Workshop 18

Still Life with Bounce Flash

How to bounce TTL flash

Using a black foamie thing to soften direct light

Long-distance bounce flash

Many photographers avoid using built-in flash because of the harsh and often unattractive results it produces. Portraits shot with direct flash usually look like mug shots, and product photos look cheap. Direct flash is not diffused and is directed along the camera’s optical axis, resulting in very short shadows. The small size of the light source also contributes to its hardness. The obvious solution is to enlarge the light source and alter its location—two adjustments that can be made by simply aiming your flash at a wall, which reflects the light and looks like daylight through a window.

The ...

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