Why do people insist on using a flash?

I find it funny how many times I have heard a curious observer exclaiming, "Wait!!!! The flash isn't on!"....... Think about it.

Well, the topic of flash photography is not going to be covered completely in this post, but I will give you a better idea of when and why not to use that firework on the top of your camera.

Let's start by saying that flash should be used when:

• You have little "available" light
• The subject is moving
• Your hands shake
• You want to make your subject look like a hideous creature

There are a million different uses for flash, so I will not put it down too much. As a matter of fact, advanced lighting techniques -- like some of those used at Impact Images -- all use strobe flash with transformer packs. When photographing textiles and objects where color is a huge concern, it is sometimes easier to control the white balance and temperature in degrees Kelvin of the lights. This gives you a more controlled environment and a more consistent work-flow.

The most basic form of flash photography is the camera-mounted flash. Anybody who buys a cheap camera knows that they have that little strobe about one inch north of the lens that pops out like a ground hog. I'm sure you have noticed that if you take a picture in a restaurant with a camera-mounted flash somebody usually says, "Ooh, that's a horrible picture."

The main reason for this is a simple one: that little flash mounted right next to your lens is shooting off bright light, hitting your subject and bouncing back at you. This makes your subject look flat, bright, ugly, have red eyes, and etc.

But, what if you could take that little strobe, pop it off the camera, move it up two feet in altitude, and point it at an angle? Now, light will hit your subject, illuminate it sufficiently, and bounce off in another direction. The result will be a much better photo.

Have you ever seen a wedding photographer walking around the room with a metal flash bracket on the camera that looks like a weapon from The Terminator? All that does is move the flash up higher so it does not "bounce back" into the camera. This produces the same effect as I described above.

Now, I don't know about you but, when I go out to dinner, I am rarely armed with a Hasselblad and a phase one back. Usually, the little 100 dollar Nikon COOLPIX is all I've got. I like to think of this as a side arm but, let me tell you, that side arm has taken some pretty cool pictures. Take the time to understand your camera and learn some basic lighting techniques; then you can be taking some pretty cool pictures yourself.

Try shutting off your flash which, on a basic camera, looks like a lightning bolt crossed out. This will force the camera to lower the shutter speed, bounce down the f-stop and use available light. Simply put, your photo will look a lot more like how you saw it when you were there! Soon you'll find your flashless shots looking a million times better. Remember, it is easier to take a good photo with no flash than a good photo with a flash.

There are a few things from the beginning of this post that you'll want to keep in mind as you start shooting. Like, make sure there is no movement. Keep your hand steady and your subject still (this is a hell of a lot easier when shooting outside on a bright day)...*more available light my young Jedi*. Also, if the room is too dark you'll be forced to use flash.

A good photographer is a light author. When building large sets and lighting them to mimic that of a natural environment, the Impact Images team will sometimes spend hours just on lighting the shots. Here are two photos I took. One is lit with flash and the other with available light and a tripod.