How to make a laser pointer from a DVD player. How to make a laser from a disk drive? Do not point the laser at your eyes! Do not point the laser at people or animals as this may cause serious injury.

There is a misconception about what cannot be done high quality pictures using flash. This belief is not true - if you follow a number of rules, you can get excellent shots using a flash without spending your budget on. There are conditions under which the use of flash is even mandatory to obtain a technically competent shot.

Below is a list of tips compiled by professional photographers to help you use your flash more effectively.

Using on-camera flash

Much of what will be said below is also true for the camera's built-in flash, but it has two serious drawbacks that make it difficult to obtain normal lighting. This is relatively weak power and the inability to turn the head up or to the side.

On-camera flashes, which are mounted on the hot shoe of the camera, do not have these disadvantages. Before you think about what the optimal power will be for you, consider models with large rotation angles. Turn off the standard flash when using its on-camera counterpart.

What is reflected light used for?

Direct light from a flash, if directed head-on, will be too harsh. When using the light flux in this way, the image becomes faded, the shadows become hard, and the model will resemble a replicated image of a “deer in headlights.”

To obtain acceptable results, point the flash at a wall or ceiling, if necessary, even behind the photographer’s back, if, say, there is a large white wall. In general, it is desirable that the surface from which the light is reflected be of a light shade. The reflected light will be much softer, as if it had passed through a softbox. This method in some way replaces the diffuser when shooting outside the studio and allows you to get lighting varying degrees softness.

Light propagation control

To combat this phenomenon, some flash cameras have a retractable white card that allows the light to be directed forward. But it is not available in all models and is located only on top, making it impossible to combat side illumination.

Thanks to this device, you can remove unwanted side light, and also direct part of the reflected light directly to the subject when the flash head is turned to the side or raised up. This technique will help when there is no suitable surface nearby to reflect light from it or you need to achieve the maximum possible illumination from the flash (light reflected by screens allows you to add 10-15 percent to the overall brightness of the frame).

How to use TTL

There's nothing wrong with the TTL function. You shouldn’t neglect it just because it sounds scary to many beginning photographers. After all, having a TTL function in a flash can make life much easier. In TTL mode, the camera and flash work synchronously, and the automation itself determines how strong the pulse should be. In difficult conditions (backlit, dawn or sunset light), the electronics may mistakenly assume that there is enough light and reduce the brightness of the flash. In this case, the exposure compensation function is useful, which will “help” the flash. Usually it is enough to smoothly increase or decrease the power manually until the correct results are obtained.

Using High Speed ​​Sync

This option allows you to use the flash at faster shutter speeds than the camera's default sync. With high-speed sync, you can darken a shot in very bright ambient light or freeze fast-moving action more clearly. The way the function works is that the flash emits a pulse just before the curtain closes, and not enough light reaches the sensor for full exposure, which would inevitably cause overexposure. The specific parameters of the pulse duration and flash synchronization relative to the first or second curtains are selected individually by the photographer. As a result, even the brightest day in the photo can be turned into almost night. The illumination of the model will be adequate provided that the flash is set correctly.

But we recently discussed how high-speed synchronization differs from a short pulse in.

Using filters

Colored gel filters for flash are one of the essential accessories for indoor photography. This is due to the fact that the light from household lamps is often not enough, and the photographer is forced to use a flash. But her Colorful temperature differs from fluorescent lamps, the result in the picture is a “mess” of several lighting sources with different spectrums. This results in a large white balance bias.

A properly selected filter equalizes the color temperatures of household lamps and flash, allowing you to take high-quality photographs. Of course, when shooting in RAW, such color differences can be eliminated by post-processing, but it is much easier to prevent them by using helium filters.

Learn to turn off the flash in time!

Sometimes the best way Use the flash correctly - turn it off in a timely manner. Often natural light is enough to take high-quality photographs and there is no need to once again complicate your life by using a flash. Keep your eyes open, your mind free and analyze the situation throughout the creative process!

The main visual tool of a photographer is light, however, photographers have always strived to be independent from the vagaries of natural lighting. Today there are many possibilities. In addition to the common electronic flashes, there are studio flashes with modeling light, cooling and many accessories. There are photographic halogen lamps that are very simple and easy to use, for example for shooting interiors: they are compact, and when working with them you can always see the light pattern. A skilled photographer can even use ordinary incandescent lamps or local local light sources. You just need to remember and take into account when shooting that all artificial sources have their own color temperature.

