With most regular flashguns there is no way to know what the exact lighting effect will be. One thing is certain: if you've got it fit onto the camera it's going to look pretty terrible.
But anyway, there are some primary benefits with using studio flash lighting. These are consistency, control and power, and modeling lamp capabilities. We'll explore each of these in more depth now.
Consistency
With consistency, a flash source of lighting translates to consistent lighting quality, regardless of other factors and variables. Unlike the tungsten bulb getting progressively more yellow, a flash light source will deliver precisely the same amount of the same color of light every time. This eliminates the need for additional filters and all of that.
Control
Let talk about control. Even the simplest or inexpensive studio flash units have some type of 'full/half power' switch. If you turn a flash head down to half power, the output light is reduced by exactly 1 f-stop. A simpler way to remember it, is that every time the light source is moved about twice as far from the subject, you will loose 2 f-stops of exposure.
Modeling Lamp
Studio flash units are fitted with continuous lamps. Because of the flash tubes position, it gives extremely accurate indications of the quality and angle that the flash will produce when it is fired. This makes setting up lighting just about as easy as anyone could hope for. Don't forget that using a flash unit will up he contrast, making highlights as well as shadows appear more strak than you may notice yourself.
Power Packs Versus Monoblocks
For the average user, compact flash heads or monoblocks are able to do nearly everything that any amateur and most professionals will require. Power Pack types come with an individual floor standing unit that contains all of the electronics and separate head or heads that are all plugged into this; whereas compact flash heads have all of the electronics built into the head.
Basic Tools
You should really have a decent flashmeter. These work very much the way a lightmeter does inside the camera, but it measures the amount of light that is produced by a flashgun. The controls and readout are generally quite simple to use and become familiar with.
There are two main ways to measure light. There is 'incident light' which is measured by holding the lightmeter above where the subject is positioned. There is 'reflected light', which is measured from where the camera is positioned, and pointing at the subject.
Must Have Accessories
Since the bigger the light source, the softer the light is, umbrellas are a great way to soften and expand a light source. Try silver for sparkly glamour shots, white for general diffusion, and translucent for a more delicate light.
Lighting Technique
The next step is to become comfortable with combinations of reflectors and angles used to create different lighting effects. Once you see the difference between simple light set ups and those involving multiple reflectors and flash units, there's no going back. The difference of 'realness' is day to night.
For more information on some basic multiple light set-up ideas, there are many helpful photography websites that can get you started. Remember though, the more you feel out for yourself through experimentation, the more you are teaching yourself to see as a photographer. SO why not try out some reflector and light source arrangements before you get advice from the so-called experts.
