Jeff Smith's Guide to Head and Shoulders Portrait Photography

tographers (or so they would say!) using an on-camera flash. Let me say it
again—even louder:on-camera flash is not a professional light source for a por-
trait.Think about it. Would you use an on-camera flash in the studio? Of course
not. So why would you use it outdoors? For professional-quality images, you
have two choices: use studio flash or use reflectors. My current choice is to use
reflectors, but either source will work.
Studio Flash.If you decide to use flash, choose a studio flash unit with a
battery supply or a very long extension cord. You’ll also need a modifier to
soften the light. I often use umbrellas, but a soft box will work as well. Position
the light in the main-light position as we have already discussed.
When metering, read the ambient light first, then set your light to give you
the lighting ratio you want. If the background has the same amount of light on
it as your main-light source, you are lucky. Most of the time, though, the light
will not be the same. As a result, if you want the background to appear as it does
to your eye, you will have to adjust your lighting to match the quantity of light
hitting the background.
Fortunately, since the light from the flash is only controlled by the f-stop
(and the maximum shutter speed at which your camera will sync with flash) and