Lighting How To

Yesterday we demonstrated how to make better outdoor portraits by balancing ambient light with flash. Today’s lighting tutorial takes a different approach, explaining how to shoot indoor group portraits with a simple on-camera flash technique.

Vanessa Joy is a successful wedding photographer, and the video below provides a behind-the-scenes look at how she gets great results at wedding receptions using nothing more than on-camera flash bounced off a ceiling or nearby wall. With the holidays right around the corner, you can use this method for photographing parties and other festive events indoors.

Bounce flash is a very effective method for achieving beautiful, soft illumination, but it only works with white (or very light) ceilings and walls. Joy begins by explaining the importance of bouncing your flash off the wall that your subjects are facing.

Other recommendations in the video include adding a stop of exposure compensation when using TTL flash—perhaps a bit more or less depending upon the size of a room and the distance between the wall and your subject. She also suggests using a higher than normal ISO setting so the flash can provide the proper amount of light.

You can find more helpful tips on the AdoramaTV YouTube channel, and be sure to look at yesterday’s tutorial on balancing ambient light and flash when shooting outdoor portraits.