Flash photography is a huge milestone in the world of photography. It enables us all to take good, quality photographs in all manner of conditions; indoors, outdoors, poorly lit areas, and so on so forth. However, it poses a unique challenge; flashlight has a tendency to ‘wash’ the face with extreme light, or create shadows on the subject. At the best, these shadows are seen as a sure sign of an unprofessional photographer; at worst, the can make a good picture appear really terrible and unusable. That’s why flash diffusers are a must have for every serious and upcoming photographer. A flash diffuser helps avoid several scenarios in flash photography, for instance;
- Flash diffusers can be used when you want to avoid over exposure, which manifests itself in form of an extreme, unnatural lighting on your subject. You’ve probably taken a photo even using your phone with the flash on, only for the photo to appear overly lighted, with the eyes looking shiny and reflecting the light for shots taken at night. Think of that shot you took of friends after night out at the car park, hoping to capture the fun of the moment; only to end up with a shot that had extreme light falling on the subjects.
- Secondly, you can use a flash diffuser to avoid instances of shadows that that form behind your subjects, especially on walls or the background. A beautiful and perfectly taken photo, let’s say of a human face, can be rendered useless by the mere presence of a shadow that casts itself behind on the wall. Diffusers will thus help remove these shadows and leave your photo looking more natural.
Some digital cameras come with an inbuilt flash diffuser that is automatic and self regulating. For some other brands, actually for most, you will have to get an external flash diffuser. The diffusers come in all sizes depending on the camera you’re using. For some experienced pros and seasoned photographers, one can also make a DIY flash diffuser, out of white materials. Really, this is often done as a last option where the photographer has to think fast and innovatively. In such instances, always pick un-tinted materials so that they spread the light rays evenly and avoid any shadows or dark castings behind the photo.
In summary;
You can do a bit of research online regarding the most ideal flash diffuser for the camera brand you are using. Most diffusers are readily available in your local camera accessories shop.