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The flash is one of those photographic accessories that is usually used categorically by amateur photographers, but at the same time very willingly. Meanwhile, when used correctly, a flash can provide invaluable assistance to a photographer.
First of all, you should abandon the idea that on-camera flash can be used as the only light source. Unlike studio flashes, an on-camera flash is needed when the scene being photographed is already illuminated, but the light is either insufficient or too contrasty. With the traditionally amateur use of flash, the photo shows a brightly lit object with glowing red eyes and a background buried in pitch darkness. Even more naive is an attempt to illuminate a football field or a palace and park ensemble with a tiny flash built into a compact camera or mobile phone. High ISO values or a stable tripod have a much better effect on night shots than a flash that fires at the wrong time.
To compare the power of different flash models, use flare guide number, i.e. the maximum distance in meters or feet to an object that the flash is able to illuminate at f/1 aperture and ISO 100. The guide number of the built-in camera flash reaches 10 m at best, with an additional battery-powered flash - up to 30 m, and with powerful studio flashes mains powered flashes - up to hundreds. The guide number is not a very precise parameter, since it greatly depends on the design of the diffuser and the zoom parameters, and manufacturers are not shy about citing somewhat inflated characteristics in the flash documentation.
Of course, the flash is not often used at full power, but it is nice when the flash brightness is enough to spare.
Usually the pulse power is adjusted automatically, in accordance with lighting conditions, but you can also turn on manual mode. If the flash is controlled automatically, then immediately before releasing the shutter it gives a preliminary low-power pulse or pre-flash, which is necessary to calculate the power of the main pulse. The evaluation is done directly through the lens using the camera's exposure meter, and therefore this method is called TTL (Through The Lens).
If you lack the capabilities of a built-in flash, then preference should be given to on-camera flashes that are part of the system you use, be it Canon, Nikon or any other. Flashes from third-party manufacturers, even with declared compatibility with your system, may not work quite correctly in automatic modes, which, however, does not exclude the possibility of manual control.
Two expositions
When shooting with flash, you are dealing with two independent exposures - one determined by ambient light and the other determined by pulsed light flashes. Together they make up the overall exposure of the frame.
What shooting parameters affect each exposure?
External exposition, dictated by the brightness of the surrounding light, is adjusted by shutter speed, aperture and ISO sensitivity. In automatic modes, exposure is controlled using exposure compensation (exposure compensation).
Flash Exposure depends on the pulse power, the distance to the subject, the aperture value and the ISO sensitivity. She does not depend from exposure - this is very important. The duration of the flash pulse is approximately 1/1000 s, so no matter how long the shutter is open, the flash's contribution to the overall exposure will not increase. Control pulse power automatic flash can be done using flash correction (compensation) similar to exposure compensation.
The most important role in working with flash is played by ratio between flash exposure and external exposure. It is the ability to correctly dose the contribution of external and pulsed light that distinguishes professional use of flash from amateur use.
You can change the ratio of the two exposures by varying the shutter speed, flash power and distance to the subject. All. The ratio is not affected by aperture or ISO, since both aperture and ISO change both exposures at the same time. Meanwhile, shutter speed allows you to independently control external exposure, and flash power and distance also independently change flash exposure.
The flash compensation control logic is slightly different in various systems. IN Canon cameras Flash compensation and exposure compensation work completely independently, controlling flash exposure or external exposure separately. With Nikon, everything is a little more complicated: flash compensation also concerns only the flash, but exposure compensation controls general exposure, i.e. changes both external exposure and flash exposure at once. For example, if you set the flash compensation to -1 EV and the exposure compensation value to -0.3 EV, then the flash compensation will no longer be -1 EV, but -1.3 EV. However, you quickly get used to it.
Flash photography indoors
A forward-facing on-camera flash is the worst light source imaginable. Firstly, the light source located so close to the optical axis of the lens deprives the photograph of volume, and secondly, the small size of the flash makes it almost a point source, producing extremely hard light without transitions or halftones. The face of a man shot head-on with flash appears flat and lifeless, his eyes are either red or squinted, and the background appears unnaturally dark, subject to the inverse square law.
You can remove the flash from the camera using either an extension cable or a remote sync system. However, the easiest and fastest way to modify on-camera flash light is to bounce it off some light-colored surface. Of course, you will need a flash head for this. By pointing the flash, for example, at a white ceiling, you radically change the nature of the lighting. Now it is no longer a flash, but the ceiling that is the source of light, and the light is soft, diffused and, moreover, falling in the most natural way from above.
