a night club in Manhattan on Tuesday, past midnight

Canon 1D mk3, Canon 50mm f1.2 // 1/25th @ f1.2 @ 32oo iso

The simple answer is that yes, outdoors I most often shoot with my speedlight straight-on with no diffuser or light modifier, especially if I only use my speedlight for fill-flash. 

But then again, the answer is not quite that simple - so let’s take this back a few steps:

Shooting with your on-camera flash in a straight-ahead position while indoors is possibly the worst way to use flash.  We are far better off creating softer directional light by bouncing off a wall or other surfaces.

In this example from a wedding I photographed recently, the flash is both diffuse and directional.  And it should be noted that even though the flash used here was an on-camera speedlight, there is no light coming directly from the camera’s viewpoint. 

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This would be ideal the ideal way to use flash outdoors as well, and where I am able to, I do use off-camera lighting that is diffuse.

For example:

Here I  used a Quantum T5D-R in wireless TTL mode and with the Q-flash in a Westcott Apollo softbox, creating a very pleasant fill-flash.  The Q-flash (with Quantum 2×2 battery) and the softbox was held up high by my assistant.

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In this example, I bounced my on-camera speedlight into a reflector that my assistant was holding up - and this once again, gave me soft but directional light.

So where I can, I do try to use soft directional flash outdoors, but quite often there are compromises of some kind to deal with.  There might not be a handy surface to bounce flash off, or perhaps the available light may be too bright to allow me to bounce light effectively off outside surfaces.  Or I might be without an assistant. 

When I am working outside and I only have my on-camera speedlight to help me with less-than-ideal available light … and I have these above-mentioned limitations … then I accept the compromise of direct on-camera flash. 

Since I can’t bounce flash off the clouds - although I have seen photographers apparently try that, strangely enough - I accept that straight-on flash is all that I have at my disposal at the time.  BUT, when working with subjects outside, I will try and position them such that the ambient light is fairly even (or pleasant looking) light on them … and then I use fill-flash to lift the shadow areas. 

So in that case, I am using just a touch of fill-flash, and the flash is barely noticeable.   Therefore the fact that it is direct flash barely detracts from the overall image.

I very rarely use a diffuser of any kind when I shoot outside with direct flash (as fill-flash).  The reason is that we only get softer light by creating a (much) larger light source.  And plonking on a Stofen on the front of the flash does NOT create a larger light source.  Similarly, pretty much every light modifier that is attached to the speedlight and used directly, will not create a much larger light source than direct flash.  It is therefore just a simpler way to use the flash direct - straight-on and without a diffuser - and dial my flash compensation way down to around -2EV or -3EV.

Here are some examples from recent engagement photo sessions:

My settings:
1/250th @ f5 @ 500 iso - manual exposure mode.
On-camera TTL flash, dialled down to -2EV.

As you can see, I carefully placed my subjects in open shade and I used undiffused direct on-camera flash to lift any shadow areas just a touch.  It does not look like direct flash, because the flash was dialled way down … and the flash exposure rides on top of correct exposure for the available light.  ie .. the flash just sweetens the scene a bit.

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My settings:
1/320th @ f4 @ 500 iso - manual exposure mode.
On-camera TTL flash, dialled down to -3EV.

Once again, I made sure I had even light on my couple by having them turn away from the sunlight, ie  I  placed my subjects in open shade.  And similarly to the previous example, I used undiffused direct on-camera flash to lift any shadow areas just a touch.

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Why -3EV here and -2EV in the previous example?  Purely whim. No real reason aside from that.

You see, since the flash is just a soft ‘touch’ of fill-flash, the exact value isn’t of that great an importance, since it rides on top of correct ambient exposure.  And THAT is key here - that my available light exposure is correct.  In both these examples (and in every other example on this website), I shot in manual exposure mode.  It really is the only  way to achieve consistency in exposure, and achieve consistently correct exposure.  Trust me on this one.

Here’s one more example to show that using direct flash like this as fill-flash and getting these results, aren’t merely flukes:

My settings:
1/250th @ f4 @ 800 iso - manual exposure mode.
On-camera TTL flash, dialled down to -3EV.

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Now, what about those times when flash isn’t merely delicate fill light ?

My settings:
1/250th @ f7.1 @ 200 iso - manual exposure mode.
On-camera TTL flash, dialled up a touch to +0.3EV.

As I mentioned earlier - using the speedlight for a touch of fill-flash means that the direct flash is barely noticeable.  However, if I have to use flash as a main source of light, then the flash is noticable - but not necessarily objectionable.  And I’m of the opinion that using a flash modifier on a speedlight would barely have made a difference … except cut down on my speedlight’s power.  And few flash modifiers offer a substantially larger light source over that of the speedlight’s flash head - and therefore to my mind, using a flash modifier outdoors isn’t often of much use.

