Golden rule to using a flash for outdoor portraits?

12 years 5 months ago #174258 by PMurphy
So I was wondering. When you are taking portraits outdoor are there any golden rules to when you are suppose to use a flash? Or are you using a flash regardless of clouds, sun, etc.? I have seen some outdoor portraits but noticed there is no pattern or explanation of when should a flash be used.

Thank you for the help on this question.

Paris


Photo Comments
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12 years 5 months ago #174263 by steveheap
Its a very good question, but one that is probably a pretty complex answer. Flash in outdoor portraits is almost always used to lighten the shadows, especially if the main light, the sun, is behind the subject. The flash needs to only put out enough light to fill in those shadows, not compete with the sun for the main illumination. It is also better if the flash is bounced off something so that you don't have harsh light hitting a face and making it appear rough and unattractive.

If you are just using a pop up flash on a camera, you may not have much control, but those units normally have some automated way of balancing exposure for the main image and the flash. You may also have a flash exposure compensation setting which lets you dial the flash level up and down.

My little avatar is an example of when flash is used - sun behind, bright sky, but the face is nicely lit.

Steve

My Stock Photo Blog
www.backyardsilver.com

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12 years 5 months ago #174280 by PMurphy
Thank you for the answer. I'm learning this stuff as we speak. Now how is flash compensation different from exposure compensation?


Photo Comments
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12 years 5 months ago #174291 by steveheap
Exposure compensation changes the basic exposure of the camera. An automated meter always wants to average the scene to mid tone grey, and so if you were taking a picture of snow, you use exposure compensation to let more light into the scene.

Flash compensation simply either adds or removes power from the flash itself. So the exposure stays the same, but the flash puts out a different amount of light. If your portrait looks too "flashy" then you can decrease the amount of power using Flash compensation to make it look more realistic.

Steve

My Stock Photo Blog
www.backyardsilver.com

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12 years 5 months ago #174373 by photobod
Great answers Steve :judge: :judge: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

www.dcimages.org.uk
"A good photograph is one that communicate a fact, touches the heart, leaves the viewer a changed person for having seen it. It is, in a word, effective." - Irving Penn

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12 years 5 months ago #174707 by Henry Peach
I use flash when ever available lighting doesn't suit me. As Steve said it's mainly about brightening shadows. In bright light I'm usually turning my subjects away from the sun, because I don't want them squinting. So I need to add fill flash, because now I'm shooting the shadow side of the subject. On overcast days or in shade the lighting may be more even, but often the eyes could still use a bit of brightening. I think of the sun as one of my lights and then approach the subject considering a 2 light set-up.
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