The flash is aimed directly at the face.
Notice the shadow on the wall.
The flash is aimed at the ceiling.
Photos taken with bounce flash look as if no flash was used. The scene gains volume and depth, and the effect of the inverse square law is reduced due to a more uniform distribution of light.
The flash can be reflected not only from the ceiling, but also from the wall, if the design of the flash allows it. You can use a wall to your side to get side light, or you can point the flash up and back, reflecting it from the ceiling and wall behind you - this technique gives a particularly soft light.
Using walls to bounce flash light becomes especially important when the ceiling is too high and there simply isn't enough flash power. When shooting outdoors, the ceiling is also rare. Basically, you can use any sufficiently light object as a reflective surface. Even your friend in a white T-shirt can reflect the light of a flash, if, of course, he agrees to it.
If the flash light is directed directly at the ceiling, the model's eyes may be in shadow. In this case, you should use a white card (the so-called “business card”) attached to the flash, which reflects part of the light towards the model, highlighting the shadows and adding a highlight to the eyes. Many flash models are initially equipped with such a card, however, it is not difficult to make it yourself.
The only disadvantage of bounce flash is increased energy consumption. Some of the light is absorbed by the ceiling or wall, and some is scattered, illuminating the interior. As a consequence, the flash should be at least four times brighter than when using the flash directly. However, the benefits of bounce flash are undoubtedly worth replacing batteries more often.
To make life easier for the flash and speed up its recharging time, when shooting indoors, I try to use a fully open aperture, unless otherwise dictated by the need for greater depth of field. I usually set ISO around 400 or 800, which on modern cameras gives a more or less tolerable noise level. Using fast lenses with a maximum aperture of f/1.8, or even f/1.4, is a big help when there is a lack of ambient light.
Fill flash is a flash used to highlight shadows while the subject is already illuminated by an external light source.
In this photo, the exposure is set to the sky and the face is backlit with flash. Without flash, you would have to either overexpose the landscape or underexpose the portrait.
The most important application for fill flash is when shooting in bright sunlight. Day with fire? Why use a flash when it's bright enough without it? The answer is simple: to soften the contrast.
Sunlight, especially in the middle of the day, is very harsh, and flash allows you to expose your photo for highlights and lighten shadows that would otherwise be completely black without flash. When contrast is extreme, highlighting the shadows with a flash or reflector is vital. Otherwise, the faces of the people in the photo will resemble masks. If you shoot against the light, the backlight prevents your face from falling into the darkness. A reflector is not always at hand, but a flash is built into almost every camera.
In addition, the flash adds a highlight to the model's eyes, which makes the look more lively.
Fill flash can also be useful indoors, for example when a person is standing in front of a window. With flash, you can capture a person, the interior, and the landscape outside the window.
Fill flash can also be useful when shooting landscapes, as it makes it possible to reveal details in the shadows of the foreground, while keeping the highlights intact.
In many cases, the flash built into the camera is sufficient, but an additional on-camera flash is more powerful, recharges more quickly and does not consume the camera battery.
Fill flash should not be obvious. The image should look natural, which requires the photographer to use the flash moderately and even delicately. As a rule, you should not use the flash at full power, and even at the power offered by the camera's automatic system. I almost always use negative flash compensation values. Typically this is -1 EV for people and -1.7 EV for nature, although the correction can vary significantly depending on shooting conditions.
The main difficulty with using fill flash on a sunny day is that the flash power may not be enough because... it is forced to compete with the exceptionally bright sunlight. The contribution of the flash to the overall exposure is often too small compared to the external exposure.
If the flash is working at its maximum capabilities, then you can change the ratio of the two exposures only by reducing the external exposure. How? Obviously, decreasing the aperture will not help us, because this way we will simultaneously reduce the flash exposure along with the external exposure. The only way out is to shorten the shutter speed, but in doing so we will encounter a significant limitation due to the sync shutter speed.
Sync Speed
The flash sync speed is the fastest shutter speed that can be used in flash photography.
Shutter speeds are shorter than the sync speed determined by technical characteristics your camera cannot be used in conjunction with the flash. Why? The reason is the design features of the mechanical curtain-slot shutter SLR cameras.
The shutter consists of two curtains that can slide parallel to the plane of the sensor or film. Initially, the sensor is completely covered by the first curtain. When the shutter is released, the first (front) curtain moves to the side under the action of a spring, opening the matrix. At the end of the exposure, the matrix is closed with a second (rear) curtain. Then the closed curtains synchronously return to their original position.