In the image above you can see that flash was used, in that there is a distinct flash shadow - but this was a slight compromise on this photo shoot, since I knew I would be moving around a lot.  And therefore when I had to lift the shadow areas to that of the brighter sunlit areas of the scene, I knew I would have to use more than just a hint of fill-flash.

So yes, I do use direct on-camera flash when shooting outdoors.   But even then I take care in how I use flash, and specifically how I use flash in relation to my available light.

This image from the recent photo-session with Amy and Nick in Manhattan received a number of comments and questions about the technique.  The basic camera settings for several sequences of images here, were 1/20th (at f8) and 1/10th @ f11.  The image above was one of a sequence at 1/20th.  But there’s more to it …

Amy and Nick were enthusiastic enough to work with me in several times running out to the middle of this busy Manhattan road whenever the light changed and pedestrians crossed.  The idea was, as seen here, to have them sharp against a blur of people and traffic.  I set my camera to a slow shutter speed, and used a stabilised lens to compensate.  This was essential in getting the couple sharp in the image, and not have camera shake at such a slow shutter speed.  Since we had to work fast, using a tripod would’ve been far too cumbersome.  ( Besides, I never bring a tripod with me on a portrait shoot like this.)

The effect of the people and traffic blurring was unpredictable, and I therefore simply opted to have my camera blast 10 frames a second (at such a slow shutter speed).  This way I made sure I got enough images every time Amy and Nick stood still in the road.

(I should note that the images were initially edited for exposure, contrast, saturation, white balance, etc, as part of my normal raw workflow.)

Here is an image where I liked how the people and traffic blurred around them, but I wasn’t  happy with the other person’s face being so dominant in the middle.  It was a distraction.

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With this image, I liked Amy’s hands and there was also a pleasant blurred area between them … 

… so I decided to combine the two images in Photoshop.

I started off by layering the two images, and then tried to get as good a positioning of them in the combined image by transforming the one image.  I checked this by changing the opacity of the one layer. It would be simpler blending the two images, if the position of my subjects (Amy and Nick) corresponded fairly closely between the two images.

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And then I used a layer mask on the one layer and blended the two images.

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For the final image I added a slight soft-focus effect on the background, and also increased the contrast ever so slightly.  I also brought down the saturation on the green jacket so that it is less distracting.   And there’s the resulting image - quite successfully showing the energy of New York, but still leading your eye to the couple.

Amy and Nick are one of my couples whose wedding I am photographing later this year.  They met up with me in Bryant Park in Manhattan this past weekend, and course we had to get photographs of them going for a ride on the carousel.  

Every time they went by me on the carousel, I would fire off a series of images. The carousel presented a lighting problem in that towards the outside, it was brightly lit by clouded sun .. and towards the inside, it would be much more shaded.  Usually I will try to control the contrast of a scene by using fill-flash of some kind.  But in this situation with the carousel, and given the the scope of this kind of shoot, getting a perfect photo in-camera would be impossible.

Simple on-camera fill-flash would not help here because there are parts of the carousel in the way.  Also, as they swung by me, Nick would be much closer to me and the fill-flash would be of no help whatsoever in getting more light onto Amy.

Therefore, because of the wide range in exposure from the outside of the carousel to the interior, the images I took here needed some additional work in Photoshop to achieve the final result I envisioned for my couple.

For comparison, here is the image straight out of camera.  The basic exposure is good, but of course the scene is very unevenly lit.  The white balance is off too. 

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I started off by editing the RAW file mainly for exposure, contrast, and white balance.  But I also changed the vibrance, brightness, recovery and clarity.  This got me to a basic image that looked good.  I then converted this edited RAW file as the first of a series of JPGs.

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I continued the editing process by adjusting the exposure slider on the RAW image.  I then generated a second JPG  which now had the exposure lifted a little bit to bring up the detail in the shaded interior of the carousel.

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The third JPG that I created from the edited raw file had the exposure pulled down a lot to bring back detail in the outer areas. 

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I then layered all three of these images in Photoshop and used layer masks to blend various parts of the layers into the final image.  I also burnt in the bright area on the pony in the front.  And in this way I created an image which has even exposure across the relevant parts of the scene.

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Finally, I felt that this image could use a little bit of snap, and 
for this I used one of Doug Boutwell’s Totally Rad Actions again. 
And here is the resulting image.

Even though most of the tutorial pages here deal with on-camera flash, I don’t limit myself to just using on-camera flash. When I need off-camera lighting or when I need more juice from my flashguns than a speedlight can deliver, I use the Q-flashes made by Quantum. 

