Step by step Pop-up flash portrait tips

Achieve good skin tones by balancing flash and ambient light

Subject distance

Don’t stand your subject too close. The pop-up flash has a guide number of around 12m, but you can always increase the ISO for greater range.

Manual exposure

Use P (Program Auto) mode if you are working quickly, but for best results use M (Manual) mode if you want more control over the ambient light levels.

Pop the flash

Once you have the ambient light exposure you want for a wellexposed background, activate your pop-up flash by pressing its button and then take a shot.

What the FEC?

If your subject its bleached out (or too dark), use Flash Exposure Compensation (FEC) controls to adjust the power of the flash output, as required.

Balance the flash

The actual setting will be dependant on how far away your subject is standing, but try -0.7 or -1.0 as a starting point for good skin tones.

Check the image

Take another shot, and continue to adjust FEC until you get the exposure levels you require, with a subject that’s pleasingly lit by the flash.