The curtains slide very quickly, but still not instantly. If you need to provide a short shutter speed, the rear curtain begins to move even before the front one finishes. As a result, when high speeds shutter, the matrix is illuminated through a gap between the curtains, which runs along the frame. Those. different areas of the frame are exposed sequentially rather than simultaneously.
If the flash fires during such a short shutter speed, then only part of the frame will be exposed, namely the area above which the gap formed by the shutter curtains was located at the moment of the flash.
Thus, the sync speed is the shortest shutter speed at which the entire sensor area is open at the same time. The limiting factor here is the speed of the shutter curtains.
Obviously, the shorter the sync speed, the better. For professional SLR cameras, the flash sync speed is 1/250 s. The younger ones SLR cameras– 1/180-1/200 s. Digital compact cameras with an electronic shutter can have a sync speed of about 1/500 s.
The importance of a fast sync speed becomes apparent when using fill flash in sunny conditions. No matter how strange it may sound, it is a short shutter speed that allows us to get an impulse of sufficient brightness from the flash.
To balance the sunlight, the flash power must be very high. How to increase the contribution of the flash to the overall exposure if it is already working at full power? It makes no sense to increase ISO, because... In this way, you will increase the sensitivity of the sensor not only to flash light, but also to external light, which will lead to overexposure. This will require reducing the aperture, which will throw us back to our original position, because a small aperture will again reduce general brightness.
You can open the aperture wider - this will increase the brightness of the flash, however, the external exposure will also be increased. To now turn it down only external exposure needs to be reduced by shutter speed, but you cannot reduce it beyond the sync speed, and your camera will not allow you to do this.
A camera with a faster sync speed allows the use of larger apertures, which increases the brightness of the flash while maintaining correct external exposure. Those. A fast sync speed gives you the ability to shift the flash exposure to external exposure ratio in favor of the flash.
A fast sync speed increases the usable distance of the flash, and at a constant distance allows the flash to operate at a lower power, which speeds up recharging and extends battery life.
Sometimes the limitations imposed by the sync speed can be circumvented. For this there is a so-called high speed sync(FP or HSS).
In high-speed sync mode, the flash emits a series of low-power pulses, thus turning into a source of continuous rather than pulsed light. With constant light, you are free to use any shutter speed you want. This possibility may seem very tempting, but in fact, the disadvantages of high-speed synchronization outweigh its advantages, in my opinion. Firstly, the power of a flash operating in high-speed sync mode drops noticeably, thereby reducing the working distance. Secondly, power consumption increases greatly, requiring frequent battery replacement. Thirdly, the recharge time increases. The reason for all this is that since only a narrow strip of the sensor is illuminated by the flash at any one time during the exposure process, most of the flash light is wasted. In a word, high-speed sync is not a bad thing, but it is just a surrogate for a full sync speed.
Flash modes
Most cameras allow you to use the flash in the following standard modes:
Fill flash
Flash without unnecessary fuss. In exposure modes P And A (Av) restriction applies minimum speed shutter, i.e. The maximum shutter speed that the camera can select when shooting with flash. Typically this is 1/60 sec, but some cameras allow you to adjust this setting yourself.
Red eye reduction
The most useless mode. After pressing the shutter, the flash makes several preliminary impulses designed to narrow the pupils of the subject, and only then does the actual shooting take place. Not only does this method help little in the fight against red eyes (and more often it just makes a person blink and squint), but it also gives you a second delay before releasing the shutter, allowing you to miss the shot in a remarkable way.
Slow sync
Unlike conventional fill flash mode, which is limited to a maximum shutter speed of 1/60 sec, slow sync leaves the shutter open for as long as the correct external exposure requires. As a result, not only the object, but also the background is exposed. Thus, slow sync allows you more flexibility in controlling the balance between flash exposure and ambient exposure.
Often it can take a lot of time to complete the background. long exposure– up to several seconds, – in this case, use a tripod.
In modes S (TV) And M Slow flash sync is no different from regular flash, as you can choose the shutter speed you want. During the day, when there is enough light, slow synchronization also does not provide any benefits.
Rear curtain sync
In essence, this is the same slow synchronization, providing a shutter speed sufficient to study the background, but if during the actual slow sync The flash fires at the beginning of the exposure, i.e. Immediately after the shutter opens, with rear curtain sync, the flash waits until the end of the exposure and fires just before the rear curtain covers the sensor. This is necessary for beautiful display of moving objects. If the flash fires at the beginning of the exposure, you will get a frozen image of the subject and a blurry trail of its movement in front of it, which looks stupid. When synchronizing with the rear curtain, the motion trail is located behind the object, which looks more natural.
