Practical Photography - UK (2020-02)

learnthe lingo

bounceflash

Don’tbe baffledby technicaljargon!

Wecutthroughsomeof themost

commontechnicaltermsusedforflash...

nbounceflash

bounceflashis a techniquewherethe

lightfroma flashgunis directedat a

nearbysurfacesuchas a wallorceiling

and‘b ounced’backontothesubjectto

createa softerlightsource.

nDiffusionDome

Thisis a whiteplasticadapterthatfits

ontotheflashheadandspreadsthelight

further.Thedeviceallowsyouto create

a la rgerbouncelightsourceandalso

throw somelightdirectlyforwardsto

actasa filllightandcreatecatchlights

in yoursubject’seyes.

nflash zoom

mostflashunitsallowyouto ‘zoom’

theflashto matchthelightspreadto

yourfo callength,andit is adjusted

automaticallywhenshootingTTl.

Whenusingbounceflashit’sbestto

manuallyzoomouton theflashto the

widestsettingto createa softerlight.

nWiD e-angleDiffuser

flashgunsfeaturea built-inwide-angle

diffuserpanelwhichis designedto

cr eatea la rgerspreadoflighttoproduce

a softerlightsource.

nspeeDlighT

speedlightis anothertermfora flashgun,

andth eycanalsobe referredto as an

‘externalflashunit’,‘hotshoeflash’or

‘on-cameraflash’.it’s al l th e samething!

PracticalPhotograPhy.com 91

Flash Know-how

Firstly, the flash head is a small light
source, so it produces a hard light, with
harsh shadows and specular highlights
from shiny surfaces. it just doesn’t look
very natural. additionally, the fact that
the flash is on the same axis as the lens
means it creates a flat light, without any
depth or shape. Finally, blasting a flash
directly at your subject’s eyes isn’t the
most considerate way to light someone.
instead of using direct flash, you’ll see
better results by ‘bouncing’ the flash off
a nearby surface.

How do I bounce the flash?
Fortunately, flashguns feature a tilt and
swivel head, allowing you to direct the
light in any direction you choose. this
means you can ‘bounce’ the flash from

any nearby surfaces, such as a wall or

ceiling. all you need to do is direct your

flash at this surface to transform it into

the light source for your image.

What are the benefits?

By bouncing the flash you can create a

bigger light source. the flash hitting the

surface will have a spread of at least a

few feet, which is much larger than the

few inches of just the flash head itself.

a larger light source makes for softer

lighting, so you can ‘wrap’ the light

around your subject and produce more

flattering images with gentler shadows.

you can also control the direction of

the light. light coming from the side

will create greater depth and contours,

making for more engaging pictures.

above The tilt and swivel function of a flash

head is designed to allow you to bounce

the light for more pleasing results indoors.