Using the on-camera flash can be tough to do if what you want is soft, even lighting. However, it’s totally possible to do just by taking a few quick steps before you shoot. First off keep in mind the main rules of exposure when working with a flash:
– Shutter speeds control the ambient light
– Aperture controls the amount of light from the flash that affects the scene
– Flash output is a consistent setting when manually managed
– ISO controls the overall sensitivity to the scene
To start off, we encourage you to shoot with your camera in manual mode or aperture priority and get a balanced exposure of your scene. Before you shoot, turn on the flash and go into the menu of your camera (like the Fujifilm X100T) and select fill flash. Then you’ll need to fine tune it, so find the flash compensation menu. Turn the flash power down quite a bit; -2/3rds is a great place to start. Then take the photo.
From there you can either choose to open the aperture up or raise the flash output. But no matter what you do, the shutter speed won’t affect the flash output. It will only affect the ambient light, so you’ll need to find a way to blend the ambient lighting, aperture, flash output, and ISO.
This is easier to do if you attach a flash to your hot shoe and use something like the wide angle diffuser that it includes. The key to this is that it spreads the light over a larger area–therefore making it seem like you’re working with a larger light source and in effect a softer light. While a low power output with the wide angle diffuser can work well, so can bounce flash.
Xpert Advice is a monthly collaboration between the Phoblographer and Fujifilm designed to teach you photography tips and tricks in a bite-sized package.
