Fixing Harsh Flash Lighting

Summary

Harsh flash lighting is typically a setup issue, not an inherent problem with flash technology. Photographer John Gress identifies four common causes: light distance, light source size, overexposure, and ambient light interaction. He demonstrates how moving a light source further away causes rapid falloff, while larger modifiers create softer shadows. Shooting in RAW is crucial for recovering overexposed highlights, unlike JPEGs. Gress also explains how increasing flash power can negatively impact an image and provides methods to correct this without adding complexity.

Key points

• Harsh flash lighting is usually due to setup errors, not the flash itself.
• Key issues include light distance, light source size, overexposure, and ambient light interaction.
• Larger light modifiers and proper distance create softer shadows.
• Shooting in RAW is essential for recovering overexposed highlights.