Flash vs. Ambient Lighting: Which is Better for Portraits?
- Flashpoint StreakLight 360 Ws Creative Collection
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It’s often said that natural lighting is the best kind of light for portraits. In particular, overcast skies provide excellent lighting because it’s even, soft, and diffuse - you don’t have to fight a lot of shadows or a dynamic range that’s too large. What’s more, all you have to do is set your camera settings and fire away, so it’s quite easy to use as well.
However, flashes have come a long way and are making a case for themselves in a head-to-head matchup against ambient lighting. Modern flashes are fast, smaller than ever, more powerful than ever, and in many cases are wireless too, making them easy to use for portraits.
There are plenty of other pros and cons to flash and ambient lighting. Watch the video below as Gavin Hoey of Adorama TV explores these options for lighting for portraits.