The most popular, of course, are electronic flashes. Although modern cameras usually already have a built-in flash, it usually has disabilities. It is better for a photographer to have an electronic flash as a separate accessory; this immediately expands the range of operation of any camera.

When purchasing an additional flash, find out what it can do. Least:

• the flash must be powerful;
• be sure to have a swivel head;
• several operating modes: A, TTL, manual;
• automatic zoom should track changes in the focal length of the lens;
• possibility of rear curtain synchronization;
• strobe mode (preferably);
• possibility of wireless control (to use several devices).

When shooting with halogen lamps or other constant sources, the photographer can always see the nature of the lighting and arrange the light sources in accordance with his creative vision; exposure metering is also not particularly difficult. Working with flashes is another matter, especially if there are several of them. You must mentally imagine how the light will fall, where the shadows will fall and the nature of the shadows themselves, as well as how the space will be illuminated.

Exposure measurement when working with studio flashes is carried out with a special device - a flash meter. The flash meter works like an exposure meter: it measures the flash impulse and produces exposure pairs - shutter speed and aperture. When there are several flashes and they are used with lightbox diffusers or with various attachments, the photographer’s experience comes first, his ability to correctly set the light not only in the studio, but in any interior, for any most unpredictable situation.

The main characteristic of compact flashes is the guide number. The higher it is, the more powerful the flash, the greater the distance, if necessary, you can “break through” the darkness. The color of the pulse of all flashes is balanced to the color of sunlight and does not require separate correction: the color temperature of the flash is 5500°K. Modern compact electronic flashes always work in harmony with the camera.

U different manufacturers photographic equipment automatic TTL modes (Through The Lens) flash operation can be called differently: balanced, or fill, etc. This depends on the cameras, lenses and type of metering used, so it is always important to read the instructions and understand how the settings are switched and functions. Let's see how you can improve a photographic image using flashes in practice; there are many techniques for this.

Flash to the forehead

This is the simplest and most primitive technique. The flash works in forced mode, and the camera does not see any light other than a short flash pulse. The pulse lasts about 1/1000 of a second, and the resulting photo is of faces, usually with red eyes, against a black background, and it doesn't matter at all that in reality there was a breathtaking evening landscape behind the model - and you wanted to capture it. People turn into red-eyed monsters due to the fact that the flash is very close to the optical axis of the lens. Reflected from the fundus of the eye with blood vessels like a mirror, the flash light returns to the camera tinted red. This is the typical operation of cheap cameras with built-in flashlights without the possibility of any settings. To avoid this, you must either use the red-eye reduction mode (if it has one), or, if the flash can be separated from the camera, you can move it slightly to the side of the lens axis. You can use a special cable and bracket.

When photographing people or interiors with conventional direct flash, it is difficult to achieve good result, but if you have no other option, try to at least avoid mirrors, glass or flat polished surfaces directly in front of you or in the background. A reflected flash can not only enter the frame, but also change the automatic exposure of the frame with its bright spot of light. The worst option I've ever seen when shooting with flash is a completely mirrored wall and ceiling, with alternating matte black panels.

Let's highlight the nature

There is a bright sun in the sky - it would seem that everything is fine, take pictures and rejoice! You won't think it's time to use the flash. And this is true. Strong sunlight very sharp: the highlights are bright and the shadows are dark. You can set the flash to only lightly illuminate the motif without changing the overall light pattern. This backlighting technique is very useful when shooting portraits in bright sun or backlight, when you need to avoid high contrast or highlight deep black shadows.

The flash can be used for evening or night shots, such as at sunset, highlighting people without losing natural light. The subject is illuminated by fill flash, and slow shutter speeds allow the background to be processed so that both subject and background are properly exposed. To do this, you need to set the mode to A or TTL and adjust the flash compensation by 1-3 steps to minus. You can shoot handheld during the day, but in the evening be prepared to need a tripod. It is necessary so that the background does not turn out blurry. IN dusk the camera may take a long shutter speed, from fractions to several seconds, faces will be illuminated by the flash, and the background may be blurred due to the camera moving during the long exposure.

