Using flash photography can be a very daunting technique to get the hang of. Many photographers will have their preference on which flash to use and how best to use it, depending on their circumstance and this will all be down to their personal experience of using it. Having said that, there are a few big do’s and don’ts when it comes to using any flash. In this article, we’re going to dispel a few myths as well as shedding some light on how best to utilise your flash and when.
A little about the basics
So what is flash? It might seem a silly question, but perhaps have a go at answering this question before you read on. It might not be as easy for you to explain as it seems.
When photographing a subject, your flash – in whatever form – acts as an emitter of white light. This emitter works in sync with your shutter to fire exactly when the shutter does, to cast that white light on your subject, providing various types of aid in exposure. Flashes can range in quality and power, from your standard pop-up located on your camera to 1500-watt free standing studio moonlights. In any case, the flash will act to serve the same purpose, just with different consequences.
Sounds like quite a basic function, on the face of it. And you’d be right to think so; it is relatively straightforward. It’s the way that we manipulate the emitting of the light that is the difficult and perhaps more daunting part.
It is important to remember that work ‘manipulate’ when thinking about flash. Light, after all, is an incredibly hard element to contain or control. It’s with this in mind that we can start to understand the differences in types of flash and how they are best utilised when shooting.
Different types of flash and what they do
The Pop-up
In the realm of professional, advanced or even keen enthusiast photography, the pop-up flash is not a flash that should ever really be considered. Popping up when it pleases and throwing light directly at your subject is about the limit of its abilities. Perfect if you just want some light in a dark room at a birthday party or a snapshot on holiday but certainly not up for consideration in a more advanced sense and here’s why:
When we talk about the manipulation of light, we mean diffusing it or making it indirect somehow. Usually, this will come as a result of bouncing the light off a nearby surface or ceiling, thus softening it and giving a more natural effect on our subject. The pop-up flash shoots just the one way – straight on. This harsh, untamed light can cause unsightly shadows and sheen on things like eyes, metallic objects or wet surfaces. Not ideal.
Though accessories such as diffusers can be bought for pop up flashes, you’ll still find yourself a little stuck for choices with that light being cast straight at your subject.
In addition to this, the pop-up flash is the weakest of all flashes and can cause real problems when shooting bigger areas such as interiors or outdoor scenes.
The Flashgun
If you’re serious about photography, you’ll have a flashgun of some make and model. My flashgun spent a lot of time in my kit bag when I started out, for fear of using it. Now, I never shoot without using it at least intermittently and here’s why:
Flashguns come in a range of strengths. But from starting price to high end, these bits of kit provide a real advantage when shooting flash. The first great thing about the flashgun is the swivelling head. Photographers can turn this back and forth or even 360 degrees round if they need to, to cast the light indirectly as well as straight on if necessary.
You’ll often find that flashguns come with caps which allow further diffusion of light and also coloured filters if you’re inclined to add warmth or cooler hues to your images. You’ll also find the flashgun capable of shooting light as a beam or casting light as you’d expect, more diagonally outwards. They can be utilised amazingly well both in dark conditions and out in bright sunlight. It’s just all about practice!
In the Studio
Often, out in the field, we can correlate our camera settings with our attached flashgun and shoot on a variety of manual and priority modes quite easily. In the studio, however, this goes out of the window. Here’s why:
Monolights are incredibly powerful, freestanding flashes, which can range from 500 to 1500 watts in strength. The monolight plays the same role as our other flashes but on a much bigger scale. The aim, in this case, is to cast perfect white light over our entire scene, making colours and tones as pure as they can be, which is why it is perfect for shooting e-commerce, fashion, product, etc. Monolights will often be connected to our camera remotely via a trigger mechanism, and since the power of these flashes is so immense, we often have to change to the full manual mode to make up for the strength of light being cast.
This isn’t to say that mono lights can’t be taken into the field also. Often they will be used on location, outdoors and indoors to the same effect as our flashgun but on a far greater scale and resulting in a far more accomplished and professional image.
Just like out flashgun and even out little pop-up flash, the moonlight has its extras and accessories which will always be used in one way or another. Softboxes – large cubical material boxes which sit over the flash – act as a large scale diffuser, helping the light cast itself evenly and equally over a scene. Large, silver lined umbrellas also act as a way of casting the light indirectly onto the scene. In many cases, photographers’ will use a Softbox from one side and an umbrella from the opposing side to equalise the gradients in light and soften the exposure.
So what can we use flash for?
It would be difficult to try and cover all the uses of flash, but based on the information given so far and the various types listed above, here are a few examples of how best to utilise your flash.
The Flashgun
1. Bouncing the light
Using surfaces to your advantage is a great way of casting a softer light on your subject from one side or even from above. Using a diffuser will further soften the light for a very natural gradient in tones. Perfect if you chose to include the flash in a portrait where your subject is sat by a window for example.
2. Indirect flash
Using flash outside is something I swear by these days. A flashgun with diffuser and pointing completely the opposite way to your subjects will still cast a wonderfully soft light, keeping your shot looking totally natural, but bringing out natural colours, vivacity and tones from sunlight or your external light source. It will also bring the overall exposure to a more manageable middle ground, ready for editing. I find this use of flash perfect for the ever changing lighting in wedding photography.
3. Direct Flash
Sometimes a direct flash can be used to your advantage. You’ll often find paparazzi and celebrity photographers or photojournalists that have to act quickly and sometimes shoot blindly in busy or dangerous circumstances use a completely direct flash. Sometimes a harsh and direct light can give a very edgy feel to an image so can work well for gritty, real life and street photography.
4. Softbox vs. Umbrella
In the studio, the softbox can cast a much softer and direct light evenly over a large surface, where the umbrella relies on reflection. As a result, your softbox will usually cast a stronger light and is great for the likes of portraiture and fashion, though many photographers will still offset this with an alternate umbrella set up at an opposing angle. This is a very obvious way of again reducing that chance of hard shadow where it’s not wanted. Just as the above, where the sun is the softbox through the window, the umbrella is your bounced flash, softening the tones on your portrait.
Besides the examples above, photographers also use reflectors, mirrors, even large slabs of polystyrene to manipulate their light when using flash. Though we can cast light over this subject time and time again, it stands to reason, as it always does, that knowledge on this subject won’t come without practice and experience.
Don’t be afraid of using the flash. Don’t be afraid of getting unexpected or even undesired results! Take your flash out into the sun and the dark. Try it diffused and direct. Try it remote even! The more you experiment, the easier it will become to get the results you desire, and it is then that you can start to hone in on your preferences. Before long you’ll be wondering why you never bothered using flash all the time!
