How To Use

Photographic Flash
(and avoid “deer-in-headlights” look)
…and avoid the deer-in-
the-headlights look

Original image copyright Getty Images

Review
You are probably sick
of hearing this, but…
Exposure

Aperture
Shutter Speed
ISO
White Balance
 Aperture
Aperture is the opening of the diaphragm inside a photographic lens.
The size of this opening regulates the amount of light that passes
through the lens onto the film or digital sensor inside the camera at the
moment of the exposure. 
 Aperture
Aperture also controls the depth of
field (DOF) - the distance between the
nearest and farthest objects in a scene
that appear sharp in an image.
 Shutter Speed
Shutter speed represents the time that the shutter remains open when
taking a photograph. 
 Shutter Speed
Shutter speed also allows us to freeze
or blur moving objects. 
 ISO
ISO refers to photographic film's or digital sensor’s sensitivity to light. In
modern digital cameras, ISO settings range from 50 to 6400.
 ISO
Unfortunately, in quite a few cases higher ISO means higher noise
 White Balance
White balance refers to color temperature. Different light sources emit
light at different temperatures. Light temperatures affect how colors are
rendered in a photograph.
A Bit of History
 Original Flash
19th century flashes were made of magnesium powders (or other
materials that created a short intense burst of light when ignited.
Photographers would remove the lens cap (remember, this was before
mechanical shutters were invented), hold the magnesium ribbon above
the camera, light it and immediately cover the lens.
 Modern Flash
Flash as we know it today was invented in the 1930s by Harold Edgerton
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

http://www.tonyrogers.com/weapons/images/high_speed_photos/index.htm
Finally… Flash
Photography
Flash Types
Pop-up
Hot Shoe
Strobes/Monolights
Dedicated/Non-dedicated
 Pop-up
Pop-up flash is the flash that’s built into your camera. It’s less powerful
than an external flash, but the upside is that you always have it with you.

Pop-up flash can cause “red eyes”, a phenomenon caused by a reflection

of the flash light from the subject’s retina.

It’s best to avoid using pop-up flash as main light source and only use it
as fill flash
 Hot Shoe
Hot shoe flashes are external flashes that can be mounted on your
camera’s hot shoe. They also use the hot shoe to communicate with the
camera.
Strobes and Monolights
Strobes and monolights are studio flashes. They provide much higher
light output than hot shoe or pop-up flashes. The drawback is that studio
flashes are heavy, fairly fragile and require external power.
 Dedicated vs. Non-Dedicated
Dedicated flashes are designed to work with your specific camera brand
and generally offer TTL (Through The Lens) mode. When most modern
cameras measure light, they take into consideration the light reflected
off the subject (as that light comes through camera’s lens). The camera
tells its flash to shoot shoots a tiny burst of light right before the real
flash and uses it to measure the light reflected off the subject. The real
flash is determined according to this measurement.

Non-dedicated flashes will only work in manual mode and will not be
able to communicate with your camera.
What Affects Exposure With Flash?

Working distance
Aperture
Shutter speed
Sensitivity (ISO)
Guide Number
Flash compensation
 Working Distance

The distance between the camera and the subject is one of the most
important factors on exposure in flash photography – you need to keep
your subject within the flash’s range; if you are photographing a group of
people, it is recommended to keep them in on same plane relative to the
flash in order to guarantee consistent lighting. 
 Aperture

The aperture is the main factor that affects the exposure with flash
photography since it determines that amount of light that enters the
lens.
 Shutter Speed

Shutter speed doesn’t influence the subject’s exposure when flash is

used because the flash is ALWAYS faster than the fastest shutter speed.
This is why the shutter speed only affects the background’s exposure and
ambient light.
 Guide Number
Every flash has a guide number (GN), which measures the intensity of
the flash. The guide number is stated in meters according to ISO 100. In
order to double the GN you’ll need to increase the energy 4 fold. 

Formula
To determine the distance your subject should be from the camera with
use the following equation:

GN/F-number (Guide number divided by the aperture)

For example GN 100 at aperture f/4 will permit a working distance of

100/4 or 20 meters.
 ISO (Sensitivity)

Higher ISO = Higher flash efficiency!

Doubling the ISO will increase the guide number by 1.4 for ISO below
100 double the guide number for ISO greater then 100.
 Flash Compensation
Most modern cameras and flashes have
an option for positive or negative flash
compensation. This function gives us
more control over the flash’s power
output and ultimately over the scene’s
exposure.
Flash Techniques

Fill Flash
Off-Camera Flash
Direct Flash
Diffusing
Bouncing
Slow Synchronization
 Fill Flash
Fill flash is used in harsh lighting situations (when the sun is directly
overhead and there is no shadow). Fill flash overpowers the sunlight and
“fills in” shadows under the eyes and nose.
 Off-Camera Flash
Using flash off camera allows for greater flexibility when it comes to
positioning lighting relative to the subject and the camera. It also allows
for more precise lighting (just throwing light on your subject without
blowing out the background or lighting parts of your subject)

Photo courtesy of Travis Neely Photography (http://www.travisneelyphotography.com)

 Direct Flash
The flash is directed straight forward towards the subject. It is
characterized with harsh shadows and a little lighting from above.

Photo courtesy of Travis Neely Photography (http://www.travisneelyphotography.com)

 Diffusing
Direct flash usually creates very harsh shadows because of the small size
of the light source. Using a diffuser makes flash’s light “bigger” and
softer and to create gentler shadows and soft uniform lighting.
 Diffusing - DIY
Film canister pop-up flash diffuser
 Diffusing - DIY
Hot-shoe flash paper diffuser
 Bouncing
With a sheet of printer paper,
scissors and a rubber band you can
make a DIY diffuser in minutes.

If you don’t have a diffuser, you can

bounce light off the ceiling or a wall.
Bounced flash is always much softer
then direct flash.
 Slow Shutter Speed
Slow shutter speed (or shutter
dragging) is used in low-light
photography when you want to fire
the flash and maintain the low shutter
speed in order to expose the
background. Longer exposures permit
more ambient light to hit the sensor.
 Recommended Reading
1. The Moment It Clicks: Photography secrets from one of the world's top
shooters by Joe McNally
2. The Hot Shoe Diaries: Big Light from Small Flashes by Joe McNally
3. Strobist Photo Trade Secrets Volume 1: Expert Lighting Techniques by Zeke
Kamm
4. Strobist Photo Trade Secrets, Volume 2: Portrait Lighting Techniques by
Zeke Kamm
5. Speedliter's Handbook: Learning to Craft Light with Canon Speedlites by
Syl Arena
6. On-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait
Photography by Neil van Niekerk
7. Off-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Photographers by Neil van Niekerk
To Flash or Not To
Flash…
Questions?
 Contact

Dmitriy Babichenko
www.wideopenlens.com
dbabichenko@yahoo.com