Single Flash

Single Bounce Flash

Single Direct Flash

A single flash has been my favorite lighting tool since the day I bought a canon 550 ex, my first flashlight. A flashlight is very portable and easy to set. A flashlight has been very useful as a filling light especially when I am taking pictures outside. I strongly believe that anywhere can be a studio if I am with my two 580ex flashlights, mini tripods, and a remote flash trigger.

When I just got a 550ex flash, I did not know much about flash techniques. I usually attached a flash on my camera and took pictures with direct light. I believed that this was only way I could take pictures with a flashlight.

It took me a while to understand a concept of flashlight (direct or bounce). However, I eventually learned about the differences between a direct flash and bounce flash. I confirmed that a direct flash was hard light and a bounce flash provided more soft look images. I do not prefer one method to the other since both have merits. For example, I use a direct flash to create high contrast images that look more dramatic than bounced images, and I use a bounce flash when I need to diffuse the light evenly among all over the subject. I would not like to say, “A direct flash is ugly” or “A bounce light is the only way.” Both have merits on creating different images.

Shooting at the Blue Fugue was not as challenging as I expected it to be. Since a direction for this assignment mentioned that overpower the existing light at the place, it was not a problem whether the place was dark. A flashlight was the only fill light in the place. You will notice from my outtakes that some images were completely dark when a flashlight was not fired. It proves that a flashlight was the only fill light while I was shooting at the Blue Fugue (1/250, f 10 ~ f 16).

For a direct flash, I set a flash right side of Mr. Oday since I just wanted focus on his mouse rather than showing his entire face. (His mouse was the most honest emotion ever.) As I expected, a direct flash from right side of him created an image that just focusing on his face. It was more dramatic than I expected.

For a bounce flash, I set a flash to bounce the red ceiling. The pictures turned out as I expected. The red ceiling at the Blue Fugue helped me to create ‘spot light look’ lighting with a flashlight. (By bouncing to the red ceiling with full power of flashlight) It seems like that Mr. Rendell was singing under a red spot light even though the actual color in that place was blue and some yellow. The bounce flashlight fell evenly among all over him.