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CHAPTER
NIGHT AND LOW-LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY / Weddings, Concerts, and
Other Events

    ■   Change the angle of the flash head. Because

the problem of the on-camera flash is the

angle of the light, use an accessory flash head

where you can change the angle. When you

aim the light over the heads of the subjects,

the light hits the ceiling and bounces back

down, which in practice turns the ceiling into

a big, soft light source, instead of a small light

source like the flash. You will need to adjust

the power of the flash, depending on the dis-

tance to the ceiling.

■   Use a diffuser. A diffuser is a plastic dome

that goes over the head of the flash and cre-
ates a softer light. Many external flash units
come with a diffuser, and you can get one for
those that don’t from a company like Sto-Fen.
There are also more advanced diffusers with
specialized shapes that go a step further than a
simple dome and create a softer more con-
trolled light source. The leading diffuser in
this group was designed by wedding photogra-
pher Gary Fong and is one of the most popu-
lar diffusers being used today.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO For this photograph Kenny Kim used a wide-angle lens to capture the wedding party as well as the couple by shooting
from the side of the venue, a location he scouted earlier in the day. Shot at 1/250 second, f/4.0, and ISO 1600. © Kenny Kim

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