caused by the lens shade (solution: remove lens shade while shooting) or lens (solution: increase the distance between you and your subject); and softening harsh shadows (increase the distance between the subjects and the background).
Joe McNally
In this video, Joe photographs a child indoors, in a backlit scene; offering simple tips for balancing the light in the scene using fill flash. Shooting with a D-SLR that has a built-in pop-up flash, the light is balanced for a pleasing photograph.
Joe McNally
In this video Joe shoots a portrait indoors using bounce flash. This simple technique can be done with an optional Speedlight that has the capability of tilting the flash head. By tilting the flash head towards the ceiling, the light is turned from a small, harsh light source to a large, soft light.
Joe McNally
In this video, Joe adds fill-flash to a portrait he’s shooting outdoors. This simple technique used by the pros is a great solution for adding sparkle and pop to outdoor portraits captured under flat lighting. See the pleasing effect the addition of the fill-flash has on outdoor portraits.