What is fill flash and when should you use it?
Asked 8/2/2010
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I often hear photographers mention "fill flash." What does that mean, and how is it used in practice? For example, how does it relate to ambient light and situations like backlit subjects or deep shadows?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
16y ago
2 Answers
7
Fill flash is a technique, rather than a piece of equipment.
Typically, you'd use some fill in flash if your scene is backlit, with the flash set to a relatively low power setting to lift the shadows.
Originally by user21. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user21
16y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Fill flash is a lighting technique, not a special type of flash. It means using flash at a relatively low power to brighten shadows without overpowering the existing ambient light.
A simple way to think about it is:
- Ambient light is your base exposure.
- Flash is added on top of that.
- With fill flash, the flash is weaker than a main/key light and is used to "fill in" dark areas.
A common use is when your subject is backlit. The background may look fine, but the front of the subject falls into shadow. Adding a small amount of flash lifts those shadows so the subject is more evenly exposed while still looking natural.
In practice, you first expose for the scene/ambient light, then add just enough flash to reduce harsh shadows on the subject. The goal is usually subtlety: keep the natural look of the scene, but avoid underexposed faces or overly contrasty lighting.
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