I almost always use this mode - slow rear curtain sync. If the shutter speed in exposure modes P or A turns out to be too long, I raise the ISO, or switch to S or M and set the shutter speed manually.
Camera modes for flash photography
Various exposure modes ( P, S, A And M) suggest a slightly different approach to working with flash.
When I use fill flash on a sunny day, my camera is usually in P(Program auto). This allows me to not have to worry about the sync speed. If the camera's exposure meter rests on the sync speed, i.e. 1/250 s or 1/200 s, it automatically closes the aperture to a suitable value, protecting the frame from overexposure. In mode A or Av(aperture priority) I would have to constantly monitor the shutter speed, and, upon reaching the sync speed, reduce the aperture myself.
At dusk or indoors, when sync speed is not an issue and I'm primarily concerned about the lack of light, I switch to A (Av) and open the aperture to the limit. When using slow sync, the shutter speed is determined by the ISO setting. Conventional synchronization does not allow the shutter speed to be longer than 1/60 s, which leads to underexposure of the background.
If the camera does not allow you to configure auto ISO selection flexibly enough, you can switch to shutter priority mode ( S or TV) to manually select the minimum shutter speed that allows you to hold the camera steady, depending on the shooting conditions. The diaphragm will be completely open.
Mode P Not very good for indoor flash photography, as its algorithm does not allow you to open the aperture to the limit, keeping it around 4-5.6, which deprives you of the advantage of owning fast lenses. It's better to use the mode A and maximum aperture, and if you need a greater depth of field, reduce the aperture manually.
Fully manual mode M requires, in my opinion, excessive attention to the camera - you have to personally control the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. Additionally, many cameras don't have direct ISO controls on the body, and it's tedious to navigate through menus every time the lighting changes a little.
Using the mode M justified only when lighting conditions remain constant, for example in a studio. In ordinary life automatic modes provide greater flexibility and efficiency.
How to avoid blinking?
An unpleasant feature of determining flash exposure using TTL metering is the evaluative pre-flash that fires before the shutter is released. The time interval between the preliminary and main flash pulses is small, but it is often enough for a person with good reaction to blink right by the time the actual shooting occurs. Pets are still in to a greater extent are susceptible to this effect.
There are two ways to deal with closed eyes in photographs.
The first method is obvious, but somewhat labor-intensive - switch the flash to manual mode, which eliminates preliminary pulses, and select the flash power empirically.
The second method is not available on all cameras. Some models allow you to assign a function to the Fn or AE-L/AF-L button flash lock(Flash Lock). Flash lock works as follows: after pressing the button, the flash fires an evaluation pulse, and the camera calculates the flash exposure and remembers its value; Now, when the shutter is released, the flash fires instantly, with pre-calculated operating power and without any pre-flashes. As long as the shooting angle and distance to the subject do not change, the flash exposure may remain locked.
Color balance
Flash light has a color temperature of 5000-6000 K, i.e. close to daylight. As a result, during the day the color balance of objects illuminated by the flash is in harmony with the color balance of the background illuminated by external light.
When shooting at sunset or indoors under incandescent lighting, the ambient lighting has a warm, yellow-orange tint. In such conditions, the flash light is much cooler than the ambient light. Depending on your white balance settings, you risk either blue-pale faces, bright orange backgrounds, or both.
To match the flash color to the ambient light, use colored filters placed over the flash diffuser. For some flash models, branded filters are available, but if they are not available, it is not difficult to make the necessary color filter with your own hands from transparent plastic in a shade that matches your needs.
Thank you for your attention!
Vasily A.
Post scriptum
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Greetings, dear reader. I’m in touch with you, Timur Mustaev. The last article, as you remember, talked about. But what to do if there is very little light, or rather, practically no light? That's right, use additional lighting sources. But you need to do this wisely. Today I will try to tell you about indoor flash photography.
Work tool
First you need to figure out what can be useful to get a good result.
- Firstly, external flash, and it’s better if there are several of them.
- Secondly, a white card and diffusers (why they might be useful will be discussed a little later).
- Thirdly, the ability to navigate the camera settings, no matter how strange it may sound.
