Photography With How-To Geek: When Should I Use a Flash?
The Ubiquitous Flash: When to Use It, and When to Avoid It
Flash photography has become incredibly commonplace due to its convenience. However, it's worth considering the effects of using a flash, and whether its application is truly necessary in every situation.
Understanding the Role of Flash
Both integrated and external flashes expand photographic possibilities. They enable image capture in low-light conditions that would otherwise be impossible.
The use of a flash can significantly alter the character of a photograph, yielding either positive or negative results. Careful consideration is key.
Exploring Flash Usage Across Photographic Genres
Different types of photography benefit from, or are detrimentally affected by, flash in varying degrees. Examining these scenarios can refine your understanding.
We invite you to share your personal experiences and insights regarding situations where a flash proves beneficial, and conversely, when it compromises the quality of an image.
Let's discuss the nuances of flash photography and collectively enhance our photographic skills.
Responding to Light Versus Manipulating It
The art of photography fundamentally revolves around light – how it is perceived, captured, and ultimately, managed. Prior to initiating a photoshoot, envisioning the desired aesthetic is crucial. The photograph presented above, captured by the author, demonstrates manual adjustments designed to maximize the recording of colors, nuanced shades, and shifts in illumination within a dimly lit setting.
Employing a flash alters the color temperature, light sources, highlights, and shadows. Consequently, replicating a portrait with the characteristics of the aforementioned image using a flash would be unfeasible.
Nevertheless, flashes – and other techniques for light control – are integral to photographic practice.
Portraiture and Light Control
Consider the portraiture work of Amy Douglas, a specialist in child portraits. Her approach demonstrates control over light in distinct ways. The image on the left utilizes a subdued ambient light supplemented by a studio light, generating pronounced shadows. Highlights and skin tones are carefully managed to produce a gentle image with significant contrast.
This serves as an excellent illustration of a photographer actively controlling illumination to achieve a compelling visual outcome.
The image on the right provides a subtle, yet effective, example of flash utilization. In a discussion with Amy, she articulated her preference for employing flashes to attain smooth, uniform skin tones – a markedly different strategy than the author’s attempt to document the dramatic interplay of light and shadow in the initial photograph.
A comparison between the author’s photograph and Amy’s reveals that, despite the relative similarity of the cameras and lenses employed, the resulting images differ substantially.
Ultimately, the choice between reacting to existing light and actively controlling it depends on the desired artistic effect.
Understanding the Impact of Flash in Photography
A comparison of images taken with and without a flash reveals distinct differences. The examples provided demonstrate how flash alters the characteristics of a photograph, even after minor editing adjustments have been applied.
Visual Differences: Flash vs. No Flash
The image on the left was captured without utilizing a flash, while the one on the right incorporates flash illumination. The flashed image exhibits a more pronounced contrast, displaying deeper shadows and a potential reduction in fine detail. Conversely, the image without flash presents a more balanced exposure, responding solely to the existing ambient light.
Flash introduces strong, specular highlights on reflective surfaces. Materials like glass or plastic, as seen in the example, will reflect light intensely when a flash is employed.
Challenges with Flash Photography
Photographing through windows can present difficulties when using a flash. A significant portion of the flash output is often reflected back towards the camera, potentially compromising the quality of the image.
Flash as a Stylistic Tool
Employing a flash can be a deliberate artistic decision. Both images presented have undergone editing, with the left captured without flash and the right utilizing it.
Observe how the shadows are repositioned and altered by the introduction of flash. The addition of a powerful light source fundamentally changes the lighting conditions.
Impact on Shadows and Skin Tones
The prominent shadows beneath the hand and cord in the non-flash image are diminished and shifted in the flashed version. Furthermore, skin tones are noticeably affected by the flash.
Determining whether these changes are improvements is subjective. However, the integrated flash provides photographers with increased control over lighting. It is advisable, even for those who primarily rely on automatic settings, to capture the same subject with and without flash – a technique known as bracketing – to maximize photographic options.
Understanding Flash Photography and the Fill-In Flash Technique
Many photographers utilize a flash in challenging lighting conditions, such as low-light environments or nighttime scenes. The intention is often to capture images of friends in bars or within dimly illuminated rooms. In such scenarios, controlling the ambient light proves difficult, and slow shutter speeds frequently result in blurred photographs.
Potential Issues with Flash Use
Sometimes, employing a flash is unavoidable, inevitably leading to the characteristic “flash photography” aesthetic. However, several factors should be considered when shooting with a flash.
- Flashes can generate harsh highlights and potentially wash out significant portions of an image.
- A noticeable shift in color temperature is common when using a flash, as they emit a nearly neutral white light with specific white balance settings.
- Flash usage can flatten tonal values, even out skin tones, and alter the appearance of shadows – an effect that can be either beneficial or detrimental.
- Strong highlights are often produced on reflective surfaces, like glass.
- The effective range of a flash is limited to just a few feet, potentially resulting in underexposed backgrounds.
- The undesirable effect of “red eye,” or unnatural white highlights in eyes, can occur.
- Unexpected shadows can be created by the flash.
- Strategic use of flashes, or even lamps, can yield photographs with balanced skin tones and a focus on the subject.
Despite these potential drawbacks, flashes remain a valuable asset for portrait photographers. The Fill-In Flash technique offers a method for enhancing outdoor portraits.
Implementing the Fill-In Flash Technique
This technique can be implemented as follows:
- Begin by capturing a portrait outdoors, utilizing settings that properly expose the background.
- Manually activate the flash, typically using a button symbolized by a lightning bolt, while maintaining the existing settings. Be aware that automatic settings may adjust the exposure in response to the flash.
- Take the portrait, allowing the flash to illuminate the foreground subject.
- Through experimentation, a balanced exposure of both the foreground and background can be achieved.
Ultimately, the decision of when to use a flash depends on the desired outcome of the photograph. If the potential issues associated with flash photography are not a concern, or if the subject’s clarity is prioritized over artistic considerations, utilizing a flash is perfectly acceptable.
It’s important to remember that flash is more suitable in certain situations than others, and its use can either enhance or detract from an image’s quality.
We invite you to share your perspectives on flash photography in the comments section, or you can direct your thoughts to ericgoodnight@howtogeek.com.
Image Credits: Flash Flash by Deana, licensed under Creative Commons. Brad, Copyright by Eric Z Goodnight. Photos of Owen, copyright Amy Douglas photography. 40+281 Flash by BarkBud, available under Creative Commons. Fill Flash Experiment by Mike Baird, available under Creative Commons. Remaining images by the author, released under Creative Commons.