[sleaver]

After purchasing a 580 EX II I thought I would try and put it to some use. Some may say the conventional way of using it first was on the camera, but I thought I would try it off the camera.

I set up the camera on a tripod, focused and the fired the flash from the side/underneath the camera on both sides.

As a first attempt of using off camera flash, or painting with light I think they have turned out very well but comments are always welcome so that I can learn for the future.

One question. When people do this sort of thing at night how do you focus in the first place? I focused with the built in flash and then turned to manual focusing.

[py6km]

I don't have an flash gun, and rarely (if ever) use the onboard one I have, so I can appreciate that adding another variable into the mix could cause a headache, but I think these are very good looking. In particular, the second one for me is the nicest of the two (think because the shadows from the centre of the flowers are more noticeable in the first).

[senu]

They did turnout quite alright
but
You will find that on camera flashgun bounced may have given you better particularly if you bounced off a reflector
Just my opinion , mind you
The problem with focusing at night is that you will need to use if on camera ( and bounced
or use the inbuilt flash to prefocus , then take another on , with manual ( as you stated)
At any rate low light and especially night are probably not the time to test speed and accuracy of AF
There really is no correct way apart from trial and error