5D Mk IV – EF 16-35mm F/2.8L – 640W Strobe – 0.4 sec, f/6.3, ISO 100, Eval Meter

Well I only thought it be appropriate to show where much of the post-processing magic takes place. Here I am working in Lightroom. In this case, I’m reviewing a photo in a folder called Best of 2022. Getting a pic like this can be a bit tricky to the uninitiated. I have my 5D sitting on a tripod. Right over it is an Einstein flash unit with a beauty dish covered by a diffuser. I had a remote in my left hand. I should have used my light meter, but I thought I’d try my luck at guessing what the exposure setting should be. My goal was to get myself and the computer display both exposed properly.

I first set the shutter speed to 1/200 of a second. That worked well for me, but the monitor was black. I then started cranking down the shutter speed. My logic was the same as if the monitor was a window – expose for the ambient, fill with flash. After a bit of experimenting, I found 0.4 seconds to my liking. Then I had to find the right pose, this will have to do, I guess.