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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