lighting on location
Fill-fl ash
Fill-fl ash can be a very useful way of lowering the brightness range. Often the photographer is
unable to reposition the primary subject and the addition of fi ll-light from the camera’s position is
essential to the image’s success.
The aim of fi ll-fl ash is to reveal detail in the dark shadows created by a harsh directional light source.
The aim is not to overpower the existing ambient light and remove the shadows completely. If the
power of the fl ash is too high the light will create its own shadows creating an unnatural effect.
Because the ambient light is still regarded as the primary light source any exposure dictated by the
fl ash unit must also be suitable for the ambient light.
Mount the fl ash unit on the camera’s hot shoe and direct the fl ash towards the subject. To retain
the effect of the primary (ambient) light source the fl ash is most commonly fi red at half or quarter
power. The ratio of ambient to fl ash light is therefore 2:1 or 4:1.
Manual - Select a smaller aperture on the camera from that indicated by the fl ash unit or fl ash
meter, e.g. if the meter or unit indicates f5.6 select f8 or f11 on the camera.
Automatic - Many automatic fl ash units have the facility to fi re at 1/2 or 1/4 power, making fi ll-fl ash
a relatively simple procedure. If this facility is unavailable set the ISO on the fl ash unit to double or
quadruple the actual speed of the ISO set in the camera to lower the output.
Dedicated - Many sophisticated cameras and dedicated fl ash units have a fi ll-fl ash option. This
should be regarded as a starting point only and further adjustments are usually required to perfect
the technique. Power often needs to be further lowered for a more subtle fi ll-in technique. The
photographer may also wish to select a ‘slow-sync’ option on the camera, if available, to avoid
underexposing the ambient light in some situations.
ACTIVITY 6
Create an image using the fi ll-fl ash technique.
Lower the lighting contrast of a portrait lit with harsh sunlight.
Experiment to see if you can lower the fl ash output on your unit to half or quarter power.
Discuss the light quality of the resulting image and the fi ll/ambient lighting ratio.