M
OSTPHOTOGRAPHERSBEGINBY
usingTTLmode.Thisgenerallydoes
a goodjobof settingthecorrect
brightnesslevelfortheflashby
measuringthelightin thescene
againstthecamera’sapertureandISO
setting.If theflashimpactisn’tto your
li king,youcanadjustit by usingtheflash
compensationcontrolson theflashgun
it self– usually+/-3EV.Alternatively,you
can settheflashto manualmodeand
ta kecompletecontrolof thebrightness.
At1/1theflashfiresatfullpower,andthis
can be decreasedto 1/2,1/4,1/8,1/16,1/32,
1/ 64and1/128to suit.
AVOID SUBJECT SHADOWS
One of the challenges when shooting
with flash indoors is controlling the
shadows it casts. When first using flash,
many photographers will simply fire the
light directly at their subject, which can
result in harsh shadows. This most
frequently happens if a subject is
positioned too close to a wall, and so
they cast a shadow as they block the
flash light. The simplest solution is to
position subjects at a distance of at
least 1-2m from the wall. Using the
flash directly will also cast strong
shadows under a subject’s jaw and
create specular highlights on their skin,
resulting in a loss of detail. To avoid this
effect, use a bounce card to direct the
flashgun and soften the light before it
hits your subject.
USE A BUILT-IN BOUNCE CARD
Most flashguns come with a built-in
bounce card. This is a small, white
piece of plastic card housed at the top
of the flash head. It’s to be used when
al so tilting the flash head up either 45º
or the full 90º. Lots of the flash output
will fire upwards, illuminating the room
by bouncing off the
ceiling. Som
reflects off th
bouncecard
and travels
fo rwardto
directly
lig htyour
su bject,
cr eating
a softerlight
source.
REAL-WORLD CHALLENGESTHREE WAYSTOIMPROVEINDOORFLASH
SETTINGS HOW TO
TAKE CONTROL OF
YOUR FLASH POWER
TIP
AVOIDFULL
FL ASHPOWER
Firinga flashgunat fullpower
willslowtheflashrecycle
time,andextendeduse
canleadto theflash
overheating.
BLEND WITH AMBIENT LIGHT
To include detail in the background
shadows and make for a more natural
look, strive to include a good balance
with the ambient light. If the exposure
is set purely for the flash you’ll end up
with a well-exposed subject but a darker
background. To utilise the ambient light,
shoot with a slower shutter speed and
select your flash’s rear sync function.
In the example above, the shutter speed
was dropped from 1/200sec to 1/30sec
to let more ambient light reach the
sensor. The exposure from the flash
remains the same, but the longer
shutter speed allows for background
detail to be captured. When decreasing
your shutter speed, watch out for the
presence of blur caused by camera
shake, so ensure a steady hold.
PRACTICALPHOTOGRAPHY.COM 87
Flash Know-how
