Key Points
- TTL flash works with Auto mode on your camera for an easy point-and-shoot experience. But try Manual mode for creative control.
- Use simple settings for indoor applications. Then adjust as needed for different looks/effects.
- Think of Shutter Speed as a way to control how much ambient or background light appears in your photo. Faster speeds (e.g. 1/250) record less amounts of ambient light, while slower speeds (e.g. 1/15) record more ambient light, but potentially more motion blur.
- Your flash is a small light source which can produce harsh light when used directly. BOUNCE (reflect light off a wall) to create a larger area of light to illuminate your subject. This will create a softer, more flattering light pattern. This is especially true when light also reflects off other surfaces in the environment, bouncing back toward the subject to fill in hard shadow transitions.
Bounce Your Flash
Let’s cut to the chase and kick things off with my all-time favorite on-camera flash technique for portraits: the wall bounce. In my view, this is the ultimate way to mimic the look of beautiful window light or achieve softbox-style portraits using just a wall and an on-camera flash unit.
Position yourself and your subject about three feet (approximately 1 meter) away from a light-colored wall, facing each other. Tilt the flash head slightly upward and rotate it so that it hits the wall, as demonstrated in the video diagram. Feel free to adjust your positioning relative to the wall and your subject to get the look you’re aiming for.
If you’re indoors and have access to other light-colored walls and a ceiling, even better! The natural bounce you’ll get from multiple surfaces will provide varying degrees of illumination, enhancing the overall look. In fact, mastering the art of bouncing your flash is the cornerstone of exceptional on-camera flash portrait lighting. It all boils down to employing the right technique for the task at hand.
I recommend finding a “sweet spot”—a particular distance and orientation to the wall that consistently yields the best portraits. Start there and make adjustments as needed. This approach offers incredible versatility, allowing you to achieve everything from dramatic split-lighting to gentle, even illumination. The subject’s orientation to the wall, along with the extra bounce lighting from other surfaces in the room, will influence the overall contrast and quality of your lighting.