Tips for Flash Photos

 

The flash on your camera is a tool for taking pictures in low light situations, or for filling in dark shadows on your subject during less than ideal lighting conditions. Here are some random tips on basic flash functions and techniques:

 

• Be aware of possible problems with an automatic flash, such as photographing a dark subject in a light room.  The flash may make an incorrect reading of the subject.

 

• Try automatic settings and bracketing to learn more about how your flash works.

 

• Be aware that light drops off sharply as it moves away from the flash.  For instance, if you were to double your distance you would need to increase your flash output four-fold.

 

• If the flash is too strong indoors, trying covering it with a tissue.

 

• Even basic photo-editing programs have tools to fix red-eye, but you'll save a step by setting a camera's flash to red-eye reduction mode, if t has one, usually marked by a tiny eye icon. Ask your subject to keep posing until the last flash has flashed. Even better, take pictures outside or in natural light. Inside, open the drapes and shoot with your back to the window.

 

• Need a dark background? Try shooting outdoors in a dark, open space.

 

• Want to shoot a group of 10 people:

o   Focus 1/3 in foreground, 2/3 in background, for max sharpness.

o   Use a bounce flash or reflector to bounce light upward.

o   Shoot from a high angle if possible.

 

• Digital cameras sometimes have trouble with scenes that have strong shadows or harsh backlighting. If you think your subject needs better light, try fill flash, which is particularly useful when shooting outside on an overcast day or when your subject has her back to the window. To use the flash as a fill flash outside in sunlight:

o   Shoot outside with sun behind or to the side of the subject.

o   Let the camera read the bright areas of the scene.

o   Use the flash to fill in the shadows.

 

• Be aware that adding flash may make your background go dark.

 

• Using the flash may add contrast, or it may flatten your subject. To be safe, take the same picture with and without flash. Then, compare the two, and delete the one you don't want.

 

• If you forgot to use fill flash, import the photo into Photoshop and use a shadow mask to lighten shaded areas of the image, balancing-out the photo. Look in the image for the channel that has the greatest difference between the subject and the background. Each image is different depending on the subject, the surroundings, and the lighting. Copy the channel you select and adjust its qualities to enhance part of the image. Invert the channel, name it Mask, and use it to mask all but the area to be improved.

 

• Outdoors, you can rely more on available light. Use the flash to shoot in bright conditions when you need only a small amount of fill flash.

 

• If you can't rely on the flash, use a metallic-coated cardboard reflector, or some other shiny thing that will bounce light, to make use of the light available on the site.