Off-camera flash, where the flash is positioned away from the camera but still pointing at the subject, gives a much better light but it can be complex and expensive. Bounce flash can be used to create the same effect as an off-camera flash, but by using one that is on camera! Instead of aiming the flash at the subject, you aim it at the ceiling or wall, or some other reflective surface.
The flash bounces off that surface and onto the subject as if the flash was positioned where the surface is, rather than on the camera. Your browser does not support iFrame. Not only can this create a nice off-axis directional light, but it can also soften the harshness of a hotshoe flash or bare bulb strobe by spreading the light out and wrapping it around your subject.
Next up, the following image was taken with the flash aimed directly up, bouncing the light off the ceiling directly above the camera. Take a close look at the lighting, what do you notice this time? Can you see the difference in the resulting image below right away? This is because the light source is no longer the actual flash head itself, it is the part of the wall that is being lit and bouncing light back.
That is a much larger light source the wall compared to the flash head so therefore the light is softer. The shadows are deeper under his chin, and under his eyes, but they are not as crisp.
That is a sign of softer lighting. That is what you want for most subjects. This is my favorite trick to use when there are no other options. Look closely at his eyes. In the one with the flash aimed straight up his eyes are dark, there is no light hitting them at all.
In the one above with the flash aimed up and back. That is a good thing! Be really aware of this, especially for people with really deep-set eyes. The next option is to bounce the flash to one side or the other. This is a great choice if there is a white or neutral colored wall available for bouncing the flash. Notice how the side-lighting in the image above adds shape and dimension to his face.
You want shadows , just good ones in the right direction. The lighting pattern looks like a complex studio setup with big lights and multiple flashes. But it is just the light from that one flash, on-camera, simpled rotated and aimed to the left. That is not too hard, right? You can do this!
NOTE: If there are no white or neutral walls available to bounce, you can get a large white collapsible reflector to take with you anywhere. Super portable and affordable. Now that you have the idea you can literally aim your flash anywhere to bounce it. Choosing your camera settings in a bounce flash scenario is really all about exposure. You can approach this from two different directions:.
However, you can also dial in your camera settings , then manually adjust your flash power until you get the exposure you like! In either case, you should take a test shot. If the result is too dark, try increasing the flash power, increasing the ISO, widening the aperture, or slowing down the shutter speed.
If the result is too light, consider decreasing the flash power, decreasing the ISO, narrowing the aperture, or increasing the shutter speed. In the image below, there is no obvious harsh shadow, there is nice light falloff and modeling on his face, and the surrounding area is properly exposed.
Bounced light looks great when you have a nearby ceiling or wall preferably white, so there is no color cast to the light. There are certain scenarios where trying to bounce the light will actually hurt your images. I see photographers do this all the time, and it only serves to darken your subject. Put your camera in Manual mode and dial in a nice exposure.
Then angle your flash toward the surface in question, take a shot of a nearby subject, then check your LCD. Then take a second shot, this time without any flash. Do you notice a difference?
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