To Flash Or Not To Flash... That Is The Question

If you're in the market for a photographer, one of the first things you'll encounter is some marketing themselves as "natural light only" photographers. At first glance, that seems a bit noble, maybe somehow superior. In this article, however, I'd like to dispel some of the natural light vs flash myths and show you the difference so you can make more informed decisions on what YOU like. In my opinion, a professional photographer should be able to do both.

(Click on any image in this article to enlarge it for better viewing. The header image of the couple at sunset was a two flash set up, one left, one right.)

First off, let me state that photography is VERY subjective and what is pleasing to one person is not necessarily what any one else prefers. I personally have a preference for well lit faces, and high contrast, vibrant images. I like my whites to be white and my blacks to be black. I like my subjects to be the main focal point and pop out of the scene. I don't like muddy, underexposed skin, over exposed backgrounds or shadows in eye sockets. Thus, I early on set out to master using flashes.

To expose faces properly when shooting natural light only, what usually ends up happening is over exposed backgrounds. It's actually a popular style right now in wedding photography. It's a very bright, airy, almost washed out look that works well in sunny locations with lots of reflected light. At its best it can look ethereal and quite lovely. At its worst, it creates underexposed faces, muddy skin tones, and washed out, hazy images

Some photographers tout themselves as "natural light only" photographers, as if natural light is somehow better than just plain ole light, regardless of the source. The real truth is that those photographers are either intimidated by using flashes (and yes, flashes definitely add a great deal of complication) or they don't want to deal with all the extra equipment. That may even be their preferred style of photography. But it's severely limiting for artistic expression and professional growth.

The problem is that "natural" light is very seldom where we need it, when we need it and in the direction and intensity we need it. As a professional photographer you end up being extremely limited by shooting "natural light only." Any experienced photographer loves natural light and maximizes it fully whenever possible... while also being fully willing to add, shape  and even color light from any source to fit their needs. The four photos below from Michael & Amy's lovely wedding ceremony on Waimanalo Beach are perfect examples of this need for additional lighting beyond ambient/natural. 

If you closely at their photos, you can see that there was no sunshine at all... while the sky overhead was mostly clear, there was a big dark cloud to the west completely blocking the sun. That left Michael & Amy in a very flat, boring and lusterless light which would have resulted in lousy photos if I tried to shoot their beach wedding in natural light only.

Sometimes when shooting fast and furious, flashes aren't always able to keep up and miss a shot. The two images below show the striking difference being able to add light to a scene can make. The camera settings were exactly the same for both images, which were taken two seconds apart, the flash simply didn't fire for the second one. Which image would you prefer?

Flash gets a bad rap when it's not used properly. The most common way flash is used badly is when it's "on-camera." This means the light from the flash is attached to the top of the camera, thus directly in line with the camera lens, which creates a flat light on your subject with no subtle shadowing. This is considered "non-directional" lighting.

Directional lighting is when the flashes or light sources are "off-camera" and not on the same axis as the camera lens. Sonali's sunset maternity portrait below is a dramatic example of directional lighting. As you can imagine, you'd never get such a stunning image at this time of day/night with natural light alone.

Sometimes on-camera flash is the only way to get good light on your subject in fast moving or low light conditions. If they're careful, a professional photographer can still get great results, it just takes a lighter touch to add just a kiss of light to lift the shadows and make their skin and clothes pop. Here are two examples where I used on-camera flash to get the results I wanted. Grandpa's face would have been entirely in shadow from his hat without a touch of flash.

The other reason a photographer or client may want to use flash is because you can create more dramatic effects. With off-camera flash you not only have more choices of where and when to shoot, but you also get the chance to make your subject stand out from the background better. The human eye tends to gravitate to the brightest part of an image. If the sky or background is the brightest part of the photo and not the subject, that reduces the impact, beauty and power of the photo.

While preparing for a shoot with Zhanna, a lovely bride from Russia, I took a moment to ask her which style she would prefer. I took the two images below to show her the difference between using flash and no flash. The light was good enough to shoot natural light only. However, it left the background as bright or brighter than her. By using flash, I was able to emulate the same direction of the sun, but by lowering my exposure settings, I darkened the background and made Zhanna pop out of the scene better. In this case, slightly underexposing the background added depth, contrast and drama. Neither image/style is right or wrong... because the natural light at that moment and location was good, it all came down to a stylistic, personal preference. Which do you prefer?

Zhanna chose to go with the more dramatic, fill flash look.

I hope you found this article informative and perhaps even entertaining! There is a time and place for natural light only photos. Its just been my experience that I so rarely get the light I want, where I want it, when I want it. That frustration led me to embrace mastering flash photography and I love the freedom it gives me. Being limited to shooting natural light only at all times would be like being asked to build a house with only a hammer... you can only do so much with a hammer!

Enjoy the rest of the example images below and leave a question or comment as well!

-Brett

PS: Check out my Behind The Scenes page for more examples

More examples of how using fill flash - even during the day in bright sunlight - can make a huge difference.

And last…an example of how to use flash to turn a gloomy, gray, boring afternoon much warmer and brighter. The couple was on their honeymoon and were disappointed at not having the beautiful, sunny Hawaiian sunset they had hoped for. To warm things up, I have a flash behind them camera right where the sun would be, with an orange CTO gel on it to “warm up” the flash and emulate the sun. Then I have a flash with no gel in front of them at camera left.