One of the biggest problems photographers encounter when using flash are harsh shadows in the background. In particular, flash shadows are the bane of anyone who shoots portrait photography (for more on problems like this, see 99 common photography problems – and how to solve them).
In the tutorial below we show you how you can eliminate shadows from your pictures so you can start taking flawless portraits.
An example of harsh shadows
How to eliminate harsh shadows when using flash
Step 1: Watch your distance
To avoid horrible shadows on flash-lit portraits, ensure that your subject is positioned two feet or more in front of the background. Even bounced flash will struggle to make shadows disappear from a subject that’s placed directly in front of a background.
Step 2: Bounce it all around
Pointing the head of a hotshoe flashgun vertically and bouncing the light off the ceiling is a simple way to avoid subject shadows. As the light hits the ceiling it diffuses and bounces around the room, illuminating the space between the subject and the background (see our guide to Bounce flash photography in 4 simple steps).
Step 3: Set the power and zoom
As the light has reflected off the ceiling, you’ll lose a stop or two of power. Let the camera look after the exposure and keep the flash power at the standard TTL setting, with no compensation. Change the flash zoom to 50mm for the most effective spread of light.
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