Tricky Flash Lighting | Fashion Photos | Photo Forum

I’m not sure which TOpic to place this question under. It’s related to using Flash.

I use a small umbrella alot. I understand, as their are more people in a shot, i’d have to stand further away to fit them in, meaning also that my flash wouldn’t matter so much as far as “modeling light”. So really, i figure that the best use of an umbrella is for single or up to about 3 people because it’s for modeling light.

Now, i understand that since i don’t want that flat flash look, i could underexpose my flash alot still if they are pretty much silouetted, and it would only effect the darkest shadow areas BEFORE affecting the rest of the silouette. That’s good. Even if the flash is still under exposed some, at least the eye sockets, under chin shadows will be the first to go.

I can bring up the rest of the overall silouette figures in lightroom. This way i can avoid some of the shiny flash skin, but still using it to lift those poeckets of darkest shadow areas.

Oksana, how would you go about illuminating a silouetted (against say, the sun as backlight)?   Is using on camera flash for that really bad because it’s not modled light?  (if i don’t have anywhere to bounce, or it’s more than 4 people or so).

I can’t really use off camera flash , or it would have some people’s faces in shadow because of the cast shadows oe each other.