For this wedding in Las Vegas, I decided to travel light and as an additional flashgun, bring along a single Quantum Q-flash in addition to the two speedlights I normally take along with me when I photograph a destination wedding.  I also wanted the flexibility of wireless TTL control over the flash, and therefore I chose a Quantum T5D-R with the Quantum Freewire Wireless TTL set-up.

In the photo above taken at Red Rock near Las Vegas, I had my assistant hold the Q-flash up high on a monopod and triggered it wirelessly.  This way I could fine-tune the flash exposure from the camera itself.  This allowed me to work faster than having either me or my assistant manually adjusting the flash the whole time.  (Anyone who is interested in my specific settings, the thought process is similar to the explanation here.)  I had the Wide-Angle Diffuser over the Q-flash, to spread the light more widely.

The Q-flash’s flexibility and power really came in handy for this next image. 

After the wedding we went to this famous landmark for a big group photo. I had to work fast to keep everyone’s attention since it had been a long day.  Also, the cops had just stopped to move the two buses out of the middle lane … so I really had to shoot fast and nail the few images I took here.

I needed a lot of light, and I needed the light as even from left-to-right as possible - so I had my assistant hold up the  Q-flash T5D-R with a Quantum wide-angle diffuser -  and had her pointing this through a white shoot-through umbrella to get the light spreading more evenly.  In the end I did have to go in to Photoshop to dodge the people on the left a little to bring them up to the same brightness as the rest of the group.  But using a powerful flashgun in this way gave me a very good headstart on this image.

So I am showing this here as an example of something simple that you can’t do with a speedlight.  When I need juice! .. and an even spread of light and a set-up that works fast, I revert to using Q-flashes.

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For those who are interested in the specific gear, here are the details of the exact equipment :

The camera with the Wireless QTTL Adapter on top of the camera,
and the Quantum FW9T FreeXwire Digital Transmitter clamped onto the bottom:

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The Quantum Q-flash T5D-R with the Quantum FW7Q FreeXwire Wireless Digital TTL Receiver attached to the side of the Q-flash.  This is a very neat design with the Receiver fitting flush to the Q-flash, and drawing power from the Q-flash itself.  

The umbrella clamp is a very simple device, and something I scrounged from my bin of odds-and-ends, so I can’t give you a specific link to it. The flashgun and umbrella clamp is attached to the Manfrotto monopod, via the Manfrotto Quick Release Adapter.

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This set-up is all powered by a Quantum Turbo 2×2 battery, which is attached to the monopod via the Quantum Pole Mounting Clamp.

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(click on the image if you’d like to order the book via Amazon)

Whether you are simply shooting a friend’s wedding, breaking into the business, or wanting to refresh your approach, this book takes you through the essential skills and provides you with the newest tools and tips of the trade.

Doug Fairbairn asked me about this image from a recent post on my wedding photography blog, where I showed some images from a Las Vegas destination wedding:

Great photos. I’m wondering about the lighting for the second photo - B&G and wedding party walking to camera with sun in background. How did you get so much light on their faces? Was it just reflected from the walkway or what? Too far away to use flash it would seem.

Doug .. thank you for the compliments!

About the look of that image and the way their faces are lit - this has less to do with the use of flash than it has with starting off with an image that is correctly exposed, and then tweaking it in post-production.

Two important things to note here:
 - I shoot in manual exposure mode only.  This gives me consistent exposure from frame to frame, and more accurate exposures.  The strong backlighting would’ve fooled any automatic metering mode.
 - I shoot in RAW.  This allows me all the flexibility in post-processing that I may need.

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Let me take you through the steps that I took with this photo in post-processing:

For a comparison, here is the original image directly out of the camera:

As you’ll notice the white balance is incorrect.  In this case I had the WB set to Auto, which in itself is unusual since I normally prefer the WB to be set to one of the presets like Daylight or Cloudy.  Changing the WB to a pleasant white balance is easy in raw workflow, with no loss of info.

Also, because of the sun directly hitting the front element of the lens, there is flare and the contrast is reduced.  This also needs to be fixed during post-processing.

Here is a screenshot of what my default ACR settings look like with that image pulled into ACR.
(Click on the image to get the larger image and see the actual slider settings.)

This image will look slightly different than the original because my default settings will change a few of the parameters. The red areas show where detail is lost.  This can be controlled to a large extent with some of the sliders, such as Recovery.  A change in white balance will also affect what colours are blown out, and hence affect the red areas showing lost highlights.

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Adjusting the image in ACR:

I will firstly change my white balance and exposure to get to a basic image that looks good.  And then I will finesse the other settings until I am happy with what the image looks like on my screen.  (A calibrated monitor is essential.)

