Don't Fear The Flash

For those of you who weren't at the recent Photographers At Painters Lodge/ April Point Lodge you definitely missed out on a full, informative and fun weekend of photography oriented events.

My presentation was on the use of your on and off-camera flash. This is a tool that I feel may photographers often avoid making good use of due to a lack of comfort level. Flashes have become as intricate and computerized as our cameras. But they don't need to scare you away from using them.

For those using small 'happy-snap' cameras your ability to have control over various settings can limit how useful the flash can be for you. It must be remembered that when you use direct flash that the light strength falls off radically within several feet. This usually results in a flatly lit subject isolated in what appears to be a large, black, empty nothingness.

Some smaller pocket cameras have a Nighttime setting, or a Low-Light setting which is, in effect, using a slower shutter speed to record some of the ambient light along with the flash lit subject. Steady hands or a tri-pod are often required to assist in these shots.

Sometimes having the longer exposure has creative results in what is known as Dragging The Shutter, where you can make use of the long exposure to imply movement or action in the shot. I'll explain that a little further on.
 

If you have the ability to use your camera and flash on Manual setting you will find you have greater control technically and creatively. This is where budding photographers get scared off. They are hesitant to work off the Auto or Control settings, and the TTL setting on the flash.

There are two important and basic points to understand when shooting with flash in Manual..........your aperture setting gives you the proper exposure for your flash-lit subject..........and...........your shutter speed gives you control over exposure from the ambient light.

If you'll look at the sequence of four shots of the model to the right, you'll notice the lighting on her stays consistant, while the background gets progressively lighter.

This is a result of my keeping the aperture the same for all the shots, to give the same exposure from the flash on the model.

But I gradually slowed my shutter speed from exposure to exposure, as that is the influencing factor for the exposure of the ambient, or background, light.

If your camera allows you to control aperture and shutter speed, you're likely familiar and comfortable with doing this already. Simply experimenting and becoming familiar and confident with using these settings with your camera will allow you to understand the results of changing those settings for effect.

Dragging The Shutter simply means you're using a longer shutter speed to record ambient light and possible highlights in the background while moving or dragging your camera to create an effect that gives the impression of movement or 'energy' in the shot. Espcially where there is none.

Remember the key is that your aperture influences correct exposure for the flash subject, and your shutter speed gives you your ambient exposure.

The only way to become proficient with your flash is to experiment and become comfortable with getting the results you're looking for.