Control Contrast And Color With Your Built-In Flash
By Ibarionex R. Perello
Although the BEST
light of the day is often that of early morning or late afternoon,
the duration of such light is very short. More often than not,
you’re shooting the majority of your images during midday
when the light is harsh and contrasty. This is easily evident
in portraits where strong shadows under hat brims appear. One
of the best tools for making the most of midday lighting may
already be in your camera: the built-in or auxiliary flash.
The Magic
Of Fill-Flash
If you’re only using flash when there isn’t enough
light, you’re missing out on many opportunities to create
better images. That’s because the camera’s flash minimizes
contrast and boosts color when used under unfavorable lighting
conditions. By putting it in the fill-flash or anytime flash
mode, the flash fires even during a bright, sunny day. Exposure
is handled automatically, and since the sun is a much stronger
light source than your flash, the light from your camera will
serve as fill rather than overpower your subject.
To engage this mode, depress your flash mode button until a
single crooked arrow appears on your LCD. In this mode, the
flash will fire each time you depress the shutter release button,
assuming you’ve allowed sufficient time for the flash to
recycle. Wait for the flash indicator to confirm that the flash
has recharged and take your next picture. Also, avoid using
the red-eye reduction mode, as this function has no impact under
such bright conditions.
Controlling Contrast
The first step in controlling contrast is to be aware that it
exists. If your subject is illuminated by strong directional
light, the image will show strong contrast. Shoot a portrait
at noon, and the overhead sun will produce deep shadows in the
eye sockets that will hide any color and details in the eyes.
If a person wears a brimmed hat, the shadow will significantly
reduce detail on the subject’s entire face.
By using the camera’s fill-flash mode, the flash will cast
just enough light to produce detail in these shaded areas by
reducing the contrast. With an effective range of up to 12 feet
on average, the built-in flash reduces the harshness of direct
light and produces a more pleasing photograph. An auxiliary
flash may have more power and provide a greater effective range.
Boosting Color
On an overcast or cloudy day, the light becomes more diffused.
This reduces the high-contrast problem and creates a more flattering
light for many subjects, especially people. Colors don’t
have the pop that’s normally evident when they’re
hit by strong directional light, however. Yet it’s still
the built-in flash that makes all the difference.
In this case, the camera’s built-in flash will brighten
and increase the saturation of colors. This can be particularly
effective with close-up photographs where the flash can draw
the attention to the most important elements of your subject.
With no fancy calculations and with the mere depression of a
button, you can achieve better photographs at any time of the
day.
TRICKS
OF THE TRADE
Your camera’s pop-up flash is
ideal for controlling contrast, but if you don’t
have one, you can use a simple reflector. Pros will use
anything, from a white card to a special gold-colored
reflector to add some fill light into shadow areas.