By now the image looks like this …

… but I would still like to have the image pop some more …

.. and for this I use a select few actions.  I don’t often use actions, since I prefer my photographs to have a natural look to them, with little processing being visible.  So most of my images that I show on my website or give to the labs for proofing are directly out of the raw converter.  This is mainly because I want a fast and efficient workflow.  Finessing a large number of images in Photoshop would be too time-consuming.

But this image I felt could do with a bit more snap to it.  So I used one of the Doug Boutwell’s Totally Rad Actions.  As to which specific one … well, I’ll keep that a mystery. 

It might seem like a lot of work so far to edit the image.  But, aside from the use of the action on this individual image, the rest of the post-processing workflow is fast since I usually edit images as groups.  Because sequences of images will have the same WB and exposure, it is easy enough to select them all together in my raw converter program and adjust them simultaneously.

Back to the original question regarding how much flash was used - the EXIF data says that the flash was on in TTL mode and dialed down to -2.3 stops flash exposure compensation.  The group was turned away from the sun, so the light on their faces would be fairly even.  And I therefore just needed a touch of fill-flash.

So, as I mentioned at the start, the look of the image had less to do with how I used flash, but more to do with correct exposure, and then a touch-up in raw post-processing.

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And for quick comparison purposes, here are the original and final images again, next to each other:

Rotating flash brackets are cumbersome attachments between the camera and flash, which enables the flash to always be over the camera. Since the flash is always overhead of the camera with a flash bracket, regardless of whether you’re shooting horizontally or vertically, there is no sideways shadow … if you use direct flash to some extent, or a flash modifier on your camera.

It is now possible for me to get vertical images like these, using on-camera flash, with no trace of sideways shadows … because there is no light thrown directly forward from the flash itself.  The light is all indirect. This means there will be no noticeable shadow regardless of how my flash is positioned on top of my camera.

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These two recent posts are also relevant to this:

• choosing your direction
• my choice of flash modifiers

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So these days I get by without a flash bracket, and I thought it pertinent to update the webpage to reflect this.

An interesting question I received in an email recently had me thinking about, and considering my style in photographing weddings:

Do you sometimes feel as if you can’t be inconspicuous in order to get a certain shot during a wedding? There have been times I feel like I’m not blending into the background enough. How do you handle this?    (Regina Coble)

In trying to verbalise my answer, I came upon some interesting insights for myself.

Firstly, although I believe there is a strong sense of story-telling in my photography, I’m not particularly purist about ‘photojournalism’ in wedding photography.  I do interact with people  and during the portrait session, I do direct the bride and groom -  all in an effort to give my couples the best wedding photographs I can.  Even when I interact with my couples and direct them, I still aim for spontaneity and genuine expressions.  

But then how do I blend in and remain inconspicious?  For me this has more to do with being accepted within the group of family and friends - and in that way less obviously stand out - than the ‘ninja’ mindset that many wedding photographers try to hold up, trying to become invisible.

A comment on my blog by a groom’s mom gave me a key insight into something I hadn’t thought of before or tried to verbalise before receiving Regina’s email. The groom’s mom wrote:

It was like a friend of the family taking loving pictures.
You made the photo shoots actually fun and it shows in your work.

As I already mentioned, I’m not a ‘photojournalistic’ photographer, although I do photograph largely in an unposed, unplanned style through most of the day …

… but during the course of the portrait session, I begin by directing the couple (and the bridal party), and interacting with them - and eventually they “take over” naturally and become themselves. At that point, they become spontaneous and act like themselves and in a sense I have become less of a distraction, and less noticed.

Once you’ve build that rapport with them, you become less noticeable. It does take confidence in working with people, and it does take time to build up that confidence.

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During the portrait sessions, and engagement sessions, I try for a natural approach.  I do want my couples to appear relaxed and look like themselves.  To this end, I “take myself out of the picture”, by using a longer lens and having talk to each other and just cuddle and walk, and just be together. This will definitely help with any nervousness in front of the camera - and give portraits which appear casual and relaxed.  

The Nikon D300 (which superceded the highly-regarded D200), is such a great alternative to the top-rated Nikon D3 - offering many of the same features at a more affordable price - that it will make the D300 a camera that many professional photographers will chose as their main camera.  

Many of the custom settings of the D300 are the same as for the D200, but there are a few differences.  (eg, Auto ISO is now set in the Shooting Menu.)

Here are my preferences for the Custom Settings .. and why.

(And here’s the link if you’d like to order the D300 from B&H.)

The Custom Functions are grouped into 6 categories:

a - Autofocus
b - Metering / Exposure
c - Timers / AE & AF Lock
d - Shooting / Display
e - Bracketing / Flash
f - Controls

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a1 .. AF-C priority selection

AF-C is the Continuous Focusing mode, where the shutter can be tripped whether the subject is in focus or not, ie, Release Priority. With this setting, you can turn AF-C into Focus Priority.

default : Release button (ie, FPS is maintained),
my preference : default, (Release priority).

