Week 3: Flash Photography

Here's the info from the class handout for this week...
You are welcome to play with the multiple exposure technique...but mainly I want you to focus on balancing flash with ambient light like we practiced in class.
Also try shooting a bracket (a range of exposures). See what the difference is when you under or over expose the background. (do this by adjusting your shutter speed while keeping the other settings constant)

Combining flash with ambient light indoors:
Use this technique to ensure proper lighting on your subject while maintaining the ambiance of the light in the room.
1. Set your camera to manual mode.
2. Set the camera to properly expose for the ambient light in the room.
3. Then manually turn on your flash while maintaining this exposure.

Using flash as “fill” outdoors:
Even when there is enough light outdoors to make a proper exposure, flash can be used to fill in the shadows on your subject and to make them “pop off” the background. (Similar technique to shooting indoors described above)
1. Set your camera to manual mode.
2. Set the camera to properly exposure for the ambient light outside / on your subject.
3. Manually turn on your flash while maintaining this exposure.


Multiple flash images:
Most consumer digital cameras do not have a setting for multiple exposures in a single frame (like most manual film cameras do). This technique allows you to re-create the effect of a “double exposure” using multiple flashes during a long exposure. (some trial and error may be necessary to find proper exposure)
1. Use a tripod and frame up your shot.
2.Set your camera for an exposure anywhere between 10-30 seconds and use a small aperture, like 16 or 22.
3. Before shooting, make sure all the lights are off in the room so that only your flash affects the exposure.
4. Using an external flash, pop your flash several times over the course of the exposure, moving around the elements in the frame between each flash.