The Flash

Everyone who has owned a camera has used the flash, which is usually built into the camera. However, it can leave your friends looking like they are from a vampire movie because they have bleached white faces and red eyes. If you are good at using a flash, though, you will really see a marked improvement in your work.

The types of flash available

1 – Built in camera flash

If nothing else is available, and the light is too low for the camera, then using a built-in flash might be the only option. Reduce the power of the flash so that you will not blow out the faces of the people you are photographing.

2 – A flash gun

These are much more flexible than built-in flashes and will give far better results. They are sometimes referred to as strobes. The ability to control the strength of the flash and the direction of the light means there is an ability to get a softer, balanced light on the subject matter. One of the easiest ways to soften the light is to bounce it off a surface, such as a ceiling or wall. If the wall is not white, be careful dealing with the color cast from the bounced light.

3 – Off camera flash

When using off camera flash, it means the device will use a “trig and receive” system to allow the flash and the camera to systematically communicate with each other. In this framework, placing and directing the flash in any direction is encouraged, as well as being able to use more than a single strobe if available. Using off camera flash is a little bit like having a studio set-up on the go. Using off camera flash can be wonderfully creative if practiced over time, but to reach a good craft, one must begin with trial and error.

Some basics about using flash light

1) A flash will have a synced speed, and it is usually about 1/200th. Although the flash and the camera can be synchronized not only to this speed, but it can be adjusted to a slower shutter-speed as well.

2) The aperture controls the light from the flash, and the shutter speed controls the ambient light that comes into the camera. Having the perfect balance for the shot is important.

3) Remember different color temperatures that various lights produce. Flash light is usually colder, so the “flash light” setting is needed for white balance.

Controlling the light

Using flash can cause the light to become hard or soft. Most of the time it is best to soften it. Softer light is more diffused and produces fewer shadows. Using a soft box or a white shoot thru umbrella can diffuse the light. In nature, soft light is the type of radiance caused from a cloudy day when the sun hits the clouds and then the light diffuses down producing less shadows, whereas on a clear, sunny day, the light is much harder and strong shadows appear.

Feature image of Jennifer Aniston by Christopher Harte and taken from Wikimedia Commons.