There are generally two ways that continuous auto-focusing can be used:
- using AF-ON as the focus lock, or
- with focusing enabled on the rear AF-ON button. (See custom function a5.)
Doing it in this latter way, would enable the photographer to use follow focus, and then simply by letting go of the AF-ON,  use the AF-ON button as a way of holding focus if necessary.  This is the way that most sport photographers use AF.

With this custom setting the photographer now has a very powerful option - to change the usual behaviour of AF-C mode in only tripping the shutter when the subject is in focus. Although, that said, I am not sure it is how most photographers would want to use Continuous Focusing.

Action photographers usually need the camera to accurately track the subject, and want the shutter to fire when the photographer wants, without the camera deciding otherwise.

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a2 .. AF-S priority selection

AF-S is the Single Focusing mode, where the shutter can only be tripped whether the subject is in focus, ie, Focus Priority.
With this setting, you can turn AF-S into Release Priority.

default : Focus Priority,
my preference : default.

My preference is for the camera’s shutter to only fire when I’ve acquired focus. Then I can lock focus by keeping the shutter button slightly in - allowing me to recompose the picture.

As an aside ..  my preference is for the camera to be set to AF-S mode, and with Single Frame Advance, since this way it allowed me to focus on a subject, reframe, and shoot a sequence with that point of focus locked by the shutter button.

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a3 .. Dynamic AF area

With this setting the number of AF points can be selected.

default : 9 points,
my preference : default.

This custom function is entirely dependent on the individual photographer’s style and needs, and I would go by the manual’s suggestion on how to decide how many AF points would be the best.

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a4 .. Focus tracking with Lock-On

With this option you control how the AF adjusts to changes in your subject’s movement.

default : Normal,
my preference : default.

This setting controls the behaviour of AF-C mode in that the camera allows for sudden changes in the subject movement, and also makes sure the camera doesn’t hunt when another object briefly obscures your subject in the frame.

The best resource on the implications of this setting, can be found on Digital Darrell’s website: Lock On - Does it Work?   (This is for the D2x, but it relates directly to the D300 as well

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a5 .. AF activation

With this setting you dictate whether auto-focusing is initiated via either the shutter button or the AF-ON button; or only via the AF-ON button (ie, shutter button doesn’t initiate AF).

default : shutter button / AF-ON,
my preference : default.

The choice here is closely linked to how you prefer activating auto-focus and your choice of focusing mode (AF-C or AF-S), since the behaviour of each mode changes slightly whether you focus with the shutter button or the AF-ON button.

I prefer the default because I mostly use my camera in AF-S focusing mode, and use my shutter button to activate and hold auto-focus.

Most sport photographers however, use the AF-ON button to activate auto-focus. Setting custom function a5 to AF-ON, makes most sense if you use Continuous Focusing mode (AF-C), since this setting will then allow you to lock focus by simply releasing the AF-ON button.

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a6 .. AF point illumination

This option controls whether the active focus area is illuminated in red in the viewfinder.

default : Auto,
my preference : ON.

I like having it on - then it is immediately obvious at all times exactly where the camera is focusing.

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a7 .. Focus point wrap-around

This setting controls whether the focusing sensor selection wraps around, or not.

default : OFF,
my preference : default.

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a8 .. AF point selection

This option allows you to choose either 51 or 11 AF points for manual focus-point selection.

default : 51 points,
my preference : default.

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a9 .. Built-in AF assist illuminator

This option controls whether the auto-focus assist light comes on in low light to help auto-focus latch onto the subject.

default : ON,
my preference : OFF.

The bright lamp light can be annoying and intrusive at inopportune moments, so I keep it switched off.

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a10 .. AF-ON button for MB-D10

The functions assigned to the Vertical AF-ON button are determined with this custom setting.

default : AF-ON,
my preference : default.

The default allows you to simply initiate autofocus.

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b1 - ISO sensitivity step value

This custom setting controls whether the shutter speed / aperture increments are in full or 1/2 or 1/3 steps.

default : 1/3 step,
my recommendation : 1/3 step.

Controlling the ISO is as important as controlling aperture and shutter speed in getting to the correct exposure. Therefore as fine a control as possible, is the best choice.  Also, since an increase in ISO means an increase in noise, it makes sense to have the ISO increments as small as 1/3rd stop to make for incremental jumps in adjustment.

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b2 .. EV steps for exposure control

This custom setting controls whether the shutter speed / aperture increments are in full or 1/2 or 1/3 steps.

default : 1/3 step,
my recommendation : 1/3 step.

