How do I translate an ablative absolute phrase?

Before we attempt to translate an example of an ablative absolute, it is important that we are able to confidently identify an ablative absolute phrase within a sentence. An ablative absolute consists of a noun (or pronoun) and a participle, both being in the ablative case. An example being, rebus factis, where both the noun (rebus) and the participle (factis) are agreeing in the ablative case. Most of the time the perfect passive participle is the participle that's used, as is the case with factis in our example above, however any participle can be used within an ablative absolute phrase. The most important thing to remember about ablative absolutes is that they are independent phrases and are not linked grammatically with the rest of the sentence. This is where some people struggle with translation while attempting to fit in the phrase smoothly with the rest of the sentence. However, that's all you need to remember is that an ablative absolute phrase describes the circumstances that apply when the main action of the sentence happens, and you should be good to go! Let's look at the following example;

a. hostibus visis omnes timebamus.

Firstly, we need to identify the ablative absolute phrase as I've shown by underlining. I sometimes find it helpful to initially write down a literal translation of the sentence before rewriting it in more elegant English, e.g. the enemies having been seen, everyone was fearing. Now we need to work out the relationship between the ablative absolute phrase and the action of the main sentence-here I think it's temporal and would therefore translate it with the clause 'after'.

A possible translation: After they saw the enemy, everyone began to fear.