What do you get when you mix the Notorious B.I.G. with flash photography? Toronto editorial and destination wedding photographer and favorite WPPI educator Derrell Ho-Shing makes it crystal clear in his new YouTube release of the very first photo tutorial rap song, “The Three FLASH Commandments.”

A Top Pro Ambassador for Westcott Lighting, Ho-Shing is well known in the photography community for his use of off-camera flash and dramatic lighting, but until now, many of us didn’t know that he also has a passion for rap. Ho-Shing has been rapping since 1994 and doing photography since 2009. Since then, he’s had it in mind to join his two passions. Now, he’s done it with an homage to a hip hop classic by Notorious B.I.G., “The Ten Crack Commandments.”

Biggie’s legendary song begins “I been in this game for years, it made me an animal. [There’s rules to it.] I wrote the manual.” Ho-Shing begins with that classic line and then flips Biggie’s guide for surviving and thriving as a streetwise entrepreneur into a photographer’s quick guide to mastering and excelling in flash photography. Here are his key tips for off-camera flash.

The Three Flash Commandments by Derrel Ho-Shing

This is the EASIEST way to learn Off-Camera Flash, but first you’ve got to take your camera out of Manual mode.

• STEP ONE — Select your aperture. This will determine how blurry or in focus your background will be. For example, f/10 will make your background in focus, whereas f/1.8 will make your background more blurred with your subject in focus.
• STEP TWO — Select your shutter speed. This will determine how dark or bright your background will be. For example, 1/8000 sec will make your background dark and dramatic, whereas a slower shutter speed like 1/50 sec will make your background brighter and more natural looking. 
• STEP THREE — Now that we’ve exposed our background to our liking, add your flash. Don’t touch or change any camera settings, as this will change the background exposure. Only adjust your flash power until you get the right exposure. The flash is lighting only the subject. 

Flash Master Grand

Being a huge fan of Biggie, it just felt natural for Ho-Shing to create this homage to him. And Ho-Shing has actually written an even larger, more comprehensive manual called Creating Dramatic Portraits with Off-Camera Flash, a step-by-step guide to off-camera flash. Those who wish to expand beyond the three flash commandments will find it to be an indispensable guide.

Ho-Shing says, “Thanks to everyone who watched the video, shared and commented. I just want to educate and entertain. As KRS-One says ‘Edutainment.'” As a pioneer in photography rap tutorials, Ho-Shing should really consider changing his name to Flash Master Grand, or at the very least having his next photo tutorial homage be to Grandmaster Flash!

Follow the whole crew behind the video on Instagram:

• Artist: Derrel Ho-Shing (aka Relz Life) featuring R.P.
• Produced and mixed by: R.P.
• Cinematography by: Frame Five Video
• Dancers: OMO Dance Crew

[Read: Wedding Photography 101: Inside a Wedding Photographer’s Guide by Derrell Ho-Shing]

As a thank you to our readers, we’re pleased to offer you a Rangefinder exclusive discount code to get 25% off The Portrait Masters course below. Use the code RF25 at checkout to redeem. This code cannot be used in combination with other sales.