The basics of using a flash with your photography (part 2)

Last week our post focused on the different types of flash units available from the built-in or pop-up flash to an external shoe mounted flash.   We also talked about direct flash and a very little about bounce flash.

Bounce Flash

This week I want to spend more on bounce flash.   My preference is to use bounce flash whenever possible.   As you probably already guessed is that bounce flash simply means you are bouncing the flash beam off of some other object rather than a direct flash which is pointed right at your subject.   That being said, you need to have an object like a wall, ceiling, reflector, etc in order to bounce or reflect your flash toward your subject.  

Why bouncing a flash is typically more effective than direct flash is that it creates a larger light source.   Confusing?   Basically when you face a flash unit directly at your subject the light source is very small.  This creates a much more focused beam of light, which is why you get harsher light and strong shadows.   When you bounce the flash off of an object the light disburses (spreads out) so that the light beams approach your subject from a much wider angle of view.   This is a much softer light and more even light which gives you a much more pleasant look.   Shadows are reduced.  The colors tend to appear more naturally.  

I'd like to point out that I use words like typically, tend to, mostly, and the like due to the variability of all the elements that can influence your photography.   Above I said the colors tend to appear more naturally.   One of the influencers of this is the color of the object you are using to reflect the light from your flash.   If it is a white wall, as an example, you'll have little influence on the light color.  However, if you bounce of a red wall you'll have a red cast to the light source which will alter the colors in your photograph.  

Another benefit of bouncing flash off an object is you can control the direction of light and thus the shadows on your subject.

93mm  f/8  ISO 400   1/200 second exposure

In the above picture I bounce my flash off a wall to my left.   This created nice highlights on one side of my daughter's face which added to the feel of the image.  A straight on flash would have been too harsh and would have not created as nice of an image.   Note that this photo was taken in a basement and the wall is a dark tan color.

93mm f/3.5  ISO 400  1/60 second exposure

In the above picture I used a wall behind me to create a nice even and soft light source.   The light from the flash did not create any harsh shadows and my son's skin tones are very natural.   You have to laugh at his use of my youngest daughter's chew toy (yes it was washed immediately after this shot.)  Too funny.

The two example provided were taken with a flash that is capable of rotating and pivoting.  This is important to understand.   Some entry-level flash units can only pivot up and down.   They do provide benefits over the pop-up flash units, but don't have the flexibility found in the units that can also rotate.    I personally really like being able to bounce a flash of a wall behind me.

Ok, we get that bounce flash is really nice to use, but what happens if I don't have an object, like a wall or ceiling, available?   There are times when you need to use direct flash.   There are times where you want to use direct flash.  

One of the best ways to use direct flash is for "fill-flash."  Fill flash is a way to fill in the shadows of your subject with a slight bit of light from a flash unit.   Another use is when you have a strong back light where without a flash your subject is very underexposed; such as the example below:

44mm  f/4  ISO 800  1/640 second exposure

44mm  f/4  ISO 800 1/250 second exposure - flash used

You can see how I was able to use the flash to fill in the shadow (in this case, my subject was fully underexposed) with the use of direct flash.  Also note, my shutter speed decreased to 1/250 second.  I did not do this despite using Manual settings.   The reason for this is my camera has a flash sync limit of 1/250 second.   Most cameras have a flash sync range from 1/180 to 1/250 second.  

The fill flash example also comes into play outdoors.   I'm sure we've all tried to take a photo of an individual or group on a sunny day.   We end up having the people facing the sun to make sure they are properly lit.   What happens?   Everyone is squinting and their eyes are watering and you just can get a good shot.   What you should do in these cases is have the back behind the subject(s) and use direct flash to fill in the shadows.   The people in the photo will appreciate it and the picture will turn out much better.