posted by Shelley
Flash changes the nature of the whole photography ball game. Why? Because flash bumps up the exposure of the subject so that the exposure between your subject and its background is equal. Of course there’s nothing wrong with that – but it simply doesn’t give the ‘natural look’ you may be trying to capture.
The type of indoor lighting you choose sets the mood for your photo. So to capture the mood of your subject, grab your camera and take a few test shots! To get a natural lit photo without natural light (the sun), you should shoot in manual mode as opposed to automatic. You’ll need to be in complete control of your camera. If you stick with P, A, or T modes, your camera will usually expose for the background, and you’ll come out with images that are silhouetted. To avoid this, you need to be able to “read” your camera’s meter to get the shot that you want.
If light is low, you’ll need to use a tripod – no matter how still you think you can hold that camera, you’ll find that the outcome of your image will tend to be slightly fuzzy – less than perfect. The longer the lens, the more light you’ll need – so keep that in mind as you shoot.
Begin by slightly overexposing your image. Remember, your meter is picking up the light in the back of your shot. Play around with your settings until you get the desired effect. Photos taken without flash – when flash would normally be automatic – will produce a different and natural, sometimes ‘edgy’ look that will differentiate your photos from those of your friends!
In the top 2 photos, only natural sunlight coming in from an open window was used, and I bumped the exposure up slightly — the bottom 2 photos were taken in the same position using a flash. While all 4 photos are acceptable, the top ones are much more interesting…don’t you think?