Flash to the ceiling

The easiest way to improve the image when shooting with flash is to aim the flash light at the ceiling. In this case, instead of contrasting and flat “head-on” lighting, you will get soft, almost diffused light reflected from the ceiling, which will soften the shadows and give a natural light pattern. The disadvantage of such lighting may be small shadows falling on the face from brow ridges and nose. Some flashes, such as the Nikon Speedlight SB-800DX, have the option of using a built-in diffuser card that extends from the flash head. If you point the flash at the ceiling and at the same time give “backlight to the eyes” using such a card, then a sparkle will appear in the eyes - a reflection of the flash. If your flash does not have a built-in card, don’t worry, you can even replace it with a business card by attaching it to the flash in any convenient way.

When taking vertical photographs, it is convenient to point the flash at the wall. This is very good way, if only the color of the ceiling and walls is white or soft colors. Reflecting from surfaces, the flash light itself takes on the colors of the wall or ceiling and changes the color of the image. Very often, photographers use special flash attachments to reduce the contrast of light. These can be small plastic diffuser caps such as Nikon Diffusion Dome (each manufacturer calls them differently) or inflatable or folding Photoflex or Lumiquest nozzles. When shooting with attachments or when aiming the flash at the ceiling, some of the light is lost, so on the flash itself you need to set the correction to +0.3...1.0, exact value which depends on the height of the ceiling and the distance to people. Even cameras with accurate TTL metering can make mistakes. It's almost useless to point the flash upward if the ceilings are black or you're shooting in huge venues like sports complexes or indoor stadiums.

Camera, cable, flash

Sometimes it is convenient to move the flash slightly away from the camera. For example, when shooting reproductions through glass or framed pictures, it is better to light objects from the side to avoid reflections. Taking off fashion shows, or ballroom dancing, or portraits, in general, wherever a vertical frame format is often used, it is also more convenient to place the flash so that it is located on top of the camera. If the flash occupies its usual place, then when the camera is turned to a vertical format, unpleasant sharp shadow contours appear from it. In all of these or similar cases, it is very convenient to use a TTL cable connecting the camera and your flash.

An extension cable with automatic and TTL modes is preserved - this is a separate and quite expensive, but very convenient accessory. You can carry the flash as far as the cord's length in any direction and shine on objects or people from above, to the side or below. The only question is, who will hold your flash and cable while you shoot? You can, of course, use a special stand or invite an assistant or assistant.

Shooting with an umbrella

If you like to take portraits and often do it outside the studio, then you can’t think of a better set than a flash and a photographic reflective white (silver-plated, gold) umbrella. Firstly, this set does not take up much space, it is light, compact and can be quickly installed in almost any interior and even outdoors. The light from the flash, reflected by the umbrella, becomes diffused and soft, the shadows lose their harshness, and the overall light pattern improves. You just need to have an additional separate flash that is not built into the camera and shine it with light reflected from the umbrella or into the light.

The minimum set consists of:

• racks;
• a bracket connecting the umbrella, flash and stand;
• photographic umbrella;
• flashes on the umbrella.

Place the stand, attach the bracket, an umbrella, a separate electronic flash - and the stand-alone kit is ready. Let's call the flash in the standalone kit the slave, and the flash on the camera the master or main one. Turn on manual mode on the slave flash (on the umbrella), select the pulse power (1/2, 1/4, 1/8, etc.) and wireless control mode (triggered by pulse). “Set fire” to the stand-alone kit with an umbrella using the main flash from the camera. Sometimes you can use your own built-in camera flash as the main one. In this case, the main flash on the camera should work at minus, without spoiling the soft light from the umbrella.

It is very important to mentally evaluate the future light pattern and correctly position the umbrella with the flash. Before shooting, the total light impulse is measured with a flash meter, and the desired aperture is set on the camera, the shutter speed is selected based on the available ambient light and the goal you are pursuing. Short shutter speeds cut off ambient light, long shutter speeds use it. It is more convenient to turn the camera into manual mode. While shooting, try to keep away other fellow photographers or active amateurs who, with their flashes, can “set fire” to your system regardless of you, unless your flash is programmed against this.

Before an important shoot, they usually do a test shoot, determining how the devices work and how the light falls. If the photographer does not have a flash meter, then test shooting on a digital camera (by trial method) can conditionally determine the aperture.

If you only have one, but separate flash, it can also be used with an umbrella by connecting it to the camera via a TTL cable.

