Meet Blair.

Blair and I have been buddies for many years - although never really that close. This year things have changed and he is now one of the very few and highly regarded 'good mates'. A title which is holds much prestige and honour.

My girlfriend will also be pleased that I have posted Blair today, as he is also well regarded in her circle of friends and is affectionately known as 'fit Blair'. A title his girlfriend wouldn't be happy to find out about.

I was struggling to find a nice portrait today, it began in politics when my mate took a fantastic pose - although the poor low light meant that nothing could be done with it. I walked into ICT and saw Blair with the light raining down from the skylights and knew that was the shot of today. (I love how I make everything sound far more dramatic than it ever could possibly be).

I desaturated it a little bit - something I seem to be doing with a lot of my shots recently, camera fault? (D80) or do I just have odd taste? Who knows?!

I'm beginning to see the limitations of waiting for natural light on a subject, so at some point soon I may have to invest in some lights. i've been an avid fan of strobist, and this threadhas made me green with gear envy. (note:it's had a million replies and is over 280 pages long)

How many of you use flash regularly? And if so, are they studio type strobes etc, or of the speedlight variety? What could you reccommend for me?