What Technique of Photography Are People Using to Get Super Bright Bold Colors

Armed with your trusty hot-shoe flash, you head out to your shooting venue, feeling fully-prepared. Only even with the external flash, the images just don't await as bright or vivid as you wanted. Here'southward how to solve that and achieve your ideal image! (Reported by: Koji Ueda)

Scenario 1: Y'all want a brighter shot of people on phase, but your flash doesn't reach far enough

Tips
-Select the Shutter-priority AE fashion to prevent subject area mistiness.
- Use a higher ISO speed to brand up for the weaker flash lite.

EOS 600D/ EF70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM/ FL: 70mm (112mm equivalent)/ Shutter-priority AE (f/four,i/200 sec, EV +2)/ ISO 800/ WB: Auto/ Speedlite 580EX Ii/ East-TTL manner (Flash exposure compensation: EV+0.3)

The problem:

You are photographing an event, and are trying to get some shots of the people on stage. However, there is a barrier around the phase, and the closest you tin can become is 5 metres away.

You lot have your external flash with y'all, only with your ISO speed at 100, the calorie-free from information technology however doesn't reach far enough. You desire to brand your shot brighter, only how?

Before: Not as vivid as desired

How to prepare information technology:

Light from a flash diffuses and gets weaker the further information technology travels from the wink head. To make the shot brighter, you need to increase the exposure.

One way to do and so is to increase the ISO speed to make the camera sensor more than sensitive to light. For the top image, I chose to use this method as I could not slow down my shutter speed (1/200 second)—I needed to ensure abrupt shots of the models moving around on stage.

For this shot, I got the all-time results with ISO 800 and EV+2 exposure compensation. These settings not only gave me the bright shot I wanted, but also made the models' skin looked radiant!

Remember: Watch out for noise!

Depending on the lighting conditions, images can go visibly grainy ("noisy") at very high ISO speeds. Noise reduction technology is constantly improving, so if you have a newer camera, you tin use a higher ISO speed with less noise compared to an older photographic camera.

Position of the subject, camera and Speedlite

A: Approx. 5m

Scenario 2: Yous desire a portrait with natural lighting, but all possible bounce surfaces are also far away

Tips
- Use a reflector to bounciness your flash
- Use a high ISO speed. Supplement with exposure compensation and flash exposure compensation if necessary.

EOS 7D/ EF70-200mm f/4L IS USM/ FL: 97mm (155mm equivalent)/ Shutter-priority AE (f/4, i/125 sec, EV +1.3)/ ISO 800/ WB: Auto/ Speedlite 580EX Two/ Due east-TTL mode (Flash exposure compensation: EV+ii)

The trouble:

You are at an upshot held in a huge exhibition hall. You are dandy on getting some portrait shots, simply the stark ambience lite at the venue, while perfect for showcasing products, is too harsh for portraiture. The walls and pillars of the nearby booths cast shadows on your subjects' faces.

Billowy the flash would requite you the well-nigh natural results, merely the closest bounce-friendly walls and ceilings are all as well far abroad...

Before: Harsh shadows on the models' faces

How to fix it:

Such scenarios are why it is handy to have a reflector around when you lot shoot in large, open spaces. I had one with me which I used to bounce the wink lite.

For this shot, I once once more used a fast shutter speed (1/125 2nd in Shutter-priority mode) to preclude subject blur. This left me with iii exposure settings to suit to achieve my ideal brightness: ISO speed, exposure compensation and wink compensation.

The exact values you use volition depend on your scene and equipment. Here, I found that ISO 800 was the highest I could go before noise became visible. To further burnish the image, I set exposure compensation to EV+1.3 and wink compensation to EV+ii.

Position of the subject area, camera and Speedlite

A: Approx. 3m
B: Light from wink bounces off reflector

Bank check out the following manufactures for tips on taking attractive portraits:
3 Flattering Techniques to Learn from Professional Models
Techniques for Posing and Directing Portrait Subjects

Scenario 3: You lot want to capture a bird's vivid colours from far away

Tips
- Reduce the wink intensity to forestall the colours from being drowned out by excessive light.
- Heighten the ISO speed to ensure sufficient exposure.

EOS 50D/ EF100-400mm f/iv.v-v.6L IS USM/ Discontinuity-priority AE (f/5, 1/200 sec, EV-0.7)/ ISO m/ WB: Automobile/ Speedlite 580EX/ East-TTL mode (Flash exposure compensation: EV-0.three)
Photos by: Shogo Asao

The problem:

You are out in nature, looking for birds to photograph. Maybe the rain simply stopped, or maybe you lot are in a dense forest. In any case, there is very little sunlight and lighting weather condition are poor.

Finally, you lot see information technology—a brightly-coloured bird perched on a co-operative about 10 metres away from y'all. The shot is too night with no flash, then you fire your Speedlite. But this time, the intense light from the flash makes the image look unnatural and the bird'due south colours appear washed out.

How to fix it:

You certainly don't desire your wink to be too intense. For my shot, I dialed downward the flash bounty to EV-0.3. Even so, with that alone, the bird would not be bright enough. You need to detect some way to get more calorie-free into your shot.

Once again, this is where increasing the ISO speed helps. By making the camera'due south image sensor more light-sensitive, information technology enables you to capture enough light in the image even with a lower wink output.

My ISO speed for this shot was thousand, which allowed me to successfully capture the vivid colours of the bird despite the poor lighting and the distance.

Position of the subject field, camera and Speedlite

A: Approx. 10m

More tips on photographing wildlife in dim lighting here:
Wildlife Photography: 3 Techniques from Professional Photographers

How to adapt ISO speed

one. Select a shooting fashion

Select the appropriate shooting mode for your scene/subject area. (Av, Telly or M fashion)

2. Set the shutter speed and/or aperture

Ready the shutter speed and/or discontinuity that best suits your shooting intent.
*Notation: When a Catechism flash unit of measurement is attached, the maximum shutter speed yous tin can set is unremarkably between 1/200 to 1/300 second, depending on your camera model).

three. Set the ISO speed

Take a few examination shots to find the best ISO speed for your scene. Reminder: Watch out for noise!

4. Accommodate the ISO speed equally needed

If resulting image does not have the effulgence you expected, adjust the ISO speed again.

For more tips and techniques on using external flash, check out:
In Focus: The Nuts of External Flash Photography

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