Flash Photography
Flash photography has always been a thorn in my side. I'm not alone though. Most people have no clue how to properly shoot photos using a flash and that includes most photographers!
Whenever we think of "flash photography" we picture a photo, any of millions of photos, that look like there is a big spotlight shining on the subject. The background is so dark and underexposed that you can't see further than about ten feet in front of the camera. These kinds of photos are terrible and have always bothered me. There is nothing 'warm' about them... there is nothing exciting about them... you can't even tell where the photo was shot... and they almost always cause the subject to frightfully resemble that "deer in the headlights" look.
To imagine the types of photos I am referring to, think of the last time you tried to shoot your friends at night... you are in a beautiful location with warm lighting throughout the room... there is beautiful woodwork everywhere surrounding you... you turn on the camera, flip up the flash, and shoot a photo only to see your friends brightly illuminated in blackness. There are no signs of all that ambient warmth. All signs of where this photo was shot are gone!
Or, picture the last time you tried to shoot some photos of your family in front of a beautiful Christmas scene with twinkling lights, soft light, decorations... a beautiful serene scene. You turn on the camera, flip up the flash, fire off a photo but only see your family brightly lit as if by a solid beam of light from a passing alien mothership. Where did all those beautiful twinkling Christmas lights go?
I've been trying to figure out how to effectively and consistently shoot these types of scenes while still using my flash. It is difficult... it is frustrating... but, it is easier today than ever before. This is especially true if you completely understand light and understand your camera.
Whenever I think of the term "flash photography", two things come to mind. The first thing is probably the most common thing that people in my age bracket imagine... those old four shot, disposable flashcubes. I even remember those old single-shot flash bulbs but the first thing that always pops into my head when I hear the term "flash photography" is the four-sided flashcube.
The other thing that always comes to mind when I hear the term "flash photography" are those turn-of-the-century (sorry young ones... I am referring to 1899-1900 here) explosive powder torches that were used for photography. Imagine trying to use explosive powder for photography lighting! Try to control that light to get a properly exposed photo!
Let's move into the 21st century now. Unfortunately, most people still have no idea how to effectively use a flash with their digital camera with all sorts of advanced technology. I have to admit, I am still learning and it has been a long road!
The way to get a nice photo with soft light while using a flash can be complicated. Most of today's digital cameras, however, do have the features and controls to obtain beautiful flash photographs. It is a bit of a balancing act, but today it is easier than ever before to properly expose a photograph while using flashes.
What needs to be balanced in this balancing act is the same thing as in all photographs... the light. This is fairly easy to do in a studio with multiple flashes but gets considerably more difficult to attain on-the-fly with moving subjects in someone's cluttered home. In the studio you have time to do some trial and error in order to get this balancing act right. When shooting away at moving subjects, everything happens so quickly that it is very difficult getting everything just right. It can be done, however, it requires a lot of effective practice.
The first thing I do is shoot a photo of my room/background using my camera as a light meter. Now my camera will tell me the proper settings/exposure for the ambient background light.... I drop these settings by a 'stop' or two. A 'stop' is a photographic term... dropping one stop would be doubling the shutter speed, or halving the ISO. Now I know what camera settings to use while using my flash in this particular room under this particular lighting.
I need to balance this underexposed background ambient light with a properly exposed subject by getting the flash settings right. Fortunately, many of today's cameras can choose these settings automatically for the flash too. The flash fires for only a very short time but the shutter will be open fairly long because it is dark... hence the need for the flash. The biggest key here is to switch your camera's flash settings to fire the flash as the shutter closes. Flash intensity can be controlled by the camera automatically (for many cameras). The longer shutter exposure allows that dark ambient light to get into the camera while the bright flash freezes and captures your subjects.
It has taken me a long time and a lot of practice to finally get this balancing act right. To be able to capture a few beautifully balanced photos of fast moving toddlers while using flash photography is a good test!
Whenever we think of "flash photography" we picture a photo, any of millions of photos, that look like there is a big spotlight shining on the subject. The background is so dark and underexposed that you can't see further than about ten feet in front of the camera. These kinds of photos are terrible and have always bothered me. There is nothing 'warm' about them... there is nothing exciting about them... you can't even tell where the photo was shot... and they almost always cause the subject to frightfully resemble that "deer in the headlights" look.
Or, picture the last time you tried to shoot some photos of your family in front of a beautiful Christmas scene with twinkling lights, soft light, decorations... a beautiful serene scene. You turn on the camera, flip up the flash, fire off a photo but only see your family brightly lit as if by a solid beam of light from a passing alien mothership. Where did all those beautiful twinkling Christmas lights go?
I've been trying to figure out how to effectively and consistently shoot these types of scenes while still using my flash. It is difficult... it is frustrating... but, it is easier today than ever before. This is especially true if you completely understand light and understand your camera.
The other thing that always comes to mind when I hear the term "flash photography" are those turn-of-the-century (sorry young ones... I am referring to 1899-1900 here) explosive powder torches that were used for photography. Imagine trying to use explosive powder for photography lighting! Try to control that light to get a properly exposed photo!
Let's move into the 21st century now. Unfortunately, most people still have no idea how to effectively use a flash with their digital camera with all sorts of advanced technology. I have to admit, I am still learning and it has been a long road!
The way to get a nice photo with soft light while using a flash can be complicated. Most of today's digital cameras, however, do have the features and controls to obtain beautiful flash photographs. It is a bit of a balancing act, but today it is easier than ever before to properly expose a photograph while using flashes.
What needs to be balanced in this balancing act is the same thing as in all photographs... the light. This is fairly easy to do in a studio with multiple flashes but gets considerably more difficult to attain on-the-fly with moving subjects in someone's cluttered home. In the studio you have time to do some trial and error in order to get this balancing act right. When shooting away at moving subjects, everything happens so quickly that it is very difficult getting everything just right. It can be done, however, it requires a lot of effective practice.
I need to balance this underexposed background ambient light with a properly exposed subject by getting the flash settings right. Fortunately, many of today's cameras can choose these settings automatically for the flash too. The flash fires for only a very short time but the shutter will be open fairly long because it is dark... hence the need for the flash. The biggest key here is to switch your camera's flash settings to fire the flash as the shutter closes. Flash intensity can be controlled by the camera automatically (for many cameras). The longer shutter exposure allows that dark ambient light to get into the camera while the bright flash freezes and captures your subjects.
It has taken me a long time and a lot of practice to finally get this balancing act right. To be able to capture a few beautifully balanced photos of fast moving toddlers while using flash photography is a good test!
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