Flash photography tip: Light bounces like a billiard ball
Thursday 12 January 2023, 20:10 by Elja Trum | 2,764 views | 0 commentsThis article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.
You get the best flash light when it falls on your subject from a different angle. This creates depth. If you flash from your camera, it is worth using indirect flash. You bounce your flash light off a wall, ceiling or reflector, for example.
When using indirect flash, it is good to remember that light bounces like a billiard ball: the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection. You therefore need to take this into account when using indirect flash.
In practice, you point your flash at the spot on the wall halfway between you and your subject.
This also depends on the exact situation on location. Keep that billiard ball in mind when using indirect flash. You can imagine drawing a line to the wall and back into the room to determine whether you have aimed your flash correctly.
Indirect flash is also called 'bouncing'. You bounce the light off something before it falls on your subject.
About the author
Elja Trum is the founder of Photofacts and online photography course website Photofacts Academy. He has been writing about photography since 2006. Elja is also the author of (Dutch) books on composition, black-and-white photography, flash photography and portrait photography.
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Would you like to take better photos and keep up with what is happening in photography? Photofacts publishes articles that teach you something about photography — from a product announcement to a practical shooting tip or a look at a website. Photofacts covers photography every day and is a hobby project of Elja Trum's that got out of hand. The articles are written by a team of volunteer authors. If you would enjoy writing one or more articles for Photofacts, do get in touch.More about PhotofactsPhotofacts is made possible in part by