Once again it makes most sense to set this to 1/3rd steps, since it allows better fine tuning of exposure  - which is essential with digital capture.

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b3 .. Exposure comp / fine tune

This custom setting controls whether the exposure compensation increments are in full or 1/2 or 1/3 steps.

default : 1/3 step,
my preference : 1/3 step.

Setting exposure compensation in wider steps than 1/3 stop settings might make bracketing over a wider rage easier, but I still think that using 1/3rd stop increments allow for finer tuning of exposure.

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b4 .. Easy exposure compensation

This custom setting dictates whether the [+/-] button is needed as well to dial in exposure compensation, or whether exposure compensation can be dialed in with the CMD dial only.

default : off,
my preference : keep it to the default.

If this setting is changed from the default, then a simple twiddle of the dials will change exposure compensation - very nifty, but all too easy to do by accident when using the camera in day to day photography. It’s simply safer to keep it to the default, where there is an extra safeguard in that the [+/-] button has to be pushed as well, before exposure compensation can be set.

Since I nearly always shoot in Manual Exposure mode anyway, this setting wouldn’t affect my normal operation of the camera. But I can see how this setting would be of real value to someone who shoots constantly in a specific auto mode such as Aperture Priority, where fast access to exposure compensation would be of great help.

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b5 .. Center-weighted area

This custom setting controls the size (and hence precision) of the center-weighted metering selection.

default : 8mm,
my preference : 8mm.

This very useful setting allows you to set the metering area wider or much narrower for center-weighted metering. At the narrowest setting it acts like a wide spot-meter reading - not as highly selective as a spot-meter reading, but still precise enough to make specific meter readings off a scene.

Exactly how wide or tight you set the metering pattern is up to personal preference, but my feeling here is that anyone who has a precise approach to exposure metering, would select one of the smaller areas as a default.

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b6 .. Fine tune optimal exposure

This custom setting is a very powerful tool. Many photographers want their images to be brighter or darker than the camera gives at the correctly metered default. With this setting you can bias the exposure without having the exposure compensation warning. ie .. this is like permanent exposure compensation built in for each of the metering modes.

default : no,
my preference : default.

I personally like the way that the Nikon cameras meter, which tends to give more saturated images. This also helps protect the highlights with digital photography. But this really is a setting which elevates this camera out of the ordinary, allowing unprecedented control over exposure. Every photographer can now fine-tune the camera’s metering to his / her own taste.

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c1 .. Shutter release button AE-L

This option controls whether exposure will lock while the shutter-release is pressed half-way, or only with the AE-L/AF-L button.

default : AE-L Button
my recommendation : keep to the default.

The default makes sense here, since the other option is to have the shutter button work as the exposure lock, which can be confusing, since it links the point of focus to the place you meter - which should not be thought of as the same thing, since it isn’t.

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c2 .. Auto meter-off delay

This setting controls how long your camera’s meter reading is displayed in the viewfinder and on top of the camera.

default : 6 secs,
my preference : 16 secs.

Once again, this setting is entirely personal preference, but I like my meter reading not to disappear so soon after I activate it with the shutter button. The battery of the D300 is long-lasting enough that the minor bit of power-saving by having a short meter display period, is off-set by the annoyance of having to press the shutter button repeatedly when taking meter readings.

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c3 .. Self-timer delay

This setting controls how long the self-timer takes before tripping the shutter.

default : 10 secs,
my preference : 2 secs.

This setting should be up to personal preference, but I like a shorter self-timer setting, since I mainly use this to stabilize the camera from vibration when working with the camera on a tripod.

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c4 .. Monitor Off

With this setting you control how long the LCD display stays up.

default : 20 secs,
my preference : 1 min.

I’m an incorrigible chimper. I like seeing what I just photographed, and also, the histogram and blinking highlights are indispensable tools. Therefore I *need* to chimp. Having a much longer LCD display time helps. Besides, others usually want to see what you just shot.

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d1 .. Beep

This controls how loud / soft the camera beeps … or not, when acquiring focus or when using the self-timer. It is also used for a low shutter speed warning.

default : high,
my preference : off.

Personal preference again, but I prefer my camera to be quiet.
But I have to admit that the soft beep isn’t intrusive at all.

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d2 .. Viewfinder grid display

This allows a grid pattern to be displayed in the viewfinder.

default : off,
my preference varies.

This one is personal preference. The display isn’t intrusive, and it is a useful guide to have as a reference to keep verticals and horisontals correct.

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d3 .. Viewfinder warning display

This custom setting enables or disable the low battery warning in the viewfinder.

default : on,
my preference : default.

It makes sense to have a visual reminder of your camera’s battery running low.

