Light is the foundation of every image you create and whether you’re using natural or artificial lighting, understanding how to control light is super important to capturing images you’ll love. While most photographers have a pretty good grasp on natural lighting, flash or artificial lighting can seem super intimidating even for the pros! Luckily, we compiled some great beginner tips from Westcott for photographers looking to learn all about flash photography!
Learn to See Light
Lighting is hugely important to the perception of your image. Without good lighting, even the most perfect images can fall flat. One of the foundational skills photographers need to master is the ability to see light. Seeing light is a skill that involves not only seeing the amount of light in a scene but also the quality, direction, and interaction of the light source. Understanding and controlling light is the first step to getting great photos regardless of the type of light you use.
5 Key Components of Flash Photography
Getting started with flash photography can be overwhelming. Start by breaking it down into five key components!
1. Aperture
Aperture determines how much light reaches your camera’s sensor, affecting both how bright your image is and your image’s depth of field. A lower f-stop number indicates a wider aperture, letting in more light and resulting in a shallow depth of field. Higher f-stop numbers indicate a narrower aperture, resulting in a darker image and a deep depth of field ideal for landscapes or scenes where the entire image should be in focus.
In flash photography, Aperture controls the exposure of your image and will determine how much of the light produced by the flash unit reaches the camera sensor.
2. Shutter Speed
Shutter speed is the length of time your camera’s sensor is exposed to light. When using flash lighting, shutter speed primarily affects the exposure of ambient light, such as sunlight or indoor lighting. A faster shutter speed allows less ambient light into the camera, resulting in a darker background. A slower shutter speed lets in more ambient light, brightening the background. Use shutter speed to properly expose for ambient lighting as the flash will properly expose your subject.
When using flashes to light your subjects, pay attention to sync speed. Sync speed is the fastest shutter speed at which your camera can synchronize with the flash. If you shoot faster than your camera’s sync speed, which is often 1/200th or 1/250th of a second, you’ll end up with banding, a black bar across your image, caused by the shutter not being fully open when the flash fires.
3. ISO
ISO determines your camera sensor’s sensitivity to light. In flash photography, ISO affects both the ambient light and the light from the flash. Raising the ISO will brighten both your subject and the background, while lowering it will darken the entire scene. .
4. Flash Power
Flash power controls the amount of light emitted by your flash. The FJ400 strobe, for example, has a 9-stop range, with power levels 1-9. So, if you go up or down a number you go up or down a stop of light. Adjusting flash power is another way to control exposure without changing your camera settings.
Each reduction in flash power cuts the light output in half, reducing the exposure by one stop. This is particularly useful when you want to maintain a certain aperture and shutter speed combination but need to fine-tune the exposure.
5. Flash-to-Subject Distance
The distance between your flash and your subject has a big impact on exposure. Doubling the distance between the flash and the subject reduces the light intensity by four times (two stops). Conversely, halving the distance increases the light intensity by four times. This principle is called the inverse square law and allows you to control the light’s impact without adjusting camera settings or flash power.
Advanced Techniques: High-Speed Sync and Modifiers
High-speed sync and modifiers allow you to push the boundaries of flash photography. These tools allow you to push the boundaries of flash.
High-Speed Sync: High-speed sync is super useful in bright conditions. It allows you to use shutter speeds faster than your camera’s sync speed, enabling you to shoot wide open in bright sunlight without overexposing your image.
Modifier: Light modifiers are essential tools for shaping and controlling the quality of light in your photography. There are several types of modifiers and finding the best one for you depends on your creative vision!
Flash photography can be intimidating at first, but with practice, you’ll add an essential tool to your creative arsenal! Grab your camera, start experimenting with your flash, and take photography and lighting skills to the next level!