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Flash in the Plan - How to use and set the photo camera flash manually

© Karin Rex

Most digital cameras have a built in flash that automatically fires when the lighting situation dictates that it's necessary.

Luckily, most of the time this is a good thing.

However there are some instances when the flash either a) doesn't fire when you need it to (causing a picture to appear underexposed) or b) fires when you rather it didn't (causing a picture to appear overexposed). These situations can cause your photographs to be less than perfect.

While some of these problematic pictures can be corrected later using your favorite digital photo editing program, you can learn to avoid these situations in the first place by taking the time to learn how to manipulate your camera's flash and recognizing when you might need to do so.

RTFM

First, Read The Fine Manual that came with your digital camera. Memorize how to turn the automatic flash on or off in advance of taking a picture. Also read up on what other flash options your camera offers. For example, does your camera offer either of the following?

• Red Eye Reduction - When taking pictures of people or pets, sometimes eyes can appear red or white, ruining the shot. This happens because, in low lighting situations, pupils are normally quite dilated (appearing larger than normal). So when your flash goes off it actually bounces off of your subject's retinas and back into the camera. If your camera has a red eye reduction feature it will fire one or more pre-flashes in advance of taking the picture. These bright pre-flashes makes your subject's pupils shrink so that, when the picture is finally taken, the flash won't bounce off the subject's retinas and cause the red (or white) eye problem.
• Slow Sync Flash / Night Portrait Mode - Taking pictures of people at night can be tricky. In low-light situations, you may find that your automatic flash is too bright, washing out a subject's face while completely obliterating the background. If your camera has a night portrait setting it will help balance the exposure so that the subject (in the foreground) and the dimly lit background are both captured. A digital camera usually accomplishes this by having you first press the shutter halfway, letting the camera focus on the scene and then firing the flash to compute the amount of light the flash will add to the scene. Your camera's LCD may show you how long the shutter will need to be open for the shot. Then you press the shutter all the way to take the picture. Note that your subject will need to sit very still to avoid blurring since the shutter will be open for longer than a normal snapshot.