Foto Friday: using a flash?
Why use a flash if you can work the camera manually to where you get enough light to pull off the shot? Well, simply because good photographers need to know how to hit all elements, and knowing how light works, will give you great images all the time. Not only that, but if you want to work on your craft while the kids are in bed, you will need to work at night, therefore you need to work with a flash.
That being said, I hardly ever use a flash, even though I have one. Now that I am pushing farther to learn a few new things….I super heart my flash especially right at dusk. It gives you crazy definition and color, that a low f stop and high ISO alone will not give you. It will allow you to have your shutter speed set so that you don’t get that blur that happens when hand holding your camera to capture an image. Everything I have learned with photography has been self taught. I am in good company. Some of the best photographers in the world are self taught. I read, I study, I experiment, I read, I study, I experiment…..it is one of my favorite things to do. So, I have been reading and studying about off camera lighting and strobe work. Wow what a cool look you can pull off with all of that info.
if you only have an on board flash, one of the things you can do to diminish that hot spot glare, is to put a piece of wax paper, tracing paper, parchment paper or a coffee filter over your flash to diffuse the light. So go play around with your flash and show me what you got!
Grace and Peace to all those who love learning~
Hey Girl.
I’m going to come to WPB this next week. would love to get coffee or something
Email me eejackson at mac dot com.
Elizabeth
Comment by Mommyzabs — June 12, 2009 @ 3:57 pm
I would love it:-)
Comment by Amber(Homeschool Diva) — June 12, 2009 @ 4:41 pm
I like the effect! There is a mood created in this shot that wouldn’t happen with the flash. Very cool. Mine’s up!
http://accidentalweblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/foto-friday-no-flash.html
Comment by Sarah — June 12, 2009 @ 4:51 pm
Hey Sarah - I like your image. Actually, this image IS taken with a flash. Sorry if the post wasn’t clear. I think a flash can give you a great effect….if you use it properly.
I gave you some tips on how to make your on body flash a bit less harsh. Look at my flickr stream, it will give you all the backend numbers I used to shoot the shots.
ISO - is a way for you to let more light into your lens, without having to change your shutter speed it does add more noise to an image, so if you want a sharp noiseless image…then you need to use a flash and shoot through a diffuser or bounce it.
http://digital-photography-school.com/iso-settings
Comment by Amber(Homeschool Diva) — June 12, 2009 @ 5:04 pm
O-oh. I get it now! Thanks!
Comment by Sarah — June 12, 2009 @ 10:59 pm
I had quite a challenge at that wedding last weekend. i wanted to just use natural light, but during sunset the light kept changing at the reception so I had to use flash about every 5th shot. I love using flash to do creative things. I’ll have to find a good one to post.
Comment by Karyn — June 14, 2009 @ 12:33 pm