How to Shoot With Direct Flash for Edgy Portraits | Master Your Craft

Photographers tend to steer clear of direct flash due to its hard and unrefined appearance. But that's just what makes it great as a stylistic choice. In this video, Pye walks through when and how to use direct flash for raw and edgy portraits.

Time Stamps:
Intro: 0:00 - 2:06
Tip #1: 2:07 - 4:19
Tip #2: 4:20 - 5:04
Tip #3: 5:05 - 5:32
Tip #4: 5:33 - 10:27
Outro: 10:28 - 11:14

Welcome to “Master Your Craft,” a photography educational series by SLR Lounge, exclusively on Adorama TV. From gear advice to in-depth instruction, our goal is to give you practical, real-world advice to help you master the craft of photography. Whether you’re a beginner just learning your camera, an amateur looking to become pro, or a professional seeking inspiration, this is the series you’ve been looking for to help you become a better photographer.

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✘ PRODUCTS USED:

Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Camera:

Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L USM Lens:

Flashpoint R200 Ring Flash Head:

Flashpoint eVOLV 200:

Profoto A10:

✘ PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT USED:

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Zoom Lens:

Benro S8 Tripod:

Blue Yeti USB Microphone:

SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO UHS-II Memory Card:

Adobe Premiere Pro:

#portraitphotography #flashphotography #adorama

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THANKS SO MUCH FOR WATCHING!

[jenningsford]

The best illustration of ring flash and