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d4 .. CL mode shooting speed

This setting controls the maximum frame rate when the camera is set to CL (continuous low-speed).

default : 3 fps
my preference : the default.

I don’t often shoot in Continuous frame-advance, since I prefer the Single Frame mode. Action photographers will set this option to their own requirements.

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d5 .. Max continuous release

The Maximum shots taken in a single burst, is set with this.

default : 100,
my preference : keep it to the default.

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d6 .. File Number Sequence

This default chooses whether the file names reset to 0001 every time you use a new CF card or new folder, or whether the camera remembers the last file name used and keep numbering sequentially from there on.

default : on,
my recommendation : on.

I’m glad that Nikon had the sense to change this default from what it was with their previous cameras.

File No. Seq OFF - will name the image files the same every time you use a new memory card or a clean memory card. The file naming will resume from the last image recorded on the memory card. This means that if you use more than one memory card, you will have duplicate file names. Even if you only use one memory card, you run will most likely get to the point where you have to rename image files continually on your computer.

File No. Seq ON - will resume file naming from the last name used. So if you use more than one memory card, the file names will be different from each other on the different memory cards. This will save you the bother of having to rename files when you download it on the computer, or of having to keep image files from different memory cards in different folders in your computer.

Although that said, I rename my files to more logical filenames, as a matter of course in my raw post-processing workflow.

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d7 .. Shooting info display

This option controls whether the LCD displays as dark text on light background; or as light text on dark background  This can be done automatically to maintain best contrast for readability.

default : Auto,
my preference : default.

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d8 .. LCD illumination

This option controls whether the LCD lights up only when the power switch is rotated to the lamp position, or when any button is pressed.

default : Off,
my preference : On.

I most often work in dim areas, and I want to be able to read my LCD without having to precisely select the Lamp button. With this function selected, the LCD will light up whenever I hit any of the D300 camera controls. It just makes it easier for me when the LCD lights up as soon as I handle the camera - then it doesn’t become an extra control that I have to push. 

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d9 .. Exposure delay mode

The shutter release is delayed by 1 sec from the moment you press the shutter button.

default : off,
my preference : default.

This option is essential for photographers who shoot at slow shutter speeds or do high-magnification work such as macro photography. The mirror flipping up causes a lot of internal vibrations, and this ‘mirror slap’ can cause photographs to show camera shake. With this setting, the mirror is flipped up instantly as you press the shutter button, but the shutter itself only opens 1 second later when the vibrations from the mirror flipping up, has been damped.

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d10 .. MB-D10 battery type

Here you select which batteries you are using in the MB-D10 grip, so that the correct battery levels can be displayed.

my suggestion : use EN-EL3e batteries.

If you use EN-EL3e batteries, which are the best choice of batteries for the D300, then this becomes a moot point.

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d11 .. Battery order

With this setting you control whether the camera is powered first from the MB-D10 batteries, or the battery in the camera is depleted first.

default : use MB-D10 batteries first,
my recommendation : default

If you keep one in the camera body even though you have the MB-D10 attached, it somehow just makes perfect sense to have the batteries in the grip deplete first before the camera’s battery.

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e1 .. Flash Sync Speed

With this setting you control the maximum flash sync speed that the camera will be able to set.

default : 1/250th,
my recommendation : 1/320th (Auto FP)

I’m not sure why anyone would set a lower than maximum flash sync speed. 

Even though using the Auto FP high-sync speed option drastically limits the range of the flash, it enables control over depth-of-field with the proper dedicated strobes such as the SB800. Most of the times that I use a shutter speed higher than max sync speed, I’m using the Speedlight as fill-flash only (and usually dialled down), so the loss in power isn’t really noticed.

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e2 .. Flash shutter speed

Here you control the minimum flash sync speed that the camera will set in any of the auto modes.

default : 1/60th,
my preference : 1/30th.

I prefer a slower sync speed in order to allow more ambient light to register. But then, I would rarely use this custom function since I don’t often use an auto mode.  I prefer the more considered approach with Manual metering mode, that allows me to drag the shutter for the specific effect I want.

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e3 .. Flash control for built-in flash

This option controls which mode the built-in flash will use.

default : TTL
my recommendation : Commander mode.

Your decision here will rest on whether you need your built-in flash as the main flash or fill-flash (and then TTL would usually make the most sense), or whether you want to use the strobe as the Commander strobe to control a Slave flashgun (a remotely triggered SB-600 / SB-800).

My recommendation would be to keep it to the Commander mode. Since the built-in flash is about the worst kind of way to use flash, you really should be using a larger external strobe to give you more options in using flash.

With the built-in flash set to Commander mode, you can use your external Nikon strobe, and when you need wireless TTL flash, you can simply remove your Nikon Speedlight and you are immediately set to control the Nikon Speedlight in Commander mode.

