Blending in the flash
Improve the quality of a flash picture by using an affordable light modifier
You can improve the quality of your fill-flash pictures in the same way that you can add a professional touch to your full-flash shots. By using a flashgun, moving it off the camera and triggering it remotely, you can control where the shadows fall. Using a modifier such as a softbox or an umbrella will soften the light and reduce the chances of hotspots on skin, making the blend of the flash and ambient light a bit smoother. A small softbox is the most mobile option, as you can usually hold the flashgun and softbox in one hand while supporting the camera in the other. An umbrella fitted to a light stand can allow you to work more freely. There’s not a lot of difference in the look achieved using either of these options: an umbrella can spread the light a little further into shadows, whereas a softbox provides a more focused, but softer light source.
One telltale sign that flash has been used in an outdoor shot is a double catchlight in a person’s eyes – one from the sun, and one from the flash. Most people won’t spot this, but you can always remove one of the hotspots when you clean up the shot in Photoshop or your preferred image‑editing software.
1 Background The camera was set to Manual to provide a consistent exposure of 1/200 sec at f/10, ISO 200 between the shots. 2 Flash For a consistent flash output, a flashgun was set to 1/8 power in Manual mode, and fired through a white umbrella. 3 High lights Notice how the light diffused through the umbrella has provided a smoother skin tone as well as reducing the hot look to the highlights. 4 Shado ws The shadows around the face aren’t as heavy in the umbrella shot, and the contrast on the coat has been lowered.