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Better Pop-up Flash

The pop-up flash on your camera is convenient.

But—the light it produces is ugly.

Pop-up flashes produce:

1) Dark shadows with distinct edges.

2) Small, overexposed highlights, on faces and objects.

These areas of glare are called hot spots.

Pop-up flash light is appropriate only for Weegee-style photography, not for people and still lifes.

Pop-up flashes produce dark shadows and hot spots because the light source is small.

The solution is to make the light source larger.

Several manufacturers make devices to enlarge the pop-up flash.

Larger light sources, compared to smaller ones, produce:

1) Brighter shadows with soft edges.

2) More diffuse highlights.

Below, the LumiQuest Soft Screen makes the flash bigger with a diffuser.

The Lightscoop makes the flash bigger by bouncing it off of the ceiling.