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As promised, now we are going to talk about using an external flash on your DSLR camera. Scroll to the end of this post for a FREE project outline about using your speedlight.

There are SO MANY resources on how to use a speedlight (or external) flash, but I am going to give you some quick tips for using your external flash when you are just starting out.

This post is going to focus on how to use a speedlight as it sits on the top of your camera. NOT mounted on a side stand. 

In past blog posts, I praise the use of natural light in photography. But what if there is just not enough light? 

Yes, a flash would be required. (And it’s not a bad word. Despite the fact that I usually avoid it at all costs…)

One of the ways that you can excel in your photography skills is to study what others have done.

Sometimes just perusing some professionals is helpful to gain some inspiration and to study good photography. (I love to just peruse https://www.flickr.com/ to find some inspiration sometimes!)

Start by asking some technical questions:

How many times have you heard: “How can I get extra credit in your class?”

Usually, at least in my experience, this question comes 2 days before the end of term from a student who is 2% away from the next letter grade and is desperately trying to raise it just enough to make the grade or even to pass my class.

So here’s how I handle it: I say, “Yes! Absolutely! Go take some pictures at some school events…though I’m not sure how many school events are planned for the next 2 days.”

Have you ever seen those abstract letter photos? They’ve been around for a while, but they are still a fun unique gift. So how do you take cool photos like that? Well, I’m so glad you asked!

Alphabet photography are really just macro-mode photos. (Here is a link to my macro-mode blog post)

Here are some tips for making some really cool alphabet photos of your own:

Do you have difficulty getting students to take photos? I never understood why it was so difficult to get kids to do this. It seems like it would be easy…you just have to take pictures! Even if they aren’t very good, at least bring in something!

But no, week after week, I would have students not bring in photos. I think I have it figured out: laziness and lack of imagination. Not that they don’t have an imagination, they just don’t get the opportunity to exercise it often enough.

Has school started!? Summer sure went by fast…as usual…(why is it always surprising when school starts? It’s not like it’s unexpected, yet every year it seems to creep up on me…)

Summer is HERE!!! Woohoo! Praise the Lord and hallelujah! 

…so what are you doing? Below are some ideas and some things that I have done to make the best of my summer, because they go by quick!

Option 1: Vedge

Sit around and do nothing! Literally. This was certainly my approach after my first year teaching! I felt like doing nothing and I did nothing. Not for the whole summer…but for the first month or so I have no shame in admitting that I was highly unproductive (which is unusual for me, I am the get it done and finish the to-do list kind of girl!)

Hope for the future

Teaching isn’t for everyone. There, I said it. It’s out there. This blog post isn’t going to try to convince you to pursue a career that will not fulfill your purpose and make you hate your life.

That being said, there is certainly something to be said for giving teaching another chance. Year one is often the tough both physically and emotionally (as it was for me), but I am very glad that I stuck it out and gave it another year.

There were certainly low spots in that first year of teaching. As I reflect back on that first year it is hard for me to remember the good times because they are so overshadowed by the bad. It always seems to happen that way.

For this blog post, I want to reflect on that first year as a whole and talk about a few things I wish I would have done differently.