Figuring out where to place the flash is important to ensure the resulting light is flattering looks natural.
The amount of light coming through the small window of this bedroom was miniscule. The window faced the neighbour’s exterior wall and it was a dark rainy day. The options were to either use the existing lamp light (see top left photo), the overhead room light (no thanks, unappealing shadows on faces), or my flash.
Using the lamp light wasn’t too bad, but if I wanted details to show up in faces and skin I would have to bump up my camera exposure (ISO) so much that there would have been a lot of “noise” in the images. The quality of the final image would suffer, so I prefer to keep my ISO lower. Some cameras handle high ISOs extremely well…mine is pretty average (I shot this session with the Canon 5D Mark iii).
So I used my trusty off-camera flash and I placed it right inside the lamp! It acted like a super bright light bulb. The direction of light was exactly the same as it would be with the lamp, so everyone’s faces were nicely side-lit (i.e. no under-eye shadows) and the room was nicely illuminated from the corner.
Jessica Nip Photography specializes providing a full service experience that starts with booking your session through to the beautiful tangible heirloom products being displayed in your home. Her style of soft, natural and light-filled imagery can be seen in all her maternity, newborn, child and family portraits in Toronto, Canada. Her favourite images are highlighted on the blog, but if you’d like to see what a full gallery looks like, please send her a note and she’d be happy to show you!
To inquire about a session, please click here or email Jessica at info@jessicanip.com.
