58 DIGITAL CAMERA^ JUNE 2019 http://www.digitalcameraworld.com
CAMERA COLLEGEIn very bright light you may need to adjust
the camera settings to ensure that you
don’t exceed the camera’s flash sync
speed – this is the fastest shutter speed
at which your camera can use flash, and,
at typically 1/200 sec, it’s surprisingly slow.
Fill-flash gives you more control when
you’re shooting portraits in low light, too.
Typically, taking a normal flash picture in
low light results in a picture that shows a
flash-lit subject against a black background.
By using a slower shutter speed to extend
the exposure time, you can record details
in the background for a more atmosphericshot. Some cameras have a Night Portrait
mode that does this automatically, but it
offers limited control over the shot. Instead,
activate the Slow Sync mode in the flash
menu. (On Canon cameras, you can simply
switch to Aperture Priority to do this.)
As the exposure time will be extended,
you’ll probably need to use a tripod to
stop the background detail being blurred.
Alternatively, you can set a higher
ISO sensitivity to capture more
detail using shorter exposure times.
Fill-flash isn’t a technique that’s reserved
solely for portraits. It has a host ofUsing a slower shutter
speed to extend the
exposure time allows
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Improve the quality of a flash picture by using an affordable light modifier
You can improve the quality of
your fill-flash pictures in the same
way that you can add a professional
touch to your full-flash shots. By using
a flashgun, moving it off the camera
and triggering it remotely, you can
control where the shadows fall. Using
a modifier such as a softbox or an
umbrella will soften the light and
reduce the chances of hotspots on
skin, making the blend of the flashand ambient light a bit smoother.
A small softbox is the most mobile
option, as you can usually hold the
flashgun and softbox in one hand while
supporting the camera in the other. An
umbrella fitted to a light stand can allow
you to work more freely. There’s not a
lot of difference in the look achieved
using either of these options: an
umbrella can spread the light a little
further into shadows, whereas asoftbox provides a more focused,
but softer light source.
One telltale sign that flash has been
used in an outdoor shot is a double
catchlight in a person’s eyes – one from
the sun, and one from the flash. Most
people won’t spot this, but you can
always remove one of the hotspots
when you clean up the shot in
Photoshop or your preferred
image-editing software.1 BACKGROUND
The camera was set to Manual
to provide a consistent exposure
of 1/200 sec at f/10, ISO
200 between the shots.4 SHADOWS
The shadows around the face
aren’t as heavy in the umbrella
shot, and the contrast on the
coat has been lowered.3 HIGHLIGHTS
Notice how the light diffused
through the umbrella has
provided a smoother skin
tone as well as reducing the
hot look to the highlights.2 FLASH
For a consistent flash output,
a flashgun was set to 1/8 power
in Manual mode, and fired
through a white umbrella.ƏȸƺˢƏɀǝ ³ǝȒȒɎٮɎǝȸȒɖǕǝɖȅƫȸƺǼǼƏ13 24