Flash photography tip: Bounce flash

Tuesday 3 January 2023, 15:15 by Elja Trum | 3,242 views | 0 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

If you want softer light in your photo, you need to make the light source larger. With an on-camera flash, the most obvious way to make your light larger is to bounce the flash.

By bouncing, I mean that you don't flash directly at your subject, but via another surface.

Elja - f/9, 1/200s, 320 ISO @ 100mm
The most obvious way is to bounce the flash off a wall or ceiling. That's why the tilting and rotating head on your on-camera flash is so useful. With a quick movement, you point the flash at the wall beside you.

Note: The colour of the wall is important, because your flash light takes on that colour. If you bounce the flash off a red wall, you get red light on your subject.

So look for a wall or ceiling with a neutral colour. Anything from white, through grey to black is fine. The darker the surface, the more flash power you will need, as less and less light is reflected.

You might also like

• 

  Flash photography tip: Light bounces like a billiard ball

  by Elja Trum

• 

  Flash photography tip: Use a softbox

  by Elja Trum

• 

  How to get buttery soft shadows in a small studio

  by Elja Trum

• 

  Make clouds soft and fluffy, not hard and harsh

  by Nando Harmsen

• 

  10 tips for photographing a waterfall

  by Nando Harmsen

• 

  Choosing a light source for your video recordings

  by Nando Harmsen

0 comments

Have your say

Please note: Articles older than a week can only be commented on by signed-in visitors.
Would you still like to comment? sign in or create a free account.