The flashes built into cameras usually do not have enough power. You can compensate for this to some extent by using a wide-open aperture and a higher photosensitivity. — dpa
Flash photography is tricky to get right and not just for amateurs. "Even professionals are afraid of the flash," says Udo Kraemer from the German Association for Photography. Fortunately there are a few tips to follow to get the best result.
It sometimes happens that an image is underexposed despite using the flash or else only the person in the foreground can be seen while the background remains dark. "That's physics," Kraemer explains. "The light changes according to the square of the distance."
That means the further away the object is, the more powerful the flash must be. So if the distance to an object is doubled the flash needs to be four time stronger.
The flashes built into cameras usually do not have enough power. You can compensate for this to some extent by using a wide-open aperture and a higher photosensitivity (ISO).
"The ISO increases the flash range," Kraemer says. However, in cheaper cameras a higher ISO can lead to image noise. If taking a portrait picture, some backlighting can work well when used alongside a flash, Kraemer says.
Another common problem in flash photography is red eyes. That's caused by the flash being reflected off people's dilated pupils. What can help is to take several pictures with the flash, as pupils get smaller as they get used to the light.
An external flash farther away from the axis between the camera and the subject can also significantly reduce the danger of red eye.
"Apart from exceptional cases, one should avoid the camera's built-in flash and buy a good flash unit instead," advises photography expert Andreas Jordan.
These are not only more powerful, but also allow you to set up the flash in an indirect location such as at ceiling level.
"The result is a softer, more pleasant light, and even hard drop shadows can be avoided," Jordan says. When buying a camera you should make sure that the built-in flash is as bright as possible, he advises. "With the external flash, it is also important that the flash head can be swivelled in all directions," he says.
You can also improve flash photos taken with a smartphone by adjusting the ISO value – assuming your phone allows you to do that. Taking photos in HDR can also help – this mode takes several photos and blends them into one image.
"HDR brightens dark areas in the image without falsifying them with over-brightening," says photographer Alexander Emunds. – dpa
