Saturday, June 7, 2008

Flash isn't just for night


Put your mouse over the image to see the effect of flash.

Most people realize the flash helps pictures at night and indoors. It is sometimes missed how it can help in bright daylight. The image above, straight from the camera, was shot at 5:30 on a summer's evening with bright light. Due to the low sun, the back side of her head is brightly lit but the face is in shadow. This is an example of a non-obvious place where flash will help. (Put your mouse over the image to see the difference.)

Without making any adjustments to the exposure on the camera, I turned on my flash in manual mode and set it for full power. (The flash was on a radio remote trigger.) I set the timer on the camera and triggered the shutter. I then walked over a couple steps and held the flash so it was opposite the sun. This lit the shadow areas on her face and front of the dress, allowing the viewer to see more detail without losing the highlights from the sun.

Here's a close-up view of just her face to see the difference with a bit more clarity.


Put your mouse over the image to see the effect of flash.

Thanks to www.webdevelopersnotes.com for directions on how to do the mouse over trick.

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