In this video, the author discusses the best way to use flash for indoor photography, starting with a slow shutter speed of about 1/100, as open an aperture as possible like f/2.8, ISO 400, and flash power of 1/32. The author then goes through a step-by-step process on how to balance ambient light and flash, discussing camera and flash settings together.
Flash photography is any type of photography where you illuminate the scene or the subject with any device that emits a burst of light. This can be anything from LED lights on your camera to off-camera flashes for added interior illumination. By using the right techniques, you can create beautiful, well-lit photos without having to go to a studio.
Off-camera flashes are an attractive alternative to using flash for added interior illumination. By precisely calculating exposure settings for outside light and strategically placing flashguns inside, shadows can be created. To light a large room with one tiny Speedlite, all you need is a tripod, a way to trigger the flash as you move around the room, and a remote trigger for the camera (a good friend even more useful).
To get the best exposure indoors with a flash, dial the ambient light down to zero, set the camera to a tight aperture and a very long exposure, and manually trigger the flash. To create a full ambient exposure, drop the exposure down to create a little “drama”, and bring the subject back up to full exposure.
In addition to flash photography, there is a step-by-step tutorial on combining HDR and flash photography for “flambient” real estate photography that will wow clients and buyers. Having your flash wireless allows you to position it wherever you want within a scene to add light exactly where you want it.
📹 How to Use Flash for Interior Design Photography
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer on how to use flash for interior photos, but in this video I go over some common scenarios and …
Should I use a flash for interior photography?
To achieve effective flash photography, it is essential to balance both ambient light and flash settings. Keep the camera settings for ambient light, possibly one stop underexposed, while using the flash to expose the subject correctly. High ISO settings may be necessary to prevent strong light falloff. Aiming the light towards the left or right can change the flashlight into directional light, producing great directional light. Avoid using the ceiling for bouncing flash, as it can cause unflattering shadows under eyebrows, nose, and skin.
When using multiple windows, strong backlight can make directional light use difficult. Using only ambient light can either overexpose the background or make the subject too dark, which can be avoided with fill flash. In worst-case scenarios, the subject may become a silhouette, requiring the use of directional light.
How do you light an internal room?
Sunpipes are reflective metal tubes that channel sunlight from a clear dome in the roof to areas needing it. They can increase natural light in dark bathrooms, cloakrooms, dressing tables, and desks. They work best on upper floors or single-storeys, as light diminishes as the pipe length increases. Sunpipes are an affordable solution for areas where windows or rooflights aren’t available. A clerestory is another option for bringing light into rooms without compromising privacy or planning permission.
How to bounce flash indoors?
Bounce flash is a technique that creates soft, flattering light and an angled lighting effect using a single flash mounted to your camera. Instead of directly pointing the flash at the subject, you can angle it upward or to the side, allowing the light to bounce off the wall. This results in beautiful results, such as soft, flattering light and angled lighting. Examples of using bounce flash include a snapshot with hard shadows and overexposed and underexposed details, and a closer shot with flat lighting.
How do you use ambient light with flash?
The process involves obtaining a full ambient exposure, reducing it to create drama, and then bringing the subject back to full exposure by adding flash. It’s important to note that f/stop and shutter speed control exposure differently. Shutter is a time-based control, while f/stop is a diameter-of-the-lens-hole based control. Flash light doesn’t matter about the shutter as long as the camera’s top “sync” speed is at or below it, which is usually around 1/250th or 1/200th of a second.
How can I illuminate my room without electricity?
A variety of non-electric alternatives to electricity are readily available, including oil lamps, flashlights, battery-powered lamps, and lanterns. Oil lamps offer a clean, energy-efficient light source, while flashlights are portable and well-suited for short-term or emergency use, making them a convenient and cost-effective solution.
How to light a room with a flashlight?
To install a ceiling light in a dark living room, hang a powerful LED flashlight with rechargeable batteries. However, the bright white light from the flashlight is too cold and difficult to hang from the ceiling. To fix this, drill a hole in the ceiling, insert a plastic drywall thingy, and drive in a screw with a washer to secure it in place. This way, the light can be enjoyed and the room becomes more bright. The process is simple and secure, making it a great addition to any living room. The light is now more comfortable and inviting to the room.
What ISO for indoor flash?
Practice makes proficient! Set your camera’s flash to Aperture f2. 8, ISO 400, and flash power of 1/32 or 1/64. Adjust the flash power if necessary. Take test shots of an object, starting with 1/250 and gradually decreasing to 1/50. Note how these settings affect the light around and on the subject. Shutter speed does not affect the subject’s exposure. To receive these education posts, subscribe to your inbox.
Can you use flash in daylight?
In certain circumstances, the use of Flash can be beneficial, for instance, when enhancing photographs in which the sun is at a high angle and a person wearing a hat casts a shadow over their eyes. This can facilitate the legibility of the eyes. Nevertheless, it is not obligatory or indispensable. It can also be employed to illuminate scenes devoid of shadows, but it should be utilized judiciously to prevent the appearance of overexposure or artificiality.
How do you make flash look like sunlight?
The text suggests that in post-production, one can enhance the effect of a shot by experimenting with color overlays, photo filters, and color balance layers. A smaller light source from a distance can create shadows that resemble a golden hour shot. The key is to keep the shutter speed slow enough to sync with the flash, and if this isn’t possible, consider adding a two-stop ND filter to the lens for a slower shutter. The models in the text are Weston, Haley, Bijan Hair, and Cindy Rankin.
Why do photographers use flash instead of continuous light?
Flash photography is ideal for situations where fast movement is needed, such as sports or pet photography. It overpowers ambient light and makes subjects appear brighter than their natural settings. Higher-powered flash units can reach and light subjects more effectively than continuous lighting, which requires placing artificial light close to the subject. Flash lighting allows for the duration of the flash to freeze motion, unlike continuous lighting which requires a faster shutter speed and aperture adjustments. Flash lighting is also suitable for situations where artificial light cannot be placed close to the subject, such as football players on a field.
How to use flash indoors?
To learn photography, adjust the settings of your flash, such as shutter speed, ISO, and flash power, depending on the ambient light. Once you’ve reached the correct exposure, leave it alone and only adjust your aperture. Take pictures of an object, altering only your aperture each time, and observe the results. If you’re unsure how to set your flash in manual mode, check out tutorials on YouTube. “TTL” stands for “Through The Lens”, which is the “auto” mode of flash.
📹 The Foolproof Flash Method for Perfect Interiors & Real Estate Photos!! (With Free Practice Photos)
Gear Links Below ↓↓↓ My Photo Setup for 2022 CAMERA BODY (Canon EOS R) – https://amzn.to/2PTPNcm WIDE LENS …
I would I’ve shot : -One exposure no flash for the inside, outside overexposed -One exposure for the outside with me on the frame standing as close as possible to the tv flashing the ceiling (tv side), and would keep the sofa side of the image -One exposure same setting but on the sofa side, flashing the ceiling (sofa side) and keep the tv side of the image -One exposure same setting but behind the camera flashing the window, as a security shot (in case one of the last two ones got random shadow i can’t fix with the 1st exposure but from my experience, every light coming from the back of the camera looks bad. depending on the type of shoot and budget, i can walk the scene with my flash and light more specific area, but assuming your case is a 2h max real estate, 3 shot is enough =photoshop, starting with the 1st image at first, then adding 2nd and 3nd with mixed technique of fusion mask. I’ve been doing this technic for more then 10Y on my hotel/luxury real estate business with great success. You have the best of natural light and sharp colorful light from the flash, i dumped HDR 20Y ago. I’m using a profoto B2 + the canon remote app on my iPhone to control setting on the fly so i don’t have to go back and forth to the camera. I can adjust flash power very fast and check on the iPhone screen i get the expected result on the side of the image I’m keeping. Bonus, i don’t touch the camera at all and don’t need to align them on post. The fun of this technic is you get your customer telling you everyday, hey, you’re on the frame 😂 PS: enjoying your website 🙂
Love the use of the combined darken layers, this is a great method. Creative ways to solve some of those RE photography problems. I’ve been developing my own method over the last 2-3 years and while my method has a few key differences but it’s kinda blowing my mind how similar our line of thinking is (I even have an ambient, dark ambient, the bounce, two direct flash shots and refer to it as a foolproof method. I initially I thought it was actually the same haha! If you felt so inclined you might find the snoot attachment (or even just popping the dome off) for the V1/round head may help with the window shots too. It will cut the amount of light bouncing around the room/on the roof and cut the resulting glare off the windows if they’re dirty at all (is it me or are windows always dirty, even in a clean house). Cuts it down to just the two dots of the flash which darken mode alone usually gets rid of. It’s a little extra work on site but I found it cuts more time in post. In the sea of RE photogs on YT that just solely do rebranded standard flambient but don’t add anything it’s good to see some innovation! Great stuff
Have you started using CTO gels on houses you need lights on, mainly with twilight shoots? I’ve seen the method, but trying to make sense of it. They say it’s for color matching with interior lights, but when you raise the shutter to 1/60-1/100, you effectively cancel out what the interior lights affect.
Hi Taylor! Love the colors with the flash!! Have you increased your rates with this added skill? It seems like it’s more time consuming. I have been using some features in Lightroom (linear and radial gradients) that seems to work similar to this but obviously not as well. Always love your content! Hello from California 👋🏼
Thanks for the in depth workflow. This process seemed a little complicated in the editing process but it’s always cool to see how other photographers work. I’m using a canon m50 and I’ve recently noticed how much sharper my shots are by using flash instead of HDR. So I am starting to practice the flambient method