How to keep the off-camera fill flash out of shot?

Sunday 24 July 2022, 20:40 by Nando Harmsen | 4,168 views | 0 comments

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

Do you want to photograph a model, but are you only partly happy with the quality of the light? You can use fill flash.

For the best results, you need to place the flash close to the model. So how do you stop it appearing in the frame? You need a little preparation. And Photoshop.

When you want to photograph a model in a beautiful setting, the exposure for the setting may need to be different from the exposure for your model. This can be a tricky situation, especially during the day in sunlight.

The solution is fill flash. This allows you to match the exposure of the model to the exposure of the setting, so both are properly exposed in a single photo. Unfortunately, the flash can get in the way and appear in your frame.

Moving the flash further away and out of the frame is often not a solution. Every time you double the distance, the flash has to produce four times as much light. The setting is also lit too much by the flash.

Placing the flash close to the model produces the best result. The downside is that the flash appears in your frame.

The flash provides a good balance between the exposure of the setting and the exposure of the ladies. The only problem is that the flash is in the frame.
A little preparation allows you to make sure that the flash is not visible in your photo. To do this, put the camera on a tripod and, before you start photographing with the flash and model, take a photo of the setting. Then place your model and flash.

A basic photo without the ladies and without the flash provides the basis for removing the flash.
Make sure the exposure of the setting stays the same. In other words, a manually set exposure works best. Then have the flash light your model correctly. You now have two photos. One with the model and flash in the frame, and one showing only the setting.

Open your photos as layers in Photoshop, or in a programme such as Affinity Photo, and use a mask to remove the flash from the photo. This can be done very simply and quickly, because the setting is exposed exactly the same way in both photos.

The final result, with the flash removed from the photo using a mask, thanks to the basic photo taken beforehand.
Do this for every new composition you create. First take a photo without the flash and model, then place your flash and model. Try to take the photo of the setting first, because if you do it afterwards, you may forget.

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