Friday, June 7, 2013

How & When to Bounce Camera Light

How & When to Bounce Camera Light

Using a built-in or top-mounted flash on your camera can make your photographs look flat and uninteresting. Moving the flash or light source off to the side, and using reflected (bounced) light will help to shape and model your subject to create a beautiful image. The whole point of using bounced light is to create depth in an image without creating harsh shadows. When you bounce a light, shadows will fall off quickly, and will be more subtle than direct light, creating a soft shadow effect.

Equipment

    A camera flash that can be angled to bounce off the ceiling.
    A camera flash that can be angled to bounce off the ceiling.

    You will need a camera flash or some other kind of light source, such as a movie light or strobe. You will also need some kind of flat bounce surface. Surfaces can range from a light colored wall, a bounce card, a professional reflector, a white piece of paper or a large piece of foam core.

Low Light Situations

    In low light situations, where there is not much available light, bounce your flash off the ceiling. This creates a pleasant soft light that will illuminate both your subject and the surrounding environment, without creating harsh shadows. The downside to this is that it creates elongated shadows on your subject. Avoid this by using a second bounce source, like a white piece of foamcore or a bounce card reflector to the side of the subject to bounce extraneous light into the shadows.

Bright Situations

    A reflector umpbrella used as a fill source.
    A reflector umpbrella used as a fill source.

    In bright situations, use your flash to create fill light. Line up your subject with the bright light source functioning as a back light (light behind the subject). Use a bounce card to reflect the light source to one side of the subject for the key (main) light, and if you have a second flash or other light source, use that as an extra fill light.

Neutral Light Situations

    In neutral light situations, where there are few, if any, shadows (such as a cloudy day outside), use a bounce card to add some extra depth to the subject. Line up the card at about a 45-degree angle to the subject, and bounce your flash off of that, exposing the image for the flash. This will "create" shadows that will give your image depth.

Other Creative Bouncing Techniques

    You can use bounced light to illuminate the background of a shot. Place your light source on the floor in front of a wall, about six inches to a foot away. Aim the light upwards towards the wall, bouncing off the wall and ceiling. This will create a nice glowing effect behind the subject. Place colored gels in front of the light or flash to create color effects. You can also place objects in front of the wall but behind your subject to create silhouette effects.


How & When to Bounce Camera Light

Using a built-in or top-mounted flash on your camera can make your photographs look flat and uninteresting. Moving the flash or light source off to the side, and using reflected (bounced) light will help to shape and model your subject to create a beautiful image. The whole point of using bounced light is to create depth in an image without creating harsh shadows.

Enhance your photography skill,The Top Secret Photography Techniques

. When you bounce a light, shadows will fall off quickly, and will be more subtle than direct light, creating a soft shadow effect.

Equipment

    A camera flash that can be angled to bounce off the ceiling.
    A camera flash that can be angled to bounce off the ceiling.

    You will need a camera flash or some other kind of light source, such as a movie light or strobe. You will also need some kind of flat bounce surface. Surfaces can range from a light colored wall, a bounce card, a professional reflector, a white piece of paper or a large piece of foam core.

Low Light Situations

    In low light situations, where there is not much available light, bounce your flash off the ceiling. This creates a pleasant soft light that will illuminate both your subject and the surrounding environment, without creating harsh shadows. The downside to this is that it creates elongated shadows on your subject. Avoid this by using a second bounce source, like a white piece of foamcore or a bounce card reflector to the side of the subject to bounce extraneous light into the shadows.

Bright Situations

    A reflector umpbrella used as a fill source.
    A reflector umpbrella used as a fill source.

    In bright situations, use your flash to create fill light. Line up your subject with the bright light source functioning as a back light (light behind the subject). Use a bounce card to reflect the light source to one side of the subject for the key (main) light, and if you have a second flash or other light source, use that as an extra fill light.

Neutral Light Situations

    In neutral light situations, where there are few, if any, shadows (such as a cloudy day outside), use a bounce card to add some extra depth to the subject. Line up the card at about a 45-degree angle to the subject, and bounce your flash off of that, exposing the image for the flash. This will "create" shadows that will give your image depth.

Other Creative Bouncing Techniques

    You can use bounced light to illuminate the background of a shot. Place your light source on the floor in front of a wall, about six inches to a foot away. Aim the light upwards towards the wall, bouncing off the wall and ceiling. This will create a nice glowing effect behind the subject. Place colored gels in front of the light or flash to create color effects. You can also place objects in front of the wall but behind your subject to create silhouette effects.



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