Here we should make a note about the built-in flash. It's no secret that any camera can boast of one, but good shot You’ll hardly be able to get it with her (you’ll understand why later). In general, you don't need anything else if you want to get a decent shot. For the sake of a “masterpiece” you need to assemble a studio with a softbox, flash lamps, background and so on. It's expensive and impractical. At least not in our case.
I want to warn you right away that the article is focused on using an external flash!
Process
So, with necessary tools, it seems like we figured it out. Now it's time to tell you how to use it all. First of all, you should make several “sighting” shots with and without a flash on the machine gun. If none of these options suits you, welcome to the “creative” modes.
Mode selection
Which mode should you choose? Let's think logically. In low light conditions, we operate with three parameters: , and . All of them, of course, are important, and therefore these parameters must be used together. When using shutter priority mode (S - Nikon or Tv - Canon), you need to remember that it is not advisable to take photographs longer than 1/60 and shorter than 1/250 of a second with flash. With the first, you will get blurry, and with the second, many flashes are limited in synchronization and do not exceed 1/250 of a second.
The light sensitivity (ISO) parameter is not as global as the others, and therefore there is no separate mode for it: you can change ISO in almost any mode if necessary. It is important to remember that there is no need to increase ISO excessively when using flash!
Therefore, a frequently used solution is to select aperture priority (A - Nikon or Av - Canon). In this mode, we control the incoming light flow to the matrix using the aperture.
There are times when there is no time to bother with the settings, we just set it to program mode (P), set the ISO from 100 to 800, depending on the lighting and the camera model, and take pictures! And it is advisable to use a diffuser, more on that later.
Where should you point the flash?
This question arises immediately after installing it, provided that the flash is external. The built-in one will not work for one simple reason: it can only “shoot” straight, which is not good. Colors with it often fade into cold tones, the foreground turns out to be too bright when compared with the background, hard shadows appear, and a “flat face” effect is likely to appear.
This is also true for an external flash if you photograph head-on. But it contains rotating mechanisms, which allow us to achieve the results we need.
You can direct the beam of light at the ceiling or wall. Many photographers do this, but they can all tell you about the following nuances: the surface to which the flash is directed should not be too dark. If the colors on the ceiling are other than white, gray and similar light colors, then there is a high probability that the color of the ceiling will be obtained on the subject of photography. For example, if the color of the ceiling is blue, the light reflected from the flash will also take on a bluish tint and the subject will appear blue.
The height of the ceiling is also important: the lower it is, the brighter the light will be. If these rules are not followed, the subject being photographed will not be illuminated as needed, or the light will appear unnatural. To work with high ceilings, you can use a diffuser, which I will talk about a little later.
Important! If the ceiling is more than 3.5 m, then there is no point in pointing the flash up at the ceiling.
You should also remember the famous optical law: the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection. When shooting indoors with flash, you will always need to remember it. It is he who makes it clear why it is not necessary to point the flash strictly vertically upward in some cases. It should be slightly tilted forward, but not so much that it looks directly at the object. In most cases, the best option there will be an inclination of the flash of approximately 45 degrees.
White card
When taking portraits this way, you may notice that some facial features are too dark. This can be corrected by the so-called “white card”. It will allow a small beam of light to be reflected towards the person being photographed and highlight the dark areas of his face. Some manufacturers, by the way, equip their flashes with an additional LED, which can replace the white card.
Such a device can be a small piece of white paper, a business card, a work pass, a travel card... Anything, as long as it is plain white. There are flashes that are equipped with such useful little things by default. There, the role of a white card is played by a piece of white plastic. In normal mode it is hidden from view, but can be easily reached using a special button on the flash.
If you don't have a white card, don't worry. On my first flash, it was not there either, and I purchased a special device, the so-called white card reflector(I also bought it on Aliexpress). The picture below shows how it looks and is attached to the flash. One side is silver and the other is white, very convenient. It costs mere pennies.
Why is this card so useful sometimes? Everything is very simple. When we aim the flash upward, without using a card, the entire beam of light is reflected evenly onto the subject. But when we want to shoot, for example, a person’s face, the reflected light in the area of the eyes, under the nose, and so on, will not be sufficient, and a shadow will appear. We need to reflect a small beam of light, once from the flash, to get rid of small shadows on the face and add shine to the pupils. The white card on the flash is used for this purpose.
It reflects approximately 3-5% of the light from the flash, which gives the effect we need.
Using diffusers
You can direct the flash at the forehead of the subject only if a special diffuser is installed on it. There are different types of diffusers. They can be made of translucent plastic, this is a more compact option and is often used, or more bulky, made of a special rag material, but more effective.
