ADD FLASH TO LANDSCAPES
Master the use of artificial light to create a balanced and colourful exposure
Use fill flash to boost your landscapes when shooting in shaded locations
While flash is synonymous with portrait and event photography, many photographers would not consider the use of a speedlight as a beneficial technique when shooting landscapes. Scenic imagery usually focuses on the interplay of natural light – often that found at sunrise or sunset – and the land, so almost all attention is directed on controlling ambient conditions. However there are occasions where the light provided by nature is difficult to shape to your requirements. This is often encountered when shooting in shaded locations, such as at the base of high cliffs, or under a forest canopy, where significant light fall-off results in underexposed foregrounds. While this may not cause irretrievable loss of shadow detail, colours can become dulled and a sensation of lost depth introduced.
In these circumstances, blending in a small amount of fill light from an external flash can lift shadows and add shaping to foreground elements. Care must be taken to avoid the artificial illumination from becoming too evident, the mostly likely cause of which is a discrepancy in the relative temperature of the natural and additional flash lighting. If used in moderation, flash can give your landscape shots a unique sense of energy. This technique works best when foreground objects are relatively equidistant to the camera.