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Last Updated on January 8, 2026 by Erin Donahue
You can’t tell by looking at these pictures, but this was my first real test of using a hot-shoe flash in a non-static environment! I was photographing a friend’s engagement dinner at Rule of Thirds in Brooklyn, and since it’s a restaurant, we were indoors with no windows. I can’t speak for all photographers, but using a bounce flash can be one of the most stressful situations to be in. As an entry-level flash unit, I use the Godox TT685S Thinklite TTL flash. There are a number of things that go wrong or make the moment awkward. Any of the following can, and most likely does, happen: The flash is delayed, or it doesn’t go off at all. The direction of the light is wrong and causes unflattering shadows. Or there’s no white wall (death). The list goes on, but thankfully, everything went off without a hitch!
Your Clients Are Your Existing Network
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: your next client is already in your existing network! Since I went full-time with photography and content creation, I’ve been pleasantly surprised that friends want to hire me as their photographer for their special events. People that I didn’t expect to spend money on a photographer reach out to me, which is really flattering. For this particular party, my friend Tom reached out to me months in advance in preparation to pop the big Q to his girlfriend (now fiancรฉe). Initially, I was supposed to join him and photograph the actual proposal on top of a mountain with their friends surrounding them, but in the end, he opted to just photograph the dinner at Rule of Thirds.
A Room Filled With Happiness and Laughter
Nonetheless, I am so grateful for any opportunities that come my way, now that I run my own business. It really means a lot to me that people entrust me enough to be in the same boat with them and capture all these moments for them to look back on. The best part was after I spent the hour photographing candids and group shots, I got to enjoy the moment with them as well. I pulled up my seat next to the future bride and groom and our mutual friends and ate the night away.
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