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e4 .. Modeling flash

With this custom setting you control whether the depth-of-field preview button acts as a trigger for the rapid burst from the Speedlight that acts as a modeling flash.

default : ON,
my preference : OFF.

This is helpful if you are using multiple Speedlights in a wireless TTL configuration, and it would then help to enable this at that time.

For a single on-camera strobe it makes less sense, since the modeling flash is already accessible as a button on the SB-800 Speedlight itself, and it doesn’t make much sense to tie up the depth-of-field preview button with this function.

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e5 .. Auto bracketing set

e6 .. Auto bracketing (mode M)

e7 .. Bracketing order

These custom functions all control the way that auto-bracketing is set, and therefore is entirely up to the individual photographer’s way of working. I don’t use auto-bracketing, preferring a more specific approach to metering, so I keep these settings to the defaults.

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f1 .. Multi selector center button

With this custom function, the operation of the center button of the multi-selector is defined for the Shooting Mode and Playback Mode.

Shooting Mode :
default : Select center AF point,
my preference : default

I like the default here over the other choice (Illuminate AF area), since this allows me to instantly re-select the center autofocus sensor if I have been using another focusing sensor instead.

Playback Mode :
default : Thumbnail on/off,
my preference : Zoom on/off.

I really like to be able to see a higher magnification of the image. And with the way the joystick works of the multi-selector, it is easy enough to move to any part of the image. Sweet!

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f2 .. Multi selector

With this setting, the multi-selector can have an additional function when pressed.

default : do nothing,
my preference : the default.

Since I already have something assigned to happen when I press the multi-selector button, it is simpler to just have this CF set to do nothing.

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f3 .. Photo Info / Playback

With this setting you can control which direction the multi-selector needs to be pushed to access the info screens for each image, or different images.

default : Playback <–>
my preference : Info <–>

With the D200 and D300, they changed the order of this command from how it is on the D2x. This could be confusing if you use both cameras, so then set the D300 to work like the D2x.  (Or the D2x like the D300.)

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f4 .. Assign FUNC. button

This option allows a variety of functions to be assigned to the FUNC button. It is in settings like this, that helps make the D300 shine as a powerful tool for the photographer.

FUNC button press
 - default : none
 - my preference : Flash Off (the Speedlight is disabled

This setting is entirely personal preference, since there are a variety of options here that could be put to great use by different photographers. I like the idea of instantaneously being able to disable the flash by pressing the FUNC button, instead of having to pull my eye away from the viewfinder to switch the Speedlight off.

The FV Lock option is also a strong consideration, since it allows you to lock your flash exposure off a specific tonal value, and not have large areas of white or black throw off your TTL flash metering.

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FUNC button + dials
 - default: Auto Bracketing
 - my suggestion: keep it to the default if you shoot in an auto exposure mode.

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f5 .. Assign preview button

With this control, you set what the action that preview button will perform.  It has a similar set of possibilities as the FUNC button, but it makes most sense to my mind, to keep it as the depth-of-field preview button.

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f6 .. Assign AE-L / AF-L button

Similarly here, with this button you set whether the AE-L / AF-L button performs the default function of locking exposure and focus, or any of the other options, similar to that of the FUNC button.

My preference would be to keep this button purely as a Focus Lock (AF-L) button, since I only shoot in manual exposure mode.  Also, since focusing and exposure have nothing to do with each other, these two functions shouldn’t really be assigned to the same button.

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f7 .. Customise command dials

This controls a number of things about the way the command dials work:
 - direction of rotation;
 - you can also swap the front and rear dials so that the shutter speed is dialled with the front button, and the aperture on the rear dial;
 - whether the aperture is dialled in, or adjusted via the aperture ring on the lens;
 - the menus and playback.

Any of these settings are purely up to personal preference.

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f8 .. Release button to use dial

With this custom setting, you can change the behaviour of the camera’s controls from “press a button, and dial”, to “press and release the button, and then dial”.  Once again, this is up to personal preference, but I like the default behaviour of the camera. 

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f9 .. No CF card ?

This option disables the shutter release if there is no CF card.

default : Enable release,
my recommendation : Lock release.

Changing away from default makes a lot of sense. You really don’t want to get in to a situation where you think you are capturing images, but not really.

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f10 .. Reverse indicators

With this custom setting, the direction of the exposure meter display in the camera can be changed.

default:            + —0— -
my preference: - —0— +

This has long bugged me that the Nikon metering displays are non-intuitive about their direction. I know the intention is that the metering display shows the way the controls should be turned, but it still makes more sense to have the + on the right-hand side for display. That’s the way we are trained to see an increase, or a plus.

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