As you understand, we're talking about about diffusers for external flash!
How is it attached? Everything is again elementary simple. Plastic, it looks like a cap that is attached to the edge of the flash. As for the rag, it is also put on the front part of the flash and attached to the back part with special clips. After installation, the diffusers remain quite stable, which does not cause discomfort when photographing.
Plastic And rag I purchased the diffusers on Aliexpress for a reasonable price and was satisfied. Just before purchasing, be sure to pay attention to whether they fit your flash model!
How to adjust exposure?
Surely, if you shoot under incandescent light, the color of your image may turn out to have a yellow tint, or vice versa, a bluish tint. The fix for this is quite simple: in the white balance settings you need to select the appropriate lighting mode. If your camera is oriented exclusively by Kelvin (the temperature of light, hence it is customary to talk about cold and warm tones), then you should remember your school physics course.
Our eyes are accustomed to the fact that during the day we perceive light of 5000-6000 Kelvin, this corresponds to normal sunlight. The flash, whether built-in or external, operates at the same temperature. In a room illuminated by incandescent lamps producing 3000 Kelvin of light, everything will seem “warmer”, while in an office with fluorescent lighting, on the contrary, everything will seem “cold”.
So, to adjust the white balance to work in the first case, you need to lower the color temperature, and in the second, raise it. Then the picture will appear normal under any circumstances. Of course, there is a simpler option: turn on the machine gun and take a few “sighting” shots, preferably against a white background. I recommend the latter option, since the device will automatically set everything up much faster and fewer moments will be lost.
Well, still try to set the white balance in accordance with the lighting. If the room uses fluorescent lamp light, then also set the camera settings to fluorescent lamp; if the room uses an incandescent lamp, similar settings must be made in the white balance settings in the camera, that is, set to incandescent lamp.
White balance is easy to edit, as long as you're shooting in RAW rather than JPEG. For example, all this can be easily corrected in the LIghtroom editor. A very good editor that is used by many photographers, including me. If you don’t know much about it or don’t understand it well, then one of the best and proven video courses can help you “ Lightroom is an indispensable tool for the modern photographer».
If you are interested in a more in-depth study of your camera in a visual form, you want to understand what it can do and what it is, then study the course “” or “ My first MIRROR" Your eyes will be opened to many features of your camera that you never imagined. You will learn not just to take photographs, but to create masterpieces.
Digital SLR for a beginner 2.0- for fans of NIKON SLR cameras.
My first MIRROR- for fans of CANON DSLR cameras.
Finally, I just want to remind you that all the techniques described here were tested by me personally.
Thank you for staying with me, I really appreciate it, and I understand that my work does not remain without a trace. Tell your friends about my blog and encourage them to subscribe to it, there are a lot of interesting articles ahead of you. See you later!
All the best to you, Timur Mustaev.
Dmitry 03/03/2013 15:29
Dima didn’t know where to write this question, so I’ll write it here. There is a big difference between flash and raw photo processing. I mean that, for example, by pointing the flash at a wall, as I understand it, there is more fill light, but in the raw camera program you can greatly increase both fill light and exposure. I ask because I don’t have a flash, but I tried taking pictures: a very dark frame indoors and in the camera I corrected it to a photo taken in the same place with the correct exposure and it seems like there’s not much difference at all?
Photographer Dmitry Kochetkov
03.03.2013 15:59
Thanks for the question.
Let me start with the fact that when processing a file in any program, you still have to work with the source and the higher quality it is, the better the image will be in the end.
If you extract an image from a dark raw image with the correct exposure, it is essentially the same as increasing the ISO sensitivity directly when shooting. As a result of such an increase in ISO, image quality suffers greatly: first of all, a decrease in sharpness, contrast, an increase in the number digital noise. Therefore, compensating for the lack of flash by processing from raw is not an option. The difference was unnoticeable, apparently because when shooting with flash the iso value was set higher and the light from the flash just “finished off” the light a little, but was not decisive!
In addition, do not forget that an external flash can simulate chiaroscuro (not only fill), which in most cases is more interesting than the natural shadows from lamps/chandeliers in the room.
Now there are many alternatives to expensive native flashes from Nikon and Canon. For example, Nissin is a decent Chinese option for a reasonable 5000 rubles. And if you learn to use it correctly, there will be no limit to your joy!
Happy photo experiments and good photos. Contact us!
Dmitry 03/03/2013 18:16
It turns out that if you don’t have experience, you can set the iso smaller, and they’re not a little afraid dark photography After processing raw, you can gradually increase the sensitivity so as not to overdo it?
