Love is Blind…Off Camera Flash Edition | by Laura Froese
When you mention terms like "golden hour," "window light," and "even lighting," how does that resonate with you as a photographer? Does it ignite excitement for a photoshoot? Maybe it brings a sense of relief during a client session? Now, consider terms like "dappled light," "harsh light," and "direct sun." How do you feel now? Does it introduce a hint of stress? Lastly, let's talk about flash. Does it evoke a sense of calm or anxiety? Flash seems to have a negative reputation.
To me, flash means control, creativity, and surprisingly, ease. Yes, ease. When used skillfully, a flash can be like controlling sunlight. Want rim light? Position the flash behind your subject. Seeking even lighting? Angle the flash across their face at 90 degrees. Looking to be inventive? Flash is your tool! Dark interiors, gloomy spaces, cloudy days, or shoots running late into the evening – these scenarios no longer intimidate me. My FAVOURITE use of flash, however, is to use it to mimic window light in my home.
The way to achieve this is by taking your flash OFF of your camera. Just as you wouldn't want the sun directly hitting your subjects in the face, why would you do the same with your flash? Moving the flash away from you (and them!) is step one. Using modifiers or environmental elements (like curtains) to adjust the lighting is step two.
This blog post isn’t here to teach you to master flash, though. This post is to get you to look beyond initial impressions and maybe reconsider the “flash = harsh light” stereotype. If you like what you see, I do offer a workshop that takes you from “how do I turn this on?” to images like you’ll see below: https://www.theframedfocus.com/shop/p/off-camera-flash-for-your-everyday.
This blog post is to simply get you to maybe change your mind just a little bit about what is POSSIBLE with your tiny little speedlite. I basically want to give you some “eye candy” to get you to open your mind to the possibility that maybe flash isn’t ugly after all. Maybe flash just has a really great personality, and you need to give it a chance ;).
Come see some of my favourite “window light” images that are actually my cheap little off-brand flash in disguise!
First off, what you might be expecting to see - inside my house but more “studio” in set up:
However, that’s not fully what I mean when I say I disguise my flash as window light. You might be thinking, okay, Laura, so you make your “set-ups” look more natural but still clearly kind of a studio-vibe setting against a wall like the following:
Nope, I mean even MORE natural. If you’re thinking images like these, you’re getting closer:
But if you REALLY want to sell it, this is what I mean when I say there’s a whole new world waiting for you if you give flash a chance:
Thank you for coming to my TedTalk about why flash does NOT have to equal harsh if you’re doing it correctly! Flash is a tool that can bring your stories to light (literally) even in those darker months when the sun isn’t cooperating or simply isn’t to be found.
Don’t forget to check out our site in our Freebie section as you can see me in action there as I use flash to light up our tiny bathroom: https://www.theframedfocus.com/shop/p/offcameraflash
