Flash Photography Techniques – Ambient Light Plus Flash
With careful use of Flash, you can make your photo looks natural as though no flash had been used, is to create the picture will improve further reducing contrast and yet looking very natural.
It's been a dream of all photographers to find a balance in illumination each time the photographing a subject and most of the time the quality of available light is not always perfect. I will share my experience in using Intelligent flash I improve my picture instead of just using the ambient light available.
Before I clarify some things about my techniques of flash photography that I'd like to share with you.
- Let me set the flash term in this article – is what some people call "flash" which is the complement of the camera-mounted flash hot – the type of shoes and not the type of studio strobe flash or the pop-up flash on the camera of the building ..
- The techniques of flash photography that I am writing in this article are applicable to all "in the field" or "in motion" photography and studio photography, no.
- I am a user of the Nikon D-SLR and flash, some examples of my photography work shown here are not a standard recipe as each camera system may have a different slide reading therefore slides require some adjustments.
Ambient Light Plus Flash
I use flash most of the time, but using flash does not mean that spoil the ambient light so the photo looking unnatural. Why just use available light only if your picture turns out to be horrible. I will show you the understanding of some essential techniques, mixed with ambient light flash can make a better picture.
When using the flash I will be able to highlight the shadow areas and avoid shadows on the eyebrows frame the subject so it's a better picture of what would have been without a flash. But this does not mean that the image is flat again. Make sure you get the right reading.
Let's try two examples:
1. A wedding couple on a beach in a tent as the sun sets: —
- Shoot in manual mode because it needs to be in control of their exposure measurement accuracy and consistency.
- Meter for ambient light, get your exposure right, turn off the flash and take a test picture. With the correct exposure, you will get a perfect environment, natural, but the couple's wedding will be slightly under exposed or with some shadows around their faces.
- Now in the flash and adjusts the flash to TTL-BL mode, which balance flash automatically with ambient light (as I'm using Nikon). Adjust your flash compensation. Posted at 0 EV compensation and gradually go up over 1.7 EV. How much is enough? There is no right answer to that, depends on how much you have to use flash as fill flash. In this example, probably needs a strong fill flash to match the sunlit background.
Flash turns off. I took the reading of the ambient light and took a test session. Satisfied with the overall exposure and then my flash light and took the picture below with my flash light and dial direct firring flash my up to 1.7 EV. Photographt See below for comparison.
2. Portrait of a partner against a wall
- Another time ever shooting in manual mode.
- Meter light properly for disposal.
- Set the flash to TTL-BL mode. As for the door, usually part of -1.3 EV, Nikon TTL flashes because the balance between BL flash mode automatically with ambient light and I always shoot with flash firing straight. The real idea is to use flash as a single fill light and lift the shadows.
– Communication with fill flash I manage to remove the shadows under the eyebrows even without over the wall and the couple's clothing.
Photo 2 – Shoot the use of flash
The two examples above clearly says that by just adding flash to establish the correct exposure by reading the ambient light, together with the right amount of flash to be worth fired will have a perfect and natural balance in search of the image. Who says the use of flash will be unnatural and spoil the ambient light?
I will follow up with an article entitle Flash Photography Techniques – Bouncing the Flash together to share my photography experience with you. By bouncing the flash you are able to soften the light and reduce or eliminate inflammation shade.
Photography techniques and more tips visit my photo blog: Langkawi Photographer Blog
To see my photography portfolio visit: AFFENDY.COM
About the Author
Affendy Ahmad is a professional photographer specialized in weddings, corpoarate or private events, special occasions and family holiday photography.
Borned 1963 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, he has now based in this beautiful island of Langkawi located northwest of Malaysia.
Affendy has a photo studio located in down town kuah.