Photographer Dmitry Kochetkov
03.03.2013 18:32Usually, photographs are deliberately darkened a little when shooting in the sun, to ensure that they are not overexposed!
And indoors, I recommend setting manual parameters and using an external flash, while minimizing ISO. In most cases, the automation does not work perfectly, and the conditions also differ (shades of the ceilings, the presence of mixed lighting) and therefore often the photographs have to be adjusted anyway. But I wouldn’t specifically create conditions for increasing ISO in the future!
Take pictures with an external flash - it’s a flexible and convenient tool and, I’m sure, many questions will disappear by themselves!
Why do photographers use external flash? Any photographer sooner or later faces such a problem as lack of lighting. And often the conditions are such that you can’t do without a good flash. Of course, almost all cameras have a built-in flash. Moreover, in many DSLRs the flash has a convenient and flexible settings system, which allows you to significantly expand its capabilities. And yet, at
The built-in flash has a number of important advantages over the built-in flash:
- The location of the external flash can be changed;
- external flash does not make the image flat;
- Often the power of the built-in flash is not enough (because of this, the foreground may be overexposed, and the background, on the contrary, too dark);
- external flash takes the work of a photographer in poor lighting to a radically new level;
- an external flash makes it possible to regulate the light output (for example, you can direct the flash at the ceiling, so that the object will be illuminated by reflected light);
- you can adjust the brightness, range and other parameters yourself;
- The external flash has its own power supply, so its operation will not affect the battery charge in any way;
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There are several stereotypes that discourage you from buying an external flash. The first is the misconception that only professionals can use an external flash. However, anyone can set up a flash, even those who are not familiar with technology.
Another stereotype concerns the price of flashes - many people think that they are very expensive. Now there are both expensive and cheap external flashes on the market. However, they are mainly aimed at beginner photographers. Therefore, before choosing an external flash, it would be nice to find out what they are.
What are external flashes?
In this article we will not talk about all the classifications of flash units and will not talk in detail about studio and special flash units. We will only talk about those built-in flashes that are attached directly to the camera. And at the same time we classify them according to one parameter - price.
Inexpensive external flashes
The price of such external flashes starts on average from 2000 rubles. They are often called "amateur". Their main advantage is high power and the ability to work at a very decent distance. They can even be used with telephoto lenses. Otherwise, cheap external flashes are not far behind built-in flashes. And besides, they are almost always powered by the camera. Cheap flashes do not have the ability to redirect the light stream (for example, to the ceiling or to the side to illuminate the subject with reflected light). For this reason, you should only buy cheap external flashes if you know for sure that you need a bright flash for long distances. For this reason, such flashes cannot be called “amateur”. Rather, they are intended for a narrow circle of people or simply for certain situations.
External flashes semi-professional and professional
Let’s say right away that the definitions “semi-professional” and “professional” were invented by marketers so that the buyer dreams of buying an expensive professional flash, regardless of whether he needs it or not. In fact, the difference between professional and semi-pro flashes is due to the price, which is determined by the characteristics. These are the ones you need to pay attention to before choosing an external flash.
Characteristics of external flashes for cameras:
- The guide number is the most important indicator. It is responsible for power and is measured in meters. The guide number is equal to the distance from the subject to the flash. In this case, the object at the aperture value
- F=1 and ISO 100 has correct exposure. In other words, this is the maximum possible distance at which the object will not be overexposed and will be evenly illuminated. In almost all flashes this value can be adjusted.
- The minimum time it takes to charge the flash. This parameter controls the recharge time between shots. If you want to shoot static objects, then it is not important. And if you plan to make dynamic reports, then this parameter is perhaps the most important. The seconds you lose between shots can sometimes be fatal. One thing worth mentioning is that the higher the power of the flash, the longer it takes to recharge. As a rule, the documentation indicates the maximum possible time at maximum power.
- TTL (Through-The-Lens) is a special system that allows an external flash to measure the required exposure (auto-power). For a beginner this is a very useful feature. Therefore, before choosing an external flash, you should pay attention to this parameter. There are other systems in which exposure metering is calculated not only taking into account the number of light rays, but also taking into account the distance to the subject. And of course, such flashes are more expensive.
- Automatic zoom is a useful feature that comes in handy if you change focal length(moving away or approaching). If there is autozoom, then the external flash itself adjusts to the changed angle. The advantage of such a flash is that it obtains high-quality images, and in economical energy consumption.
