In Camera Flash

Natural light will always win over artificial light. However there will be times when you need that built in flash, or that big external flash. It’s just the beast of burden; the sun eventually goes down and leaves you with only darkness. Personally I hate using flash. For me, when I use a flash, the pictures look artificial. You can tell the flash went off. You get a weird glow on the pictures and it makes everything look way to bright. There are two different styles of flash that I used; a built in flash, and a external flash mounted to the camera.

 Well after this lesson about flash I’ve learned a thing or two about my camera’s flash. I’ve learned it can be a great filler during the day taking portraits or macro pictures. I also found out that I can use a variety of different techniques to change the position and brightness of the flash. One of the best tools I’ve been using along with the built in flash is a diffuser. If you don’t have one of these in your collection now, you should go out and buy one! It can be a life saver if you need to find that perfect blend between a strong flash and a soft light in the picture. The diffuser works exactly like how it sounds. It slips in front of your flash and makes the flash light pass through a diffusing screen which dampens the effects of the flash. This can create some unique and creative pictures. Another technique is using a bounce or swivel flash to change the origination of the flash. This can make it so you actually fire the flash at the ground or ceiling instead of directly at your subject. The can create some intense and very fun shadows. I also played around with reflective screens and light enhancers. This created a stronger brighter flash to get rid of any shadows on the subject. This can also be achieved by using multiple flashes on stands and have them be fired by one master flash. For most setups this will require an expensive flash mounted on the camera, and then any flash that can be used as a slave. The slave portion just means that the flash is fired when the master flash goes off. Using this technique is a great way to get a completely lighted subject and is better used in a stationary studio.

While I now understand how to use flash more and I feel like I have a good understanding of what I would need to use one for great pictures, I still prefer natural light. Although, being able to understand all of your options and how to use them is a priceless lesson. You never know when you will need more light, even during the day time! I was really surprised with how a flash can be used for a filler even during the day. So my suggestion is to experiment and see how you like using your built in flash, what do you have to lose!?