Flash makes a difference.

Sydney Opera House - filling with flash

The above photos could be used to illustrate a variety of photographic principles, but the one I really want to talk about is using flash.  Everyone should be comfortable with the idea of using flash to brighten a scene when there is not enough light.  What might surprise you though, is that flash is actually very useful even when your subject is already well lit.  There are a few reasons for this, but the biggest one of all is the benefit from filling shadows.

Shadow is a natural phenomenon; it occurs wherever existing light is blocked.  The lady in the top photo is dark because she is in shadow; something is blocking the light coming from the sun which is illuminating the Opera House.  Now, the photographer could have exposed for the lady, but that would leave a glowing hulk in the background which would be massively overexposed.  By exposing for the background the building came out fine, but it was the person who was severely underexposed.

The solution is to use flash.  It sounds simple enough, but in fact there are problems.  It turns out that the lady requires a great deal of extra light.  A built-in flash may not have enough power.  Fortunately, there are ways around this.   Part of it depends on equipment, part of it depends on understanding, and part of it requires some playing around.  The reality is that it takes time, and patience both on behalf of the photographer and the subject(s).

The camera being used is an important factor in achieving a proper shot.  A cell phone just can't do this well because the built-in flash can not possibly throw out that much light.  A compact with a built in flash can work, but there are certain things you have to do.  This is also true for some cameras with a non-mechanical (electronic) shutter.  If I was using a compact I would take the following steps:  set mode to aperture priority, choose wide angle, dial aperture down as low as it would go, turn on flash, take a picture and look at image and histogram if possible, adjust exposure using exposure compensation and flash exposure, possibly move closer to improve flash power (built in flash is very weak - moving closer makes it relatively stronger), try again and repeat until you have it right.  In all of this ISO may play a factor, so you could try bumping it up, but keep in mind it affects image quality if it gets too high.

If I was using a DSLR or other camera with a mechanical shutter I would consider the following.  First select shutter priority then pop up the flash.  Then make sure ISO is set to 100; some may think that a higher ISO helps, but it is thwarted by the mechanical shutter limiting shutter speed.  Set the shutter speed as high as it goes; this will be anywhere from 1/180 of a second to 1/250 of a second. Have the person move and use the exposure lock button to determine the best exposure for the Opera House.  Have the person move back into the shot and take a picture.  If the person comes out dark you have to move closer to the person, which will mean using a wider angle shot.  You could also try to bump up the power on the flash using flash exposure compensation, but if it is at maximum already you are hooped.  Repeat as necessary until you have the right shot.  Looking at the review and histogram also helps.

I forgo a lot of this by shooting in manual mode.  I know that the flash synch speed is 1/250th of a second so that is what my shutter speed goes.  I shoot at 100 ISO where possible.  My aperture would be as low as possible to give me the best image of the background.  After this is set, I would attach my external flash which has insane power.  I would then shoot at whatever focal length I wanted and check the result.  I would use the flash's exposure controls to increase or decrease power as needed and shoot again if necessary.  I find I can usually get the image on the first or second shot.

Yes, this sounds like a lot of mucking around.  When it comes down to it you have to understand that the camera usually can't do it on its own.  You have to help it.  That is why they come with so many silly buttons and a manual that has seen the demise of at least three trees.  The trick though is to play with it all until you figure it out.  It takes time, patience, and energy, but it is worth is if you want this kind of picture.

Happy shooting.  www.ericspix.com