By Phin Upham
Not every DSLR has alternative flash modes, but those that do offer a great benefit to you as a photographer. It may not be a deal breaker for some, but if your camera has flash modes then you’re already getting a decent bargain. Of course, you made need an extra flash bulb to take full advantage, but these tips will help you determine which flash modes are right for you, and why.
Every DSLR includes modes that determine how the flash behaves under certain circumstances. Automated flash will do all of the heavy lifting, but you can set your flash to operate in pulses or in one bright light.
The flash usually adds pure-white light to your photo, or what some people refer to as “daylight”. Flash photography is not necessary at night, although it helps when you want to capture a subject in the foreground of the frame. Night photography can get better results if you adjust your aperture, ISO or exposure timing. Although the latter will require a tripod, the results are beautiful.
Red Eye reduction can be important, but most DSLRs do a good job reducing red eye in their photographs. Red eye is the preferred choice when you’re taking photos of a human that require flash photography. Some cameras will offer a low-light variant, which is ideal if the human subject your shooting happens to be in a dark area.
You can also shoot with no flash, which is ideal if you’re shooting in museums or at a public zoo. Using no flash, you must rely on other settings to improve the lighting conditions of your photograph.
As a final tip, always shoot in RAW. No matter how much light is captured, you’ll have an easier time editing the exposure with more data in the photo. That’s the main advantage to RAW format photography.
About the Author: Phin Upham is an investor at a family office/ hedgefund, where he focuses on special situation illiquid investing. Before this position, Phin Upham was working at Morgan Stanley in the Media and Telecom group. You may contact Phin on his Phin Upham website or Twitter page.