With today’s great automatic flash gear, every shot should be technically perfect, right? Not really. Here are some real faux pas situations I’ve experienced, plus a couple I set up just to show you what not to do!
Autoexposure flash has been around since its introduction by Braun back in the 1970s. Basically, all auto-exposure flashes look at the light coming back from the scene and turn off the flash when it thinks enough light has been produced to adequately light the subject. But as good as autoexposure flash is, you need to be aware of your surroundings and the nature of your intended photo in order to avoid unexpected results.
Scenario 1: The shadowy lens hood.
Many cameras come with built-in flash units. In SLR’s they’re usually built into a flip-up housing atop the pentaprism. They all have the same limitation—the flash is positioned quite low. This location really brings the flash too near to the camera’s lens axis. Indeed, much has been written about the resultant redeye and the remedies for correcting your photos after the fact.
But there is another gremlin that can bedevil your photos when using the built-in flash. Normally, using a lens hood is a good practice. It helps control glare from off-axis light sources striking your lens and lowering contrast or producing ghost images. Unfortunately, a lens hood can also partially block the light from your built-in flash, resulting in a half-moon shadow on the lower portion of your photos.
This usually happens when you set the zoom lens to a wide angle setting—for example when photographing a group in a limited space where you can’t back up enough. The result’s in the photo at left.
To get around this problem, use an off-camera or shoe-mounted flash. Otherwise, pop off the lens hood or use a less wide zoom setting.
Scenario 2: Hey Dude! Where’s your flash?
Here’s one flub I experienced when using a non-automatic flash. I was tapped on the shoulder and asked to bring my laboratory camera from my engineering job to the company auditorium to take a picture of a noted senator who was scheduled to speak. I needed to be unobtrusive, so I positioned my self to the side of the stage against the curtains. An associate, who operated the sound system, was nearby.
I held the company 4×5 Super Graphic in one hand and a Graflex electronic flash unit in the other. I was about to take the first shot when the soundman poked me and informed me that my flash was actually blocked by the curtains! He saved my behind. Because of his alertness my photos came out fine.
The moral: Don’t get complacent. Check your basics thoroughly before making an important shot.
Scenario 3: Why didn’t I see that!
On another occasion I was on the operations committee for the International Science Fair competition. I was taking photos of the guest speakers, which included Nobel laureates. The first shot seen here turned out OK. The second was a disaster! It doesn’t take a genius to see what caused my auto flash to underexpose by several stops. Unfortunately, I didn’t see the brass plaque before I took the shot. It was fairly dark in the auditorium and there were no significant reflections to make it stand out. My flash took care of that. The bright reflection really skunked my exposure by fooling the flash’s auto-exposure system.
Scenario 4: I see spots before his eyes.
This last situation is one you’re likely to encounter pretty often—whenever you take a flash shot of someone who’s wearing glasses. With an on-camera or built-in flash you’ll get white reflection spots on the glasses. They will be pretty near the center of the glasses, giving an unpleasant look. Sure, you can clone them out in Photoshop but not on slides.
If you’re using a studio flash and a soft-box or umbrella reflector, the modeling lights will make the reflections even larger, but at least you stand a good chance of seeing them before you take the shot. That way you can take corrective action first. Here’s how.
Use a little hand-held flash as your main or sole light source. Mine has a long sync cord I attach to my camera’s PC outlet, but you can also used a slaved flash triggered by your camera’s built-in flash, or fire it with a wireless control unit. Whichever method you use, hold the hand-held flash at arm’s length above your head so the reflections move up and towards the edge of the eyeglass lenses.
To further improve the shot, have the subject tilt his head slightly downward. Getting the flash off-camera will usually improve the overall lighting effect as well.