Some digital SLR cameras do not see “extraneous” flashes in TTL mode; in this case, you must use manual or automatic mode A. Many modern flashes allow you to set the Master (master) and Slave (slave) modes, and in this case you can assemble a set of several sources that will work together in TTL mode. In any case, if your flash photos aren't good enough, read the instructions...

Open flash

This special reception work, which allows you to shoot in dark and very dark conditions with only one lighting device - a flash, illuminating everything that is needed. This method is most convenient to use when shooting virtually unlit and very large interiors.

A method that became popular a couple of decades ago, when automatic and TTL flashes first appeared. Suppose you need to shoot a dynamic scene - movement, dancing, and low lighting does not allow you to set a short shutter speed, so without a flash all the pictures come out blurry. You can, of course, blitz “in the forehead” or at the ceiling and freeze the movement, but you can go the other way. The essence of the method is slow flash synchronization, that is, a long shutter speed and flash before closing the shutter.

In many good cameras There is a mode called Slow (slow sync), it also requires long shutter speeds when working with flash and, in general, is convenient. However, what automation cannot do is evaluate the speed of movement and set exactly the right shutter speed that suits your subject - which is why sometimes manual modes are preferable to automatic ones.

We set the camera to manual mode and select the exposure (that is, the “shutter speed and aperture” pair) so that the image is underexposed, that is, it goes into minus by a stop or one and a half. We set the shutter speed somewhere from 1/2 to 1/30 second (the correct value depends on the speed of the subject's movements, the general illumination and your ability to hold the camera tightly). The aperture is whatever you get for your minus exposure and the selected shutter speed. Better somewhere from 4.0 to 8.0. On the flash, set mode A or TTL and rear curtain sync (on a flash or camera it can be designated as Rear or sometimes Slow Rear). When photographing subjects moving in the dark with a long shutter speed and flash, you will end up with a slightly dark and blurry background and a blurred image. blurred background a sharp image of the main subject in the foreground. The picture can turn out with dynamics, movement and expression. It is only important to focus correctly in the dark and do more takes, because it is only possible to really evaluate the result after shooting.

Synchronization with the rear curtain (before closing the camera shutter) is very important, otherwise the flash will “freeze” not the final phase of the movement, but the first, and the image will not be complete. It is recommended to remove all attachments and diffusers attached to the flash.

When shooting with slow flash in manual mode at discos or clubs, you can even include light sources in the frame or make camera movements during a long exposure in the dark of the hall. It is important that the selected shutter speed is long enough to move the camera, and that the overall exposure gives an underexposure of 1.5–2 stops. Only light and colored light sources will appear in the picture as multi-colored stripes, and the main objects will be illuminated by flash against a dark background. A little training and patience - and you will successfully take unusual photos.

Shooting and working with two flashes

Suppose you want to get a high-quality and unusual image not only in the studio, but in any conditions and with minimal means. In this case, you can purchase a second and third electronic flash. With such a compact set of lighting fixtures, you can cope with most tasks. Just like when using an umbrella, we consider one flash on the camera to be the main flash, and the others as slaves, mentally imagine the future light pattern and place the flashes on stands in different places the scene being filmed.

More detailed instructions Information on using multiple flashes can be found in the operating instructions supplied with the devices. Different flash manufacturers may configure how they work together in different ways.

Strobe mode on flash

Not every flash has a strobe mode (which allows you to shoot a series of short pulses over a certain period of time), but if your flash has such a mode, you can easily take very unusual pictures. It is enough to have a dark background without strong lighting behind the subject or very weak general lighting. Then you need to mentally calculate the number of flashes and their frequency in accordance with your task and program the flash for this number. Then set a shutter speed on the camera long enough so that all the flashes emitted by the strobe “fit” into it. (From a physics course: frequency 1 hertz = 1 flash per second, and, for example, 10 hertz = 10 flashes per second, etc.) You can put the camera on a tripod if the object is moving; but you can move the camera during the exposure if the subject is stationary. Take the time to look at the numbers on the back of the flash and do some basic math in your head.

Making a generalization, I will say: any shooting with flashes, especially with several, requires calculations and a certain imagination. No books or manuals will teach you how the light will fall correctly, how the shadows will be positioned, etc. Only practice, trial and error comprehension will help you feel confident in any situation. And one more important addition: wherever you use electronic flashes, one or more, with any accessories, it is important that its use is neat and not noticeable in the photo. Let the light from the blitz serve not the technical, but the creative side of photography.

