“You Don’t Use Flash Outside The Studio!”

Yes. That is sort of a click bait title but I was actually recently presented with this little gem of information, or should I call it what it is; Misinformation. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

The craziest part about it is that it wasn’t the first time someone has said that to me this year alone.

While seemingly the statement makes sense; after all you have the most powerful light source in the world. The sun! However; anyone who knows anything about portrait photography has to know that this statement is not really correct.

The sun is a very small yet powerful light source. This means the sun’s light is going to be extremely harsh at any time of the day that isn’t first morning light or sunset time or golden hour as it’s called.

Of course you can place your subjects in the shade. But then what? Now their eyes often don’t sparkle with life as they should. Their skin doesn’t often get to look healthy with that little bit of glow.Of course you can get great shots without using a flash, and I’m not saying that you can’t. I am addressing the statement that flash isn’t used outside of the studio.

You absolutely should be using flash to make sure that you get perfect light each and every time you press the shutter release button inside or outside where possible.

When shooting outside the light conditions are constantly changing. The sun moves across the sky around every seven or so minutes thereby changing it’s position constantly.Clouds come in and out which changes your light constantly and can ruin shots. I am very much aware of this trend these days of being a “natural light photographer” which for most translates into I don’t know how to use flash. But to say flash isn’t used outside is just ridiculous, and shows that person knows little about photography.

It is also precisely thinking that you don’t use flash outdoor which gets you those wonderful images with blown out skies all the time which really isn’t great when we know the sky should be blue.

In short you do in fact use flash out of the studio. It helps you fill in the shadows from the sun, and it allows you to control your light. If you’re not controlling your light then it is controlling you.