Digital Photography 101

Chapter 5: Lighting Systems

5.4: Manual flash

On manual mode the distance flash will penetrate all depends on the size of the aperture. The shutter speed is irrelevant because the burst of light from a flash unit is often a lot faster then the shutter. You can choose to dim the flash in a fraction of its normal intensity from ½ to 1/125.

5.5: Diffusing flash

Light from a flash unit is too directional and harsh, with the results being hard shadows created by the flash. This is especially so in portrait photography. To counter this you can use a diffuser or reflector over your flash head to break up those light rays. This has a similar effect to clouds over the sun. Notice how the clouds fill the shadows with diffused light and tone down the harsh rays of direct sunlight, making for very desirable natural lighting for photography. We can simulate this in flash photography using a diffuser which will break up light casting less shadow. A reflector will redirect the flash to the required direction making for less shadow again. I choose to use a reflector above a flash head to cast pleasing light into a portrait composition. The flash hood is very useful for wedding and fast moving photography but it also has one more desired effect. It is far more comfortable for your portrait subjects because the flash is less dazzling when it is bounced off a reflector.

You can achieve similar results with natural light by reflecting light into shadows using a piece of white card or a professional circular reflector. You will need an assistant to hold the reflector. The down side to this it can dazzle your subjects. A reflector like this is often used in studio photography or temporary lighting setups.

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