Tuesday, October 27, 2009

tentang Basic Photography Tips - Don't Flash

whenever i snap a picture.. the first snap will will not have flash turned on. if the whole picture is a blur.. i'll snap another one and try my best to stay still.. and if the subject is blur then i'll take a series of snaps (bracketing). and if that doesn't work.. i'll consider turning on the flash.

in this post.. i'm talking about the built-in flash on every standard digital camera. not the fancy ones :D



yes i dont like to use flash. apart from using a lot of battery power, it ruins the picture. how? -
1) the background will become very dark
2) the picture will look 'flat' (loose depth between foreground, subject and background)
3) if the subject is a person, most of the time his/her face will look shiny. sweaty.
4) the picture will look at least 50% less attractive (if attraction is a measurable subject)

example..


so personally, using flash is always the last option to me. unless i am in a studio or i have enough equipment and proper flash. else, i'll try to be really still when i snap. avoid using flash if u can.. trust me.. it'll do u good. and technology right now so advanced that you can not use flash and still get a pretty good picture.

anyone wanna add some things abt not using flash feel free to do so ya! lets share knowledge ^^


EDIT :-
i've realized there's some flash related things that i should add.. so here it is.
when u press the 'thunder' (flash) button, most camera will shuffle between modes-

1) Forced Flash -
the 'thunder icon'. turns the flash On. will always use flash.

2) Supressed Flash -
the 'no thunder' icon. turns the flash Off. will never flash.

3) Automatic Flash -
the 'thunder' icon with word 'AUTO'. camera decides if flash is needed or not.

3) Red Eye Redution -
the 'Eye' icon. when taking picture with flash On, will prevent eyes of the person in picture to look like a demon with red eye XD

3) Delayed Flash -
this is somewhat new to me.. prevents the background to look too dark when using flash. but must stay still to use this function.
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14 comments:

  1. JujuOctober 27, 2009 at 12:21 PM

    betul3..klu guna flash, gambar boleh jadik kiok..

    ReplyDelete
  2. kusutOctober 27, 2009 at 12:35 PM

    fuh pantas! thanks jue

    hehe.. yeah owh i'm working to add some more stuff lah.

    ReplyDelete
  3. EastbulletdotComOctober 27, 2009 at 1:27 PM

    but when not using flash.. sometimes the picture may bit blur...

    terutama dalam tempat gelap.. kene pegang camera betol2 tegap kalo xnak bg picture blur..

    camaner tu erk..?? ade tips..?

    i hope u can reply it in my blog

    ReplyDelete
  4. CafferyOctober 27, 2009 at 2:11 PM

    Nice tips, and yea, I agree, no flash is better.

    ReplyDelete
  5. yoon seeOctober 27, 2009 at 3:13 PM

    Thanks kusut, I agree too:)

    ReplyDelete
  6. kusutOctober 27, 2009 at 3:31 PM

    @eastbullet chaotic - hmm.. the solution other than staying still will be increasing the amount of light that falls onto the subject. and that will involve flash.

    but if the camera have advanced settings, try using higher ISO, and use larger aperture (lower number).

    one more thing to help get better picture would be to take more than one picture. if the camera can do multiple consecutive snaps (bracketing), do that. dont worry about taking too much picture because digital cameras dont use film.

    @Caffery - ^^

    ReplyDelete
  7. kusutOctober 27, 2009 at 4:48 PM

    @yoon see - no worries. pleasure to share ^^

    ReplyDelete
  8. richOctober 27, 2009 at 5:09 PM

    yeah no flash is better. But there are some instances that a flash is needed.

    My sis taught me something about not blurring a photo without flash. Hold the camera using your two hands so that it has a stable base. Then the moment you take the picture. Hold your breath for a while until the picture is saved. Try it works. :)

    Also placing the cam in a tripod or in a steady surface like the table ensures you a no-blur pic ;)

    ReplyDelete
  9. kusutOctober 27, 2009 at 5:45 PM

    agreed ^^

    i only use flash when i am in a 'paparazi' situation. the kind of situation where getting the picture taken is more important than getting a pretty picture.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Tony WanOctober 27, 2009 at 8:34 PM

    Hahaha. Use FlashGun lah :D

    ReplyDelete
  11. NessaOctober 27, 2009 at 9:59 PM

    LOL! OK, from now on I will only use flash in a 'paparazzi' situation :D

    when I don't have a tripod with me, I use anything as support... sometimes a box of tissues pun jadi la or pinjam je bahu orang kejap!

    ReplyDelete
  12. J2KfmOctober 27, 2009 at 10:10 PM

    unless you're brandishing a DSLR with a flash unit, using flash in perfectly bright, or not too dark environment may just spoil a good picture.
    you'll lose the details of the background.
    i rarely use them unless reli reli necessary. even then, i stay a distance away from the subject, or any nearby reflective materials.

    good blog.

    ReplyDelete
  13. kusutOctober 28, 2009 at 9:59 AM

    @Tony Wan - lol^^

    @Nessa - yes definitely use support. we human are not so good at staying still.. so leaning on something (or someone) is a real good idea.

    @J2Kfm - u're right. if we need to use the flash.. dont stand too close to the subject or it will make the picture look weird.

    i think even with DSLR flash unit.. a direct flash doesnt look pretty.

    ^^

    ReplyDelete
  14. AaronOctober 29, 2009 at 1:23 AM

    Good tip, thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete

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