| Many of us do not think twice about the usage of | | | | Another example is in scenarios where the flash |
| our digital camera's flash assuming that the | | | | creates unwanted shadows in the digital photo. |
| camera will use the flash automatically as needed. | | | | Yet another example is exaggeration of details |
| Flash however can and should be manually set in | | | | such as when shooting a digital photo of an older |
| many scenarios resulting in high quality digital | | | | person the skin wrinkles and imperfections details |
| photos. | | | | can be overly detailed. |
| The most common usage of flash photography is | | | | Digital camera's flash units have a certain |
| when there is not enough ambient light for | | | | effective range. This is a limitation of how much |
| example when taking an indoor digital photo in a | | | | light energy the flash unit can emit. Internal flash |
| dark room. There are many other ways in which | | | | units usually have shorter range than external |
| you can use your digital camera's flash to get high | | | | flash units. If the object in the photo is outside of |
| quality digital photos. One such usage is fill-in flash. | | | | the flash range the flash will not be effective and |
| Before setting your flash to manual mode and | | | | the object will be dark. On the other hand if the |
| making more efficient usage of it you should | | | | object is too close to the flash unit or the flash |
| know a bit more of the technology and history | | | | unit emits too much energy the object will be |
| behind flash photography. Flash photography has | | | | washed out. If your object is outside of your |
| been around for more than a century. During the | | | | flash unit effective range you should turn off the |
| early days of photography flash was implemented | | | | flash and use slow shutter photography preferably |
| as a powder that was literally lit by either fire or | | | | with a tripod or another stabilizing mechanism. If |
| electrical current. At that time flash photography | | | | your flash units allows the setting of the light |
| was a risky business. Digital cameras today use a | | | | energy that will be fired (usually by setting the |
| safe implementation by utilizing electronic flash | | | | distance to the object) make sure that it is set |
| tubes that are automatically synchronized with the | | | | right to prevent washed out objects. |
| camera's shutter. | | | | In some scenarios there will be enough ambient |
| You have two options for using flash with your | | | | light to take a digital photo but without the usage |
| digital camera. The first option is using the digital | | | | of the flash the digital photo quality will be very |
| camera internal flash. Practically all digital cameras | | | | poor. In such scenario if the camera is left on |
| have build-in flash units. Most cameras also allow | | | | automatic flash mode it will not fire the flash. For |
| the usage of an external flash unit. Such flash | | | | example daytime photography with an object |
| units can be either mechanically attached to the | | | | that is shadowed. If the object is wearing a hat it |
| digital camera or they can be connected to the | | | | can create shades on the object's face or when |
| camera via a cable and mechanically positioned on | | | | the object is lit from the side the object's nose |
| a tripod or any other mechanism. They are | | | | can create shades too. Putting the flash in manual |
| synchronized and controlled by the digital camera. | | | | fill-in mode will force the flash to fire. The flash will |
| External flash units vary in price and features. | | | | lit those shadowed areas and prevent the shades |
| They can have different maximum light energy | | | | in the final digital photo. The object of course |
| that they can emit and different mechanical | | | | must be in effective flash range. Another example |
| capabilities (tilting, skewing). | | | | is an object that is lit from behind such as when |
| In automatic flash mode the camera sensors | | | | taking a digital photo of an object against a |
| evaluate the amount of ambient light in the scene. | | | | sunset. Without a fill-in flash the photo will likely be |
| The digital camera fires the flash if the amount of | | | | just a dark silhouette of the object. |
| ambient light is not high enough. There are | | | | These were some basic concepts behind flash |
| limitations to the cameras automatic sensors | | | | usage. There are many other advanced options |
| resulting in either firing the flash when it was not | | | | for your digital camera flash. For example bounce |
| needed or vice versa. | | | | flash can result in great digital photos in that mode |
| In some scenarios the usage of flash can result in | | | | instead of pointing the flash directly at the object |
| poor digital photos. For example when the object | | | | it is pointed to some reflecting surface like a wall |
| is too close to the digital camera the flash light will | | | | or a special reflector. The result is more natural |
| be too strong and will wash out the object. | | | | light and color rich digital photos. |