Recreating Natural Light With Flash

Understanding and utilizing light effectively is crucial for photographers of all levels. Whether you're capturing a landscape or a portrait, the quality and direction of light can make or break your image. But what happens when natural light isn't cooperating?

Coming to you from Jiggie Alejandrino, this insightful video dives into the art of replicating natural light using flash. Alejandrino emphasizes the importance of observing and understanding natural light patterns before attempting to recreate them artificially. He encourages you to analyze the direction, intensity, and quality of light in a scene and identify the elements that contribute to its beauty. 

Alejandrino then demonstrates how to use flash and modifiers, such as ND filters, to mimic the observed natural light. He meticulously adjusts camera settings and flash positioning to achieve the desired effect, highlighting the importance of understanding concepts like the inverse square law. By strategically placing the flash and diffusing it through foliage, he successfully replicates the soft, directional light observed earlier in the day.

This technique empowers you to overcome challenging lighting situations and maintain consistency in your work. By mastering flash, you can create stunning images regardless of the available natural light. Instead of being limited by the time of day or weather conditions, you gain the ability to shape and control light to achieve your artistic vision. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Alejandrino.
 

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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