Okay, so I’ve been messing around with my camera’s flash lately, trying to get better at indoor shots. I kept seeing these photos with this really soft, natural-looking light, and I figured out it was something called “bounce flash.” So, I decided to give it a try myself, and here’s how it went.
The First Go – Total Fail
First, I just pointed my flash straight at my subject (my poor, unsuspecting dog, Max). Big mistake. The photos came out super harsh, with bright highlights and really dark shadows. Max looked like he was caught in a spotlight, and the background was practically black. It was the classic “deer in the headlights” look, and not in a good way.
Figuring Out the Bounce
Then I remembered reading something about bouncing the flash off the ceiling or a wall. The idea is that the light spreads out and becomes less intense. So, I tilted my flash head upwards, pointing it at the ceiling.
- First Attempt (Ceiling Bounce): I took a few shots, and wow, what a difference! The light was way softer, and Max actually looked like a normal dog, not a glowing demon. The shadows were still there, but they were much less harsh.
Playing with Angles
Next, I tried bouncing the flash off a side wall. This was a little trickier because I had to guess the angle. I held my hand out to the side to kind of visualize where the light would hit.
- Wall Bounce: It worked pretty well! The light came from the side, giving a bit more dimension and shape to Max’s face. I also use white paper as a small * was a bit more dramatic than the ceiling bounce, which I liked.
Things that affect my shooting
I played some games with angles and distances that will affect my shooting results.
- Distance from the wall/ceiling: I had to take a little move from the wall/ceiling so that I can avoid the shadows.
- Angle: It is about the light that spread to the subject, I have tried different angles to reach the best looking.
My Takeaways
So, after spending an afternoon blinding my dog (sorry, Max!), I definitely learned a few things:
- Direct flash is almost always a bad idea. It’s just too harsh.
- Bouncing the flash makes a huge difference. It’s like night and day.
- Ceiling bounce is easy and gives a nice, even light.
- Wall bounce is a bit more directional and can create more interesting shadows.
- It takes some practice to get the angles right, but it’s worth it.
I’m still a beginner, but I’m pretty happy with how my bounce flash experiments turned out. It’s definitely something I’ll keep practicing. I might even try getting a diffuser or a reflector to see how that changes things. But for now, I’m just glad I figured out how to make my indoor photos look a little less… terrible.
