Shelley Dee Photography: WHY I ONLY USE OFF CAMERA FLASH {Photography Lighting} Marin, Napa, Sonoma County Portrait & Wedding Photographer...Shelley Hohe

Ever since I received my new Canon 5d Mark III camera I have been asked why there is not a built in flash on my camera. To be honest if I had a choice I would never use any flash because I prefer outdoor natural sunlight. Photographing weddings you need to learn and know how to use off camera flash especially if it's indoors! This is the reason and why I only use off camera flash when needed...

Built in camera flashes can not be controlled in where you point them. When taking a photo the flash points directly towards your subjects making them look unflattering and washed out. With off camera flashes you can angle them, bounce them off a ceiling or place them on a light stand and move the flash around where ever you want your subject to be highlighted...you can't do this with your built in flash. Also with off camera flash you can diffuse it using a diffuser, umbrella or a soft box in which you can't do this with a built in flash. When diffusing light it makes the light from your off camera flash look more natural which is what I always go for. Sometimes you might want to make your photos look a little more dramatic by adding off camera flash pointing towards your subjects from behind...this adds for some really nice back or side lighting. I definitely like to use this kind of lighting for wedding receptions.

Here is a photo I took of a bride and groom during their first dance at their reception. I had an off camera flash with a diffuser on my camera pointing at a 45% angle. I did not want the flash pointing right in their faces. You can also bounce the flash off the ceiling or a close by wall if they are white. In my case the walls and ceiling were not so that is why I just angled my flash. I also wanted to add some back lighting by placing another off camera flash on a light stand directly behind them. I really like how it lights them up from behind. By using both flashes I make sure that the foreground and background are consistent with eachother.