Digital Photography - Using Flash
Digital camera is equipped with
automatic flash.It is a great tool for solving common lighting
problems Most cameras have several flash settings for different
lighting conditions. It can be set to automatically
trigger when the light conditions are too dim, and there are
usually several other settings for greater control over the
flash.
The flash is usually integrated into the body of the camera.
This is very convenient -- just shoot the camera and allow the
flash to come on if it is needed. There are, however, a few
problems related to the close proximity between flash and
lens.
Red eye is the most common problem. Everybody has seen this
-- the eyes of people (and even animals) take on a weird red
glow. This is caused by the light from the flash reflecting
back from the retina of the eye. The thin red blood vessels in
the retina cause the red colour.
Some cameras have a flash setting which reduce this red eye
effect. This works by firing a short flash before the picture
is taken which causes the iris of the eye to become
smaller.
Another problem caused by integrated flash is a lack of
depth. The reason for this is the even illumination over the
entire surface of the subject. Shadows which normally give a
sense of depth are eliminated.
Both red eye and flatness can be reduced with a separate
flash unit. They can be powered with a 'hot shoe' (a bracket on
the camera body) or a cable which synchronizes the flash with
the built-in flash of the camera.
By moving the source of the flash away from the lens, added
depth is created and the subject's eyes are not directly
illuminated. External flash units also give you more options
for aiming the flash -- the light can be bounced off other
objects for a more subtle effect.
Not all flashes are created equal. They are available in
various strengths, and the power of the flash decides how
much area it can light up. Most manufacturers specify the
maximum range of a flash. This distance can be achieved when
the aperture of the camera is fully opened.
Objects which are closer to the flash will appear brighter.
This effect can be used for separating your subject from the
background, but it can also create problems if you wish to
capture several people or objects which are at various
distances from the camera. The only solution to this is to pose
your subjects so that they are all at the same distance from
the flash.
Most digital cameras have several other flash settings. Fill
flash mode is useful when there is a bright light source behind
your subject which would otherwise cause the picture to be too
dim. Flash off mode can be used to override the flash
completely, allowing you to compensate for low light by
increasing the aperture opening Slow sync mode causes the
shutter of the camera to remain open longer than normal. This
allows the camera to absorb the ambient light after the flash
has fired to create a more natural effect.
Creative use of the flash settings can allow you to get
special effects. For instance, slow sync mode can be used to
blur the background of a picture while keeping the subject
sharply focused. This is achieved by moving the camera slightly
after the flash has fired.
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