If you want to photograph static scenes with an external flash, then the most important thing you really need is a rotating head. Therefore, cheap external flashes are suitable for this task. If the subject of photography is small children or animals, then you will have to spend money. Firstly, you need an external flash with high power and the shortest recharge time. But the price for such flashes starts at 10,000 rubles.
I think everyone can imagine what it looks like built-in flash for a camera and even most people use it for photography (mostly indoors with poor lighting). I very rarely use the built-in flash for photography, and these extreme cases occur when photographing some kind of home gatherings that do not pretend to be highly artistic. Despite my dislike for the built-in flash, let's try to highlight some of its advantages:
— built-in flash – some kind of flash, but light source. If you desperately need to take a photo in a dark room without fast lens or additional light sources, the built-in flash is in your hands!
— When shooting with the built-in flash, exposure metering is performed automatically. True, this is a dubious plus, because the flash on the machine most often shows white faces on a black background.
— compactness is probably the most advantageous “plus” of the built-in flash. However, the small size, which allows you to fit both the camera and the flash in a bag, turns into a serious disadvantage in terms of the nature of the lighting.
So let's move on to the shortcomings. built-in flash:
Hard shadows, flat picture (no volume on the face) - due to the small area of the light source, the light turns out hard. And hard light is characterized by strong highlights and deep shadows. Therefore, most photographs taken with the built-in flash are of faces with oily shine on the forehead, nose, cheeks, with sharp shadows near the nose and under the chin. Often the built-in flash exposes the face or some areas of the skin to overexposure.
— the inability to change the direction of the light flow leads to the classic “puff in the forehead.” Combined with hard light at close range, the result is a flat picture. Placing the flash directly above the lens creates illumination similar to that of a helmet-mounted flashlight. Remember how people's faces look at this.
— inability to adjust the power of the light pulse during built-in flash makes it of little use. The only thing you can influence in the settings is the exposure metering method and flash exposure compensation (this can only slightly vary the flash power).
— the low power of the built-in flash means that the light does not reach far away objects and allows you to shoot only at close range. And this, in turn, leads to a “puff in the forehead” at close range. Vicious circle. How to get out of it? Learn to shoot using external flash.
External flash - what do you gain by purchasing it to replace the built-in one?
An external flash is usually attached to the camera using a special type of mount called a “hot shoe”. It is found in all SLR cameras.
To objectively compare built-in and external flash, let's highlight several main parameters that affect the quality of any flash. So:
Now let’s compare the work with the above indicators built-in and external flash.
|
Comparison criterion |
Built-in flash (DSLR cameraCanonEOS) |
External flash (variation depending on model) |
| Guide number | ||
| Pulse power regulation |
No (except flash exposure compensation mode) |
From 1/8 to 1/128 (plus a few intermediate values, depending on the model) |
| Pulse direction adjustment |
Up to 97° vertical Up to 360° horizontal |
|
| Illumination Angle |
About 27 mm |
Up to 14 mm (with built-in diffuser) |
If we make a comparison based on subjective factors, then external flash needed in order to:
— highlight, but not “kill” the subject with light. To do this, you can use a low-power pulse and aim the flash slightly above and to the side (simulating natural sunlight).
- use reflected light, which draws soft shadows and midtones. The easiest way to use bounce light is to point an external flash at the ceiling or wall of the room. Just make sure that the walls are not brightly colored, otherwise colored reflections will appear on people’s faces. This number will not work in rooms with dark walls, which will only absorb light. external flash. Ideally, the walls or ceiling should be white.
- shoot with an external flash using a sync cable or radio synchronizer. It sounds complicated, but in reality everything couldn’t be simpler. An external flash can be removed from the camera and placed on a tripod, stand, or simply held with your left hand, directing the light slightly from the side. In order for the flash to fire when the shutter is released, you must use sync. The latest camera models have built-in remote synchronization with “native” flashes. When using a non-original flash or a less advanced camera, you will need an additional device - for wired synchronization (cable) or wireless synchronization (infrared or radio synchronizer). Learn more about flash photography techniques with remote control I will write separately.
- build any lighting schemes from external flares, which can be used both indoors and outdoors. Such a mobile and compact studio that is indispensable for professional filming in any conditions.
In this article, I only briefly touched on the topic of using flash in photography. We still have to figure out when and how to shoot with flash indoors and outdoors, how to “pump up” our flash and much, much more. But that, as they say, is a completely different story...
Have a nice photo!
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