With camera sensors this good, is flash photography still needed?

Flash systems, often combined with a softbox for softer light, are used by professionals in studios - but there are also smaller models for clip-on flashes. — dpa

BERLIN: Handheld shots at night and at dusk tend to be blurred. But if you use a flash to provide some light and illuminate the subject, you may destroy the mood. So how do you take the perfect photo in low light?

If you own a modern camera, you don’t have to worry about it. "Sensors on modern cameras are now so light-sensitive that photographers hardly ever need to use a flash, especially when fast lenses are used," says photography specialist Sophia Zimmermann.

Cameras that are no more than about five-years-old can usually capture dim light scenarios atmospherically and sharply all by themselves. The same goes for smartphones. The harsh light of a flash on the other hand can make the photo look artificial.

"On modern smartphones with an integrated night mode, several photos are automatically shot one after the other and calculated by the integrated software into one photo that is relatively well lit," says Zimmermann. This can work even for photos of the night sky.

Avoiding noise

If necessary, the amount of light to be captured can be varied manually using the camera's exposure time, aperture and ISO sensitivity, a process that’s known as pushing. If the ISO number is as high as possible, the sensor will capture more light.

But be careful of so-called noise, the interference caused by out-of-focus or mismatched pixels.

"Depending on the camera, noise can occur, such as background noise, so 'pushing' does not suit every subject," Zimmermann says.

Current digital cameras with small sensors can shoot noise-free at ISO 3200, while high-quality, full-frame cameras can shoot at over ISO 6400.

"This makes for atmospheric evening scenes, but not necessarily high-resolution portraits," says the expert.

Using the flash is an art in itself

This is where carefully using a flash offers some advantages. "A flash controls the direction of light manually. This allows photographers to determine the light direction themselves and use it creatively, ideal for portraits," says professional photographer Daniel Wollstein.

Andreas Lindlahr, also a professional photographer, advises using the flash only cautiously in amateur photography. This includes, for example, a discreet flash that is not obviously apparent or using one as a backlight to soften a harsh contrast between shadow and light.

Correct use of a flash, however, requires a lot of practice and has to be fine-tuned for each situation.

Inexpensive clip-on flashes that can be operated manually are available for less than €100/US$100 (RM448.40), says Sophia Zimmermann.

Andreas Lindlahr advises, however, that the money would be better invested in a tripod because no photographer can rule out a shaky hand.

With a tripod, long exposure times can be achieved without blurring the photo. Depending on the subject, that can make a flash superfluous. – dpa