So you just basically set your iso to 100 and leave it. Set your shutter speed to as fast as your flash will work with. Then decrease your f stop and take pictures at your focal length until your pic is totally black. (Your flash is not connected yet...) Once you got that, position your subject, connect and point your flash and snap the shot. Everything is in focus because of the small fstop and everyone is impressed because the background is universal black in the middle of the day.

For numbers I was using....

5dmk3 24-70 f2.8 lens

Libby 1/200 f16 iso 100 55mm
Heidi 1/200 f16 iso 100 55mm
Evie 1/200 f22 iso 100 70mm
Sheila 1/200 f22 iso 100 47mm

Zach and Paprika's pics were shot on the same cooler and back porch but at night...1/250 f9 iso 100 53mm (Zach) and Rika 1/250 f9 iso 100 35mm
[Linked Image from live.staticflickr.com]

[Linked Image from live.staticflickr.com]