Why I Don’t Use Flash
Lately, I have been asked a lot why I don’t use flash. This may seem like a weird practice especially for photographers but I hate flash. I feel like flash, whether it's on camera flash or off camera flash, creates unnatural facial expressions.
Growing up, I got my school pictures and birthday party pictures taken. I've always hated getting blinded by that sudden flash of light whether it was from a phone camera or professional camera. I wear glasses so that the flash of light is so much more powerful. And now that I do photography myself now, I see how much others hate it too. You stand there knowing that a flash of light will strike when you are told to say ”cheese.” Once that flash goes off, you are forced to blink or close your eyes slightly.
For me, that means I may or may not get the shot I am trying to get. That’s a chance I don’t want to deal with. I want to make sure my pictures are amazing and nothing less. Oftentimes, camera flashes don't come with alot of settings. The flash is always bright and heavy toned. Flash causes overexposure, blurriness, motion blur and focusing issues. Especially for event photography, such as weddings, flash creates a "hey look at me" moment. That isn't good for candid photography.
But now you're wondering how I get lighting. I can't capture scenes and people in the dark or low light. And not every wedding or photoshoot is outside.
Instead I use a LumeCube. This little awesome piece of equipment only costs $100 on Amazon. This is a portable cube that emits light for your scenes that need more light. No flash, just a constant light. I can mount the cube on my camera with the hot shoe mount or I can screw it onto a tripod. The best thing about it is that I can control many settings on it from the strength of the light to the color.
The LumeCube stays on for a good amount of time too, running at about an hour and half of battery life which is perfect for those one hour photo shoots I do. I can create different moods and scenes with the multicolor settings such as red, blue and green. The LumeCube also comes with a diffuser to make the lighting less harsh. All around, it's a great piece of equipment that’s great for the client and the photographer.
At the end of the day, I feel like flash creates unnatural facial expressions that may jeopardize my shot. I also want to make sure that my client I'm taking photos of is comfortable and isn’t blinded by flashes and harsh light. As a photographer, I want to make sure me and my client both have the best time working with each other.
