Control that Flash

Without Flash

We have all been there, it is after dark and we have to turn on the flash on our point and shoot. But we know it is going to blow out the people or subject we are shooting.

It’s a point and shot, there are no setting to decrease the power of the flash, for that matter you can’t increase it either. Or can you?

There is more than one way to keep those laugh lines from turning into craters. Here is a trick. Use the exposure compensation feature to control the flash.

Regular Flash

If I’m taking a picture after dark or where the back light is over powering the subject and I need the flash I’ll take one shot normal; take a look at it in the viewer and check the histogram. Rarely have I gotten what I want. Most of the time the subject is blown out.

I then hit the menu and crank down the exposure compensation. Often I’ll go as low as -2 stops darker. This often means I can’t even see in the viewfinder what I’m shooting if after dark. I look at where the focus assist lamp is going and snap the shot.

Exposure -2 Compensation

Film is cheap. I’ve saved more than one shot this way.

Subject so far away the light of your flash is falling on the ground before it reaches the subject. And you can’t get closer? Grrrr. You just might boost that capability by a few feet if you reverse the exposure compensation and kick it up one or two F-stops.

This is a creative way you can boost the functionality of your point and shoot camera using the built in functions in a creative manner.

Tags: exposure compensation, fill flash, flash