flash photography techniques
                             |   intro page  |   natural looking flash 

As photographers we’re always looking for perfect light.
And yet, the quality of available light isn’t always ideal. It is rarely perfect.

But I feel that in using flash wisely, I’m able to enhance or over-ride the available light. With careful use of flash, I am more in control of light, and hence the way my photos will look – than if I had just accepted the existing ambient light.

Instead of waiting for perfect light, I use what I have …
and add flash to make the best of the situation.

A few things we need to get out of the way first :

• These pages were originally written to help other photographers who struggle with on-camera flash. But they were also written as a reaction against the snobbery of the purists who insist on using available light only – even when it looks terrible.
• The photos on the next few pages are all from weddings.  However, don’t feel that this only relates to weddings.  The techniques here are just as applicable for most fields of photography.  Since the majority of my work is as a wedding photographer in New Jersey, it was just easier for me to find examples from my work.
• I own and use both Nikon and Canon systems.  I have used, or am currently still using the Nikon D3, D700, D2x, D2H, D200, D100, Canon 1Dmk3, 1Dmk2, 1Dmk2N, Canon 5D and Fuji S2.  So the techniques here are, for the most part, system non-specific.
• The photos here were all taken with digital cameras. They are immensely helpful tools in learning about the craft of photography. However, the techniques here are just as valid for film cameras.
• Also, the images here had very little to no Photoshop work done to them. But I did correct the white balance, and fine-tune exposure and contrast for these photos, as part of my general raw workflow.
• I always use my camera in manual exposure mode for very specific reasons. With flash however, I alternate between TTL flash (if either myself or the subject isn’t static), or manual flash, (if the subject is static in relation to the strobe.)
• And finally, when I talk about ‘on-camera flash’, I am not talking about the pop-up flash, but a proper dedicated hot-shoe mounted speedlight / flashgun.

Also be sure to read the other entries on the planet neil – tangents blog.  I continually add new material there.  At the bottom of each page, there is a link back to the previous entries.   To stay up to date with new entries as they are published, add the Tangents blog to your RSS feed, or you can join the mailing list.

If you want to delve into the postings dealing with flash photography specifically, then the flash photography category would be a good start. 

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The Book

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translations of the flash photography webpages:

These webpages on flash photography have kindly been translated into other languages as well. Thank you to everyone for their input and hard work on this.

• Chinese – translation by Tom Lan
• Italian – translation by Sandra Luoni
• Polish – translation by Bartosz Jastrzebski
• French – translation by Melina Barrals
• Romanian – translation by Leontin Stelea
• German – translation by Michael Kraus

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So let’s go … making flash not look like flash

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