Foto Friday

Thus far, I've talked to you about:

The importance of crisp focus on your subject and encouraged you to use eyes and eyelashes to really make photographs POP.
I've talked about the importance of an uncluttered background and alternately, USING the background AS the subject.
I showed you how to accomodate with fencing and cages and let you in on the "secret" Rule of Thirds.

TODAY, however, I am going to tell you what NOT to do.

I am going to talk to you about something I never ever do. Never Ever Ever.

I will not do it in a house. Or on a mouse. I will not do it here or there. I will not do it anywhere.

I do not like it, Sam I am.

I will not use the flash on my camera-cam-cam.

I know many REAL photographers who do use the flash in certain circumstances (and then, with real-gig surrounding flashes and all that mumbo-jumbo) but since I do it poorly anyway (and am mumbo-jumboless) I avoid it altogether.

In fact, I was HARD PRESSED to find an example of why I hate using flash so much....UNTIL I remembered one instance a few months back where I went to take a picture and the camera was set on Auto and the flash popped up before I realized what was happening.

Not surprisingly, I hated the picture so much, I never posted it (despite the fact that I loved the moment that Corynn and Andrew came prancing into the kitchen at bedtime with homemade crowns taped to their foreheads.)

So here you go.

WHY do I loathe thee? Let me count the ways...




When you use flash photography, unsightly shadows outline your figures. The shadows can range from hideous gray outlines to huge monstrosities on the wall, depending on how far you are from your subject, and how far your subject is from the wall. ALL of them, are detestable. Their grayness swallows up every shred of beauty in a picture and spits it back out.

I do not like flash shadows---can you tell?!?

Not only that, flash can turn pale skin even pastier and make hair weird colors.

Not only THAT, but all depth is lost when flash is used.

My home is horribly lit when the sun goes down and so, I rarely bring out the camera after dusk. I would rather sacrifice a picture altogether than to take a crappy one.

I know that sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures. If something just HAS to be photographed when it is dark outside, go ahead and use the flash, I won't look. BUT. If it is daylight out, you should rarely need to use the flash.

SO.

Step one. Go shadow-seeking. Look through your photographs and see how many of them contain shadows. Admitting there is a problem is the very first step to fixing it.

Step two: Most camera's have optional flash. TURN IT OFF. Disposable cameras~don't push the flash button!

Instead, use these tips and tricks...

1) Position yourself near a window. Open a door. Open curtains. Move a chair. Do whatever it is to bring in more light to the subject. If you are photographing your kids tell 'em to look out the window. Plop 'em on the floor in front of an open door.

2) Of course, take pictures outside whenever you can...the brightness even of a bleak day is usually enough to get a nice photograph made.

3) Hold VERY still. Cameras will compensate for low light by adjusting their shutters to stay open longer, thus creating more time for camera shake to happen. Remember my tricks for holding the camera still and by all means~if your camera allows a 10-second timed delay-USE it! Put your camera on the table (or tripod) and put the 10 second delay on and you will virtually eliminate any camera shake. Remember, blurred pictures are no good unless they are MEANT to be that way.

4) Use candles, floorlamps, oil lamps, Christmas lights~anything~to create more light (knowing of course that these will result in a more orange-y light).

Try very hard not to use the flash and I bet you will find, eventually, that you don't NEED to at all.