Working with flash is tricky, and it’s definitely not for every photography genre or style. But, it’s even more challenging when you’re doing film photography given all the limitations of the medium. However, since film is still popular for portrait work, it’s worth knowing how to use flash whether for studio or outdoor photography.

In the video above, Los Angeles-based Willem Verbeeck shares some of his flash photography tips for film photographers. He begins with a quick introduction to the strobe lighting you can use. Next, he demonstrates the basics of connecting the strobe to your film camera, and metering your shots. The latter, however, is extra tricky when you’re mixing flash with natural light outdoors. So, he also throws in a quick (albeit controversial) trick that he does to get the best exposure. Of course, he puts all these tips to work with an outdoor shoot to show the kind of film shots that we can get.

As you can probably tell, flash photography comes with technicalities that will significantly affect your results. These are extra crucial when you’re shooting film, so Verbeeck also made sure to include some details to take note of.

Want more film photography or flash photography tips and tricks like this? Make sure to drop by our group discussions if you’re already part of the Photofocus Community!