Snagged a 550ex from Best Buy (yay card), and I've read the manual and it mostly made sense.

So now that I've got it, I am wanting some of you people with experience with these types of flashes to maybe point me towards some places on flash techniques or tricks. I feel comfortable with the settings and controls, but not "how" to apply them.. to mountain biking for instance, or birds, or whatever else.

So if anyone feels like giving me some links or talking about tricks and such they use, I'd appreciate it alot.

Thanks

What sort of trick are you thinking of? It emits light, that's about all there's to it. Therefore, you should use it as a source of light, to light things that...you know...need light.

OK, I'm done with poking fun. Seriously, there are no trick or tips, just use the damn thing. Just remember that with all E-TTL flashes you need to keep a focus point on the subject to properly expose said subject. That's not something that's specific to the 550, but to all Canon DSLR/flash combos with the exception of the Deuce (Mark II).

I don't know what tricks, but if Thom Hogan can sell a 100 dollar book on flash use for nikon, there's gotta be SOME sort of professional flash technique, for macros, sports, boucning the flash into an umbrella, motion blur, 1st or 2nd curtain stuff. I've been reading John Shaw's closeup and nature photography books, and he's using his flash in a bunch of weird ways, putting it on the braces and using it for tiny macros and such.

I figured there was more to it that "set it to P and push the button"

Well, those aren't tricks or even weird ways. Photography is all about light, and these are just different ways of using the flashes to get desired lighting. Just start using it and then when you start seeing things you don't like in your images, learn how to change them. Trying to learn everything all at once will get you nowhere.

That being said, the first thing that will yield better lighting is bouncing the flash. The second will be moving the flash off the camera.

Start with that...

My 550ex has been a workhorse.

I use a Stofen for closeups - within 5 feet or so...it helps to soften the light a bit.

Stock up on batteries. :p

High speed synch is a neat feature.

For me, the ETTL is usually a dead ringer for indoor work.

Practice, practice, practice

Have fun with it!

Kathy

Try bounce flash, lumiquests, stofens, whatever. But play, play hard, play often. The 10D and 550EX combo is not always consistent, at least not in my experience., so give it a workout trying different things, and shoot several shots of the same subject with the same settings to test consistency. The only thing I might suggest is rechargeable NiMH batteries, much cheaper in the long run and they charge the capacitor on the flash faster than alkalines. And if you shoot weddings or other social events that depend heavily on flash, get a quantum pack for the flash. Also get a second and third flash later to play with the wireless slave feature of this system. Have fun :)