One of the best kept secrets in today’s photography world is that you can
manipulate your lighting so that you almost can’t tell whether it’s natural or
not. On top of that you can also open up a whole new world of creativity
when you add the off flash to your camera bag.
Professional photographer, Kristin Wilkerson, explains the tips and benefits
of physically taking the flash off of your camera.
Tip #1- Get your flash off your camera. One of the biggest mistakes people
make is putting the flash on their camera and expecting to get that natural
even look. When you take the flash off of your camera you can control the
direction of the light.
Tip #2- Use modifiers to soften the light. Sometimes if you are looking for a
dramatic look you might use a bare flash but if you are looking to get that
natural, even, and beautiful look to your pictures you need to use a modifier.
Kristen uses both a soft box and an umbrella. The umbrella is the most
affordable option and she uses it the most.
Now that you have your flash of the camera and your choice of modifiers we
can talk about the benefits.
Benefit #1- Turn a previously unusable location into an amazing background
by adding the off the camera flash. You can change the direction of light.
That old barn that would have been great if it was facing the right direction
can still be an amazing location. Photographing newborns in their home
won’t be scary anymore because you don’t have to worry about how big
windows are or how dark the room is. When you are creating your own light
you don’t have to worry.
Benefit #2-Create 3 dimensional photos in bright full sun. We all know that
when you are sitting in a high sun situation you want to cringe because you
think dark shadows and unflattering light. But when you add the flash right
above the subject it creates a three dimensional look that will be unlike
others you typically see.
Benefit #3- Getting more artistic by creating sun flare or sparks of light. We
all love those beautifully lit pictures where the sun is bursting through the
background. With the flash of off the camera you have a little sun flare
packed in your camera bag no matter where the sun is.
Benefit #4- Drama. We all love a little drama. It’s nice to be able to give
your clients or subjects variety. It helps separate you from other work that
people see every day when you can add that high fashion dramatic look. Not
to mention it makes high school senior boys look way more cool which is
what they are looking for in their pictures.
Jean and Travis Smith, two highly successful photographers in Michigan, are
coming to Utah and asked Kristin to host a lighting workshop for them. They
are being held in Salt Lake and Cache Valley July 13th and 14th. You can visit
Kristen’s website http://www.kristinwilkerson.com/
for more information.
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