You can read other lessons from Alexander Belenky in his book “Photography. School of Excellence."

Many photographers, having read books and manuals on using flash, are at a loss in practice and cannot determine what parameters to set. Readers of my blog also encountered this problem. Therefore, today I decided to collect in one article all the basic principles of using flash that every photographer should know.

First of all, you need to understand that when using a flash, two sets of shooting parameters (exposure) are considered separately - for flash and for natural light. It is important. Then you need to figure out how to combine them. This includes determining the exposure on one side and the direction of light on the other. In this article we will look at practical example combining flash and natural light in simple portraits. The diagram will be simple so that everything is clear at once.

So what do you need to know?

1. First of all, you need to understand how they relate shutter speed, aperture and light sensitivity. You need to know what exposure is. If you do not understand these parameters, there is no point in reading further in this article. These are the foundations on which everything rests. There are no other ways.

2. Then you need to understand that natural light is two individual sources with its own exposition. There is flash impulse, and there is natural light.

3. Natural light and flash need to be combined.

4. Natural light is continuous. The flash lasts only a moment. This different types Sveta.

5. For natural light we use three parameters– shutter speed, aperture and light sensitivity.

6. Since the flash is instantaneous, exposure doesn't affect it at all(as long as you don't exceed the sync speed - but don't think too much about that term just yet).

The next article will cover flash and shutter synchronization. It must be read and understood. Once they master synchronization, many photographers begin to understand the principles of flash photography in general. You need to know how the camera shutter works and when its curtains close in relation to the flash pulse.

7. Since shutter speed does not affect the flash, it remains aperture and light sensitivity control. However, there is also a difference in flash modes - between TTL mode and manual mode. They are managed differently. They are similar only in that in both modes the flash is instantaneous.

8. So, manual mode and TTL mode are different in control. In manual mode, light is controlled by aperture and photosensitivity, as well as the distance to the subject. Finally, another important parameter for manual flash control is flash power. In other words, the wattage you set will affect the brightness of the light and thus its exposure.

In TTL mode, flash power is controlled automatically and selected by the camera through the lens (Through The Lens). Because the camera controls the flash output automatically, aperture and ISO (and of course distance) do not directly affect the flash. The flash power is automatically adjusted by the camera to ensure sufficient light brightness.

Manual flash mode gives the photographer the most precise control over settings, but TTL mode is inherently much faster and easier to use for adjusting exposure. Of course, people will argue with me, but first, take this for granted: manual flash mode is for control and accuracy, TTL mode is for ease of setup and speed.

Taking into account all of the above, we come to the main thing - setting the correct exposure.

9. So, natural light exposure + flash setting = correct exposure.

In most cases, working with flash comes down to several scenarios:

• If the exposure of natural light suits us (the light is even, there are no deep shadows on the subject, the subject itself is well lit), then the flash should simply be fill. It doesn't have to be powerful. It just needs to complement the natural light to get the exposure correct. You cannot use a powerful flash for good natural light - you will end up with overexposure.
• If there is not enough natural light for correct exposure (for example, it is dark indoors or outdoors for the desired shutter speed/aperture/sensitivity), then you need to use a flash as the main light source (high power flash). With a flash of sufficient power to illuminate the subject, you can set any aperture (4, 5.6, 8, etc.), and the subject will be well illuminated.
• If you need control over the direction and quality of light, then you need to underexpose natural light and compensate for the underexposure with a sufficiently powerful flash.
• If the subject is in shadow and the background is lit bright light, flash can be used to illuminate a subject as well as the background is illuminated. This situation is similar to the previous one. Very often, you can set the exposure for the background to whatever the photographer wants (make the background darker or lighter), and add a flash to it to highlight the subject.

Thus, there can be many situations, and they are all quite flexible. I would like to consider the last situation in detail using a practical example.

Here's a scene with natural light in New York's Central Park:

Exposure options: 1/250 @ f5.6 @ 400 ISO

Why exactly these parameters? Because that’s how bright the natural light was, and that’s how the background should look. It is important to see here that in the shooting conditions there were three lighting levels (and, accordingly, exposure):

• Cloudy sky (very light)
• Buildings (quite bright)
• Foliage and stones (not very well lit, almost in shadow)

In addition, we have a model whose back is turned to the main source of light - the cloudy sky.

