Copyright 2012 Evan Sharboneau. All rights reserved. | PhotoExtremist.com
Using Off-Camera Flash
There are a ton of things you can do with external flashes. I'm only going to go show a couple
of applications (the basics) so you can get an understanding on why using them can make a
huge difference in your photos.
Why use an off-camera flash when you could simply use the on-camera pop-up flash that
already comes with your DSLR? The reason is simply because on-camera flashes looks
horrible in 95% of all circumstances. Here's why:
The on camera flash is a very small light source, meaning that the light will look very harsh on
the subject you are photographing (whether it be a person or object) and will create annoying
harsh shadows. The on camera flash is too bright in most circumstances and looks
completely unprofessional. The on camera flash points directly at the subject you are
photographing, which looks ugly and amateurish.
The external flash, however, cranks up the quality a few hundred
notches. First of all, the light is not coming directly from the camera,
but rather at an angle. This makes things look more natural and
enables you to direct the shadows how you want them.
Second of all, you can point the external flash to the ceiling or the
wall, and the light will bounce off that surface and then hit your
subject. This makes it so that the light is very soft and diffused,
meaning that the harsh shadows will be completely eliminated,
making your subject much more flattering!
Third, you can put use large diffusion material over your external flash, weather it be outside
or inside, and it will get rid of the harsh shadows. Doing these things will definitely get your
photos looking much more pro.
You can use brand new flashes if you want to, but I like the simple ones with old school
manual controls (as do many others). The reason why is that it gives you the control of how
much or how little light you want to add to a subject, and really isn't difficult to understand in a
short period of time. Person