Using Flash Photography - Direct and Diffused Light

The problems of using the built-in flash on an instamatic camera are familiar to us all - bleached colours, harsh shadows and red eyes. On reflective surfaces like glass or metal this kind of direct flash creates a hotspot - a reflection of the flash unit. If you are arranging more than one object to be photographed in a simple compostition, direct flash will illuminate the objects in the foreground and any fine details or objects in the background may appear poorly lit or hard to view.This is because the small size of the built-in flash on an instamatic camera probably gives the worst results of any lighting set-up. The smaller the light source the harsher the shadow.A small flash source creates a harsh shadow. A rule of thumb is: the smaller the light source the harsher the shadow, the larger the light source the softer the shadow. With an instamatic camera, switching off the flash and using daylight or daylight lamps will give a more even light because you have a larger light source. You can also use two lights to ensure both sides of an object are adequately illuminated. If you can add an external flash unit or your camera has a sync cord for an external flash then the lighting possibilities improve dramatically. The light source will be bigger and the reflections on shiny objects can be placed to one side, rather than straight back at the camera.

On a bright sunny day the sun creates a harsh shadow because it is a singular light source. On a cloudy day the whole sky becomes the light source and the shadows are greatly softened as the light is diffused. This diffused light creates optimum lighting conditions for photography.Using Flash - Bounce Flash PhotographyWays of diffusing light:If you have an external flash unit for your instamatic you can position it behind some tissue paper on a clothes drying frame and attach the flash to your camera with a sync cord. Professional external flash units may have a diffuser cone to slip over the front of the flash.An SLR camera with a pop-up flash can be fitted with a soft screen pop-up flash diffuser.An SLR with a hot shoe can be fitted with a camera mounted swivelling flash unit. This enables you to "bounce the flash" : direct the flash onto a large surface, typically the
ceiling and reflect light from it. If the ceiling is not white it will
give you a colour cast which you will need to correct at the picture
editing stage.It's important to remember that bouncing off the ceiling can lose up to one stop of light which has to be compensated for i.e. if your flash is set on f 8 then your camera must be set on f 5.6, or if your camera is set to f 8 your flash must be set to f 11.If bouncing the light off the ceiling is impracticle, it may be too high or the wrong colour, you can substitute a large white surface e.g. a piece of white cardboard. Mount the camera on a tripod, (or find a friend) direct the camera-mounted flash up and hold a large piece of white cardboard over it at a height of at least a foot on an angle of 45 degrees. Although the ceiling lies horizontally, the cardboard, being substantially smaller must be angled towards the object to be lit. It doesn't have to be exact but make sure the light doesn't drop down too far in front or too far behind the object. Remember you're trying to light the object.Summary
Flash is obviously a brilliant tool for lighting photographs but to be used well it does require proper equipment like a tripod and diffusers and due care in the setting up and positioning of the lighting equipment. Perfectly good shots can be taken with an instamatic camera, it's just better to switch Flash off and use daylight or Daylight Lamps. If Flash photography is not for you at this stage our eBay Guide for tips on creating brilliant photos with a simple camera and daylight is coming soon.