Flip the flash

Ensure that you are close to your subject so that the flash effect can actually be seen

A flashgun is not just for after dark: it can also be your best friend when the sun is shining Flash has an amazing ability to change the look of your images – but particularly so during daylight hours. On a cloudy day, fill-in flash increases contrast and boosts colour, helping to make subjects stand out from drab grey surroundings. On a bright day, a flash allows you cut through the shadows – on a person’s face, for example – essentially reducing the contrast of the image to give a much more pleasing result, and adding a sparkling white catchlight to their eyes.

A flashgun is not as powerful as the sun, so ensure that you are close to your subject so that the flash effect can actually be seen – don’t stand more than a pace or two away, and use a wide lens if you need to.

A camera’s built-in pop-up flash is more than adequate of doing this trick – but a separate flashgun with more maximum power will give you more creative control. By varying the shutter speed, ISO, flash power and aperture, you also alter the relative brightness of the backdrop against the flashlit foreground, for dramatic ‘strobist’ effects.