We can't get the correct exposure for ALL objects - sky, buildings, greenery and models - in one photo. This impossible. You need to decide what to do with the background. For this shot I decided to light up the sky. There is no means for it except a gradient filter. But the filter effect will be noticeable due to the uneven shape of the buildings.

So I decided that the background would look like it does in the first photo. At 1/250 @ f5.6 @ 400 ISO I got what I needed. However, with these settings, the model was in deep shadows, and in order for me to leave the background the way I wanted, the model would have to be illuminated with flash.

For flash I have two choices:

• The flash in TTL mode, which I used for this shot (the flash was removed from the camera and installed in a softbox). The camera itself will control the flash power. If it seems too strong or, conversely, not enough, I will simply correct the impulse using flash compensation. Flash in TTL mode cannot be controlled in any other way.
• flash in manual mode. For a flash in manual mode, you need to use a manual one, which you need to bring as close to the model as possible in order to measure the light, and then select the flash power in such a way as to get f5.6 and ISO 400 parameters for the desired distance from the model. It should also be remembered that that flash light exposure is independent of shutter speed as long as it is longer than the sync speed. Thus, as you already remember, to control the manual mode we have four parameters: aperture, ISO, distance and power.

Here is the result:

As I already said, first we needed to select the parameters for the background. And for following example We'll expose the foliage and rocks well, and close our eyes to the slightly overexposed buildings:

The parameters for this setting are as follows: 1/250 @ f4 @ 400 ISO

The model is still in shadow and underexposed, but not as much. By increasing the aperture one stop, we got more light. Now we need to add the flash. But what should its power be? Let the camera in TTL mode take care of it:

If I had used the flash in manual mode, I would have had to meter the light again with an exposure meter and adjust the flash output so that it was sufficient for f4 @ 400 ISO at the desired distance.

The method remains the same for other parameters. Similarly, you can use other shooting options to make the background look different.

Now let's see what a photo looks like with the exposure parameters set according to the model (so that the model is well lit):

Parameters: 1/125 @ f4 @ 500 ISO, no flash

The exposure was set correctly, but the light on the model's face was not very even.

Since the natural light exposure is correct, you can simply add a flash burst in manual mode at f4 @ 500 ISO. In TTL mode, flash output will be kept to a minimum due to the DSLR's matrix metering. Instead, it's better to use a small one. For her, I would set it to minus. How much less? Everything depends on taste.

When I shot this series, I didn't plan to include information about fill flash in this tutorial, so I can't illustrate it. Fill flash would just lighten up the shadows a bit, I hope that's clear.

Re-reading this article, I understand that I could not make it as concise and accurate as possible; I had to write everything out. However, I hope this article will help someone who is struggling with the task of combining natural light and flash. The staging analysis here is exactly the same as for other lights, for example, video lights. This is a method, and it is quite flexible. With its help you can achieve what the photographer needs.

A flash is a very convenient tool that is not at all burdensome to carry with you. There is not enough light - use flash; the light falls unattractively on the faces of people in the frame - turn on the flash; If you want to highlight shadows when shooting on a bright day or at sunset, flash can help you! If you learn to understand flash and use it correctly, a new world of unknown possibilities will open up for you. But you need to start, as always, with the basics. So let's take a look flash operating modes.

This article will look at the modes that can be set on the flash itself when you press the button. Mode. Therefore, do not confuse these flash modes with flash and camera synchronization modes. I will also make a reservation that we will mainly talk about working with external flash. But on some cameras, even the built-in flash can have advanced control functions and several operating modes. Learn more about the difference between built-in and external flash.

Main flash operating modes not so many - just three:

Automatic (ETTL, TTL, i-TTL, ADI, etc.)

Manual / Manual – Manual

Multi – Multi

Typically, top-end flashes can work in all of these modes, but there are also flashes that, for example, do not have a Multi mode and/or TTL support. But before you get upset about the lack of a certain mode or order the most expensive flash, let's figure it out - are these additional shooting modes really necessary?

Flash modeManual

This mode is similar to the Manual shooting mode in your camera - all settings are selected and set manually. Basic flash settings in manual mode include:

Pulse power– affects the brightness of the lighting and the distance at which objects will be illuminated by the light from the flash. Power is typically adjusted on a scale from 1/1 (the maximum power your flash can handle) to 1/16, 1/32, 1/64, or 1/128 of the maximum power. The power gradation scale varies depending on the flash model. How more values(for example, from 1/1 to 1/128), the more freedom of control and subtleties when adjusting the brightness of the pulse. But with flashes, the minimum pulse power of which is 1/16, it is quite possible to work in most situations.

Most modern flashes are equipped with a display on which the set power value is displayed in the form of a numerical designation. But there are flashes without a display, where the indicator of the set power is a kind of scale with glowing bulbs. In this case, the more lamps are lit, the more powerful the pulse is set. To find out for sure how the power is set on your flash, open the instructions for it. If you bought a used flash without instructions, type the name and model of the flash in a search engine, adding the phrase “instructions” or “instructions in Russian.” Almost all instructions available in electronic form on the Internet for free viewing and/or downloading.

Zoom flashes(not to be confused with the zoom on the lens, these are different settings, although they are interconnected) – adjusts the propagation angle and the range of “finishing off” the impulse from the flash. It is generally recommended to set the zoom value of the external flash according to the selected focal length of the lens. So, the larger the focal length of the lens used to shoot, the smaller the viewing angle, but the greater the distance from the shooting point to the subject. Accordingly, for normal illumination of the frame when shooting with a long-focus lens, you need a light pulse that will reach a greater distance. At the same time, the light beam itself may be narrower - there is no need to illuminate objects at the edges of the frame that are not involved in the shooting scene.

On the contrary, when shooting with large area scenes, because Wide-angle lenses have a larger viewing angle. In this case, the shooting objects are much closer to the shooting point, so the light pulse must be designed for a short distance.

Manual flash control Almost all external flashes have this problem and even occur in some built-in flashes. There are fully manual flashes (they are usually much cheaper) that only work in manual mode.

Manual flash mode, just like manual mode on a camera, requires not only an understanding of the settings, but also some experience. If the flash zoom setting in manual mode can be set based on the focal length of the lens, then the pulse power parameter is set mainly experimentally.

Flash power value depends on the following parameters:

— lighting conditions(evening, night, twilight, room with insufficient light, shooting at sunset, etc.)

— distance to subject(the closer the subject is, the less power is needed to illuminate it normally with a flash) - remember the law of light distribution in space

— exposed exposure settings(shutter speed, aperture, ISO) – you can already let in a sufficient amount of ambient light by adjusting the exposure parameters, and only light up the foreground a little with the flash (power 1/16 - 1/64). Usually such photos look more natural. But if you need to get a brightly lit main subject in the foreground against a black background, set the maximum impulse (1/1 - 1/4) and select the exposure settings based on this impulse

— use of directed (directly at the object, without attachments), reflected or diffused light– when using bounce flash or using diffuser attachments (diffuse caps, mini-softboxes) it reduces the intensity of the light flux. Therefore, most often, for reflected or scattered light from a flash, you can choose a more powerful pulse than when using directional light from a “naked” flash

TTL flash mode

TTL mode, which may be lettered differently depending on the manufacturer. The meaning is the same - this is a mode for automatically selecting flash settings. In modern Canon flashes this mode is designated ETTL, in Nikon – i-TTL.

Abbreviation TTL comes from "Through The Lens", which literally translates as “through the lens.” This means that automatic exposure metering to select the flash power setting occurs by assessing the illumination in the frame through the lens of the lens. To do this, a preliminary evaluation pulse is used, which allows the exposure to be measured. The advantage of this exposure metering method allows you to take into account the characteristics of the lens used - during metering, corrections are made for screwed filters and attachments and the viewing angle.

TTL technology has undergone several modifications during the development of photographic equipment. So, in old film SLR cameras for automatic flash control, infrared flash metering technology was used (A-TTL in Canon cameras), then modified to pre-pulse metering (ETTL in Canon cameras). The latest modification (ETTL-II in Canon cameras) also takes into account the distance from the shooting point to the object in the frame.

When choosing a flash, pay attention to whether it supports TTL technology(your manufacturer, respectively). So, there are manual flashes that do not support automatic operation at all. There are also flashes that support, for example, older technology than your camera. For example, you have a new camera with ETTL-II mode, but the flash only supports ETTL. This doesn't mean they are not compatible; equipment that works on more advanced automatic metering technologies usually supports less advanced ones. Thus, you will be working with ETTL technology, not ETTL-II.

The reverse situation looks similar. For example, you put the latest model of flash that supports ETTL-II on an old camera. If the flash is “native” (i.e. to a Canon camera – Canon flash, etc.), then the “camera” - “flash” system will automatically orient itself and determine the technology available for interaction.

Flash photography in auto mode, in fact, resembles shooting in the “Auto” mode on a camera. Your camera measures the exposure and selects the appropriate (in its opinion) flash power value and the “zoom” parameter depending on the type of lens (the set focal length is determined automatically even when using a zoom lens). Moreover, it is not at all necessary to use flash in TTL mode, only when the camera is set to automatic or semi-automatic mode. These two modes are in no way tied to each other. You can safely shoot in manual mode M on the camera and use automatic flash control mode.

In most cases, the flash will fire normally for the given scene. But it should be understood that automated photographic equipment cannot take into account all the subtleties and features of shooting. The automatic calculation is based on the average illumination of medium-gray objects in the frame. Moreover, calculations in automatic exposure metering to adjust the flash work normally only when the flash is directed “head-on” and the flash is used either on a “hot shoe” or on a synchronizer with TTL mode support. The task for automation becomes more difficult when flash is reflected– it is automatically difficult to calculate how the reflected light will fall on the object. The camera cannot estimate at what angle and distance the flash light will be reflected. As a result, the settings are set approximately.

There are also many situations where it makes sense to switch to manual flash control. Most often I work in manual flash mode - it’s easier for me to control the process. TTL mode Suitable primarily for novice photographers who find it difficult to understand the settings, as well as for situations when you either have no time or simply don’t want to think about flash settings, and the subject changes very quickly (reportage shooting, travel, etc.) .

Even in TTL mode it is possible to make adjustments to the flash operation. To do this, there are flash compensation settings, which are similar to the exposure compensation settings in the camera. Flash compensation allows you to set the pulse brighter or weaker than the automatically calculated value. In this case, you manually set the value on the scale (from -3 to +3 exposure steps) by which you compensate for the flash power. So, if, when shooting in automatic flash mode when shooting a test frame, it seems to you that the flash did not fire powerfully enough, set the exposure compensation to positive, and vice versa.

For built-in flash There is a similar setting that can be set in the camera Menu. Menu -> Flash Compensation or Menu -> Flash Control -> Built-in Flash -> Flash Compensation. The path to the settings may differ depending on the camera manufacturer and model. If you cannot find these settings at random, open the instructions.

Also in the camera settings Menu -> Flash control exists setting exposure metering when using flash. If you have a scene with complex lighting (shooting against the sun, for example) or you need to correctly illuminate and expose only one part of the frame using the flash, choose spot or partial metering mode. Otherwise, the camera measures the illumination over the entire area of ​​the frame, and all objects become equal. As a result, the selection of settings may result in underexposure on some objects or overexposure on others.

More often flash in TTL mode gives a fairly powerful impulse, especially when shooting at night. As a result, the photo shows white faces, a black background, and the flash fires at maximum power, which leads to rapid overheating and battery consumption. The solution is to learn to shoot in manual mode or skillfully use flash compensation.

ModeMulti

If in Manual and TTL modes the flash fires only one pulse during the exposure time, then in Multi flash mode fires several times while the camera shutter is open. As a result, you can get interesting effects - several images of the same object in one frame, without using any processing.

Multi mode is also a mode that completely controlled manually. But in addition to the flash power and flash zoom parameters (as in M ​​mode), you need to set 2 more parameters:

Number of pulses– how many times the flash will fire

Pulse frequency ( in Hz) – the higher the frequency, the shorter the time interval between two adjacent flash pulses

Not all flashes support Multi mode. I will say more - most flashes usually do not have this mode. But this mode is used mainly for specific or experimental shooting. This mode is useless in daily work. If you have it in your flash, great, you can have some fun! If it’s not there, don’t despair, the loss is not that great. I talked more about shooting with flash in Multi mode in my online course “Digital Photography Made Easy!” First level.

Learn more about working with flash in Manual mode indoors, see the MK entry “Working with an external flash indoors.”