![]() And with enough power we can even set our exposure to make the flash the primary light source (stronger that the sun), instead of the secondary (what we do with fill flash). A powerful flash can let us use flash from further away, whether indoors or as fill flash outdoors on a sunny day. First, it controls what we can do with exposure. Power – The power of a flash is important to us in two ways. Of course, no flash units are big enough on their own to be large light sources (even large flash tubes are relatively small), so photographers modify the light from flashes, bouncing it into ceilings or off walls, or using softboxes and umbrellas to turn those small light sources into large ones. Soft light is generally considered the best light for photographing people. Thanks to that, the shadows it creates are soft, if visible at all. And because of that size, the light essentially wraps around the subject. If you’re outdoors on a cloudy day, those clouds are a soft light source because of their size (and distance, see below). Soft light sources are large light sources. However, as with most rules in photography, there are always times where breaking those rules pays off with a good picture. You generally don’t want hard light when photographing people because of its harshness. Flash units are all small light sources, which means that without some modification (like an umbrella or softbox), they create hard light. That’s why we see hard-edged shadows when out in the sun. While the sun may be huge, because of its distance from us, it’s a small, point light source. This is exactly what you see on a sunny day. A small light source is a point of light, which results in hard-edged shadows. Hard light sources are small light sources. The size of the light source, relative to the subject, determines whether that light will be “hard” or “soft.” Size – Here’s where things get really interesting, and can be confusing for beginners. Now we can accomplish the same thing with radio remotes or IR systems (like Nikon’s Creative Lighting System, which I discuss below). In the old days we did that with wires, but thankfully not any more. ![]() So the rule of thumb is to get that flash off the camera. Backlight, while more difficult to work with, can help separate your subject from the background. Light coming from the side (sidelight) adds shadows, which help define shape and texture and add a feeling of three-dimensionality to the picture. That’s called front light, and is usually boring and flat. Just like available light, when possible, you want to avoid light coming from the same place as the camera. And it’s important to know that when I talk about light sources, I’m talking about the last place light was before it strikes the subject (which might be the ceiling, a wall, an umbrella or softbox).ĭirection – This is the easy one. I’ll explain those, beginning with the qualities of light you can take advantage of when using flash. What I learned from that, and all the years since, was that if you want to be successful with flash, there are certain key things you need to understand. ![]() After he felt I understood that, he allowed me to start using flash. Using constant light sources taught me how to place light, because I could see exactly what it was doing. ![]() I can’t tell you how many times I had subjects sweating from the heat those created, and I blew a few fuses too. For the first six months I had to carry around a heavy case with hot lights. But my boss had a plan for helping young photographers learn how to use artificial light. ![]() You crossed your fingers, shot, and prayed that when you processed the film, you had the picture. With film, you couldn’t look at the back of the camera to see what was happening. Learning to use artificial light is challenging, and even more so back then. And flash, when used properly, can help you make better, more powerful images. One reason for that was the long winters, which meant we were inside a lot. By the time I got to my third paper, in Rochester, New York ( The Democrat and Chronicle), the rule there was you had to use flash regularly, but off-camera. ![]()
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