Flash

Q. Some flash units tilt to bounce the light off the ceiling. What is the advantage of bounce lighting?
A. Bounce lighting is very soft and resembles typical room lighting, so it looks much more natural than conventional flash photos. Bounce lighting creates a wide zone of even lighting, so subjects are less likely to be too dark or too light. Plus it virtually eliminates red eye, a common flash problem.

Q. What does the guide number rating for an electronic flash mean?
A. A guide number is simply a relative power rating for a flash--the bigger the number, the more powerful the flash. A guide number is the correct lens aperture setting for a photo taken at 10 feet (with the flash on manual, full-power) multiplied by 10. A flash with a guide number rating of 80 requires an exposure setting of f8 for a 10 foot shot, for example.Guide numbers are usually given for ISO 100 film as a benchmark.

Q. I want to buy a flash that is powerful enough to use at graduations, concerts and sporting events. I may be about 200 feet away from the action. What should I buy?
A. In situations like this, it is better to not use flash. You will get better results by turning the flash off and shooting with available light. Use fast film, ISO 400 or higher and steady the camera on a railing or other support. Even a powerful flash will not have much affect beyond 60 or 70 feet.

Q. I have heard using flash outside on sunny days can improve pictures of people. How?
A. The sun provides plenty of light, but it creates harsh shadows.Most SLRs with built-in flashes and point and shoot cameras have a fill-flash mode that fires the flash whenever a picture is taken, even outdoors in bright lighting. Using this setting will fill in the dark shadows and greatly improve your outdoor people pictures.

Q. When I take pictures of a group of people, the individuals in front are too light and those in back are too dark. What can I do to make the exposure consistant?
A. You have several options. (1) Arrange the group so everyone is about the same distance from your flash. (2) Bounce your flash off the ceiling to gain a broad zone of even exposure. (3) Use two or more flashes and light the distant people separately from the people in the foreground.

Q. Some flash units are called dedicated automatic while others are just called automatic. Is there a difference?
A. Yes. With a non-dedicated flash, you need to manually set the SLRs shutter speed and lens aperture for the first shot, then the flash will adjust its output automatically for the correct exposure. A dedicated flash is designed for specific make and model cameras and in most cases, will adjust the camera controls automatically for correct flash exposure.

Q. What benefits do autofocus flashes have?
A. They have dedicated auto-exposure control, plus pre-flash illuminators to set the lens focus when youare shooting in very dark conditions.

Q. Flash pictures seem so flat and lack the three-dimensional effect of outdoor lighting. Is there an easy way to add some depth to flash photos?
A.Bounce lighting will add depth to the lighting, but for even greater depth, add a second flash with a slave sensor. The slave will fire the flash it is attached to when it senses light from the camera1s flash. By positioning the slaved flash to one side of the camera at a 45 to 90 degree angle to the lens axis, contours and shapes in the subject will be enhanced.