Can a flash make a face look too dark against a white background?
Asked 6/23/2016
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2 answers
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I had passport photos taken against a white background. In some shots my face looked much darker than in others. The photographer said this happened because the flash can make a person look darker against a white background, and that the white background can somehow pull light away from the subject. Is that explanation correct? If not, what actually causes this, and how can it be avoided?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
4
1) If the flash is falling on both the subject (in this case: you) and the background,
2) If the subject is sufficiently close enough to the background that there's not a lot of light falloff between the subject and the background, and
3) If the background is more reflective than the subject
then using a camera set to an automatic exposure mode could conceivably underexpose the subject in order to prevent overexposing the background. Since most cameras meter in monochrome (B&W) and assume everything should be exposed to come out medium gray (halfway between bright white and dark black), using a white background will usually fool the camera into underexposing the photo.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
10y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
A white background does not “attract light away” from a subject. That part is incorrect.
What can happen is that the camera’s automatic exposure or flash metering is fooled by a bright white background. Cameras often try to expose a scene so it averages toward a midtone, so a large white area can make the system reduce exposure or flash power, leaving the face underexposed. This is more likely if the flash lights both you and the background, you are close to the background, and the background reflects more light than your face.
Other possible causes mentioned in the answers are inconsistent metering, the flash not being aimed the same way each time, or not allowing enough time for the flash to recharge between shots.
To avoid it, separate the subject from the background more, control exposure manually if possible, or use flash/exposure compensation so the face is exposed correctly rather than letting the white background dominate the metering.
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