Photography. How do I use an external flash?

So, I'm doing a school project, and I'm using an external flash. A vivitar 283 flash, to be precise. And, the teacher has not told us anything on how to use it, or what to do. Just, put it in the shoe, and start shooting. Now, I've looked everywhere on the internet, for how to use it, or how to use any external flash. I've had no luck. I also tried experimenting with it myself. And, that, unfortunately, didn't work. All of my pictures turned out completely white. Even when I turned the shutter speed up higher, to capture less light. That still didn't work. I turned the aperture down, and THAT didn't work. They still all turn out too white. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I've also checked in the settings of the camera. It's a Nikon D3100.So, someone, please help me. I feel all alone!

Instead of pointing the flash directly at the subject, try bouncing it off of the ceiling or a wall if you are using it indoors. There should also be a flash compensation either on the camera or the flash, or both, you can use that to control the brightness of the flash. I'm sure others will chime in that are familiar with that model of flash.

Here is a link the the manual for the flash http://www.cameramanuals.org/flashes_meters/vivitar_283_larger.pdf

Best wishes.

This is an old-fashioned, non-coupled flash. Set the shutter to the highest sync speed and leave it there. The flash is faster than your shutter, so shutter speed doesn't affect exposure, except for ambient light. Then, either put the flash on manual and use the guide number to set your camera's ISO and aperture based on the distance to your subject. Or, select an automatic mode on the flash and set the camera's ISO and aperture to the specified values. If your pictures are coming out all white, I'm guessing you've got the ISO set way too high. These things were designed for film cameras and typically are set for ISO 100.

You actually need to be worrying about far more than just how to use that flash. The Vivitar 283 is NOT designed to be used with a modern digital camera. That is because it typically has extremely high trigger voltage at the hot shoe contacts, sometimes as high as 600 volts. This will RUIN a digital camera. Some models of the 283 had lower voltages in the 10 volt range, but still not really safe. Anything much over 6 volt trigger voltage is not good for a modern digital SLR. Vivitar introduced the 285 flash after the 283. The 285 is safer to use with DSLR cameras.

I strongly suggest you STOP using that flash on your camera before you do real damage to it.

Here is some more info:

http://www.botzilla.com/photo/strobeVolts.html

I agree with Steve. Your teacher is an idiot for giving you a flash designed for old film cameras & asking you to put it on a modern digital camera - it could easily fry the electronics of a DSLR.

Don't use it any more - & hope the damage has not been done.

Edit: Anyways - assuming that you test the trigger voltage & it's ok, you can use the formula GN = distance x f number. You need to look up the guide number (GN) for that flash & plug it into the equation. Distance is the distance from the flash to the subject (not the camera, although if it's on the hotshoe, they'll be the same), f number is the aperture you need to set.

The flash won't communicate with the hotshoe of the Nikon via clever TTL signals - so you need to have Auto ISO switched OFF (the camera will bump up the ISO because it thinks it's too dark & doesn't know a flash it attached.

Make sure you're shutter speed is at or below the max sync speed for flash - about 1/160-1/200 sec. Flash exposure doesn't care about shutter speed (as long as its below sync speed) - it only cares about aperture.