Basic Photography Techniques
Photographic techniques - flash photography
- Black and White
- Infrared photography
- 3-D photography
- Large Format Photography
- Video Photography
- Macro photography
- Night photography
Flashes are used in photography when the natural or artificial lighting involved in shooting film or digital photography is substandard, or when the lighting is such that it is adequate but the subject matter needs more definition.
There are different types of flashes that can be used. The direct flash is a flash that is mounted on top of the camera in the "hot shoe", the slot designed to slide the flash into place. Also, most cameras have flashes built in and with a push of a button the flash pops up and can be used. This type of flash casts a harsh light on the subject of the photo and casts shadows on the person and behind them if there is a surface close by. These problems can be worked with and fixed by changing postions and moving farther away from the subject of the photo.
Stroboscopic flash allows for multiple flash bursts during one shot. This falshis usually used in exposures of long duration and involve movement of subject.
Slow sync shutter speed is a syncronization of shutter speed and flash firing. For slower shutter speeds of usually one half second or less. This flashis necessary for correct exposure in low light situations. When this flash method is used in a dark area, not only is the subject properly exposed but the area surrounding the subject as well. A tripod is necessary for this flash setting as the shutter speed is quite slow.
ront sync is a flash that bursts as the shutter reaches its peak and any motion in the frame is caught in that action with no blur.
Fill flashes are used during daylight shooting to off set the harsh light of sun while accentuating its benefits while doing away with the shadows such natural light creates. When shooting daylight film at times there is light behind the subject and a shadow in the front. Fill flash eliminates this shadowing.
Bounce flashes are used by directing the flash burst toward a mirror, wall, ceiling or built on reflector to the flash. The light of the flash bounces off and rests on the subject of the shot. This causes softer light and works well for portraits and other situations where the harsh light of a more direct flash would ruin the shot because a softer light was needed.