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#1 - Flash
To get more out of your flash, read your instruction manual
and experiment with the following four situations.
First, let's look at how your flash is probably set to operate
on your camera.
2 - Default Flash Settings
Does your flash pop up automatically when there's little
light?
Digital SLR Cameras
The flash will pop up automatically, when there's little
light, if you're using any of the
following exposure modes.
• Auto setting (Green camera or green box)
• Icons such as the head and the jogger
When using the "letter" exposure modes (A or Av, S or Tv, or
P), you have to push a button near the flash to pop it up.
Point-and-shoot Cameras
The flash will pop up automatically when there's little
light.
3 - Turn the Flash Off
Don't use the flash when the existing light is better than the
light from your flash.
For example, the glow of birthday cake candles on a child's face
is probably better than the glare of a flash.
Digital SLR Cameras
Use A or Av, S or Tv, or P.
The flash will not pop up unless you push the button to make
it pop up.
Some digital SLR cameras have a No Flash exposure mode icon.
You can use this setting, but the camera will preset
everything else for you.
Point-and-shoot Cameras
To turn the flash off, press the flash icon (lightning bolt)
repeatedly until you see a lightning bolt icon with a line
through it on the LCD screen.
Remember to restore the flash to automatic operation.
Exercise
Find an indoor scene that has light that's better than the
light from your flash, and do the following.
1) Take a photograph of the scene using the flash.
2) Take a photograph of the scene without the flash.
You may have to place the camera on a surface to prevent
camera shake, because the shutter speed may be long.
4 - Turn the Flash On in the Sun
(Fill-in Flash)
If you're photographing someone with a shadow on their face,
say from the brim of a hat, the shadow will be much darker in
the photograph.
You can use your flash to brighten, fill in, the shadow.
Digital SLR Cameras
Use A or Av, S or Tv, or P.
Then press the flash button to pop it up.
Point-and-shoot Cameras
The flash won't pop up in the sun.
To turn the flash on in the sun, press the flash icon (lightning bolt)
repeatedly until you see a lightning bolt icon accompanied by
the word On on the LCD screen.
Remember to restore the flash to automatic operation.
Exercise
Go outside on a sunny day and do the following.
1) Take a photograph of someone, or an object, that has a shadow,
without the flash.
2) Photograph the person or object, again, with the flash on.
Because on-camera flashes only reach about ten feet, use fill-in
flash only when the subject is close to you.
More
Go to Fill-in Flash.
5 - Use the Night (Twilight)
Portrait Setting
Most cameras have a setting called Night Portrait or Twilight
Portrait.
Often, the icon for this setting is a person with a crescent
moon or star.
When you use this feature, your camera will use two light sources:
the flash and the existing light in the background.
An Example
Let's say you're photographing your friends at night.
They're sitting at a cafe in Paris, and there's a fountain nearby.
If you use the flash only, your friends will be well-exposed.
The fountain will be too dark though.
If you use the Night Portrait setting, the flash will illuminate
your friends.
And, the shutter will stay open long enough to gather
light from the fountain.
You'll be able to see your friends because of the flash, and
the fountain, because of a long shutter speed.
Exercise
1) Look in the camera instruction manual for how to turn on
the Night Portrait setting.
2) Using flash, photograph a scene at night where the subject
is close to the camera, and there's a background that's important
to the photograph.
3) Photograph the same scene using the Night Portrait setting.
6 - Frozen with a Blurred Image
You can also use the Night Portrait setting to photograph movement
that's both sharp and blurred.
The movement is frozen by the
quick blink of the flash.
And, the movement is blurred from the
long shutter speed.
Exercise
Try photographing someone blowing his or her long
hair around with a blow dryer, or someone jumping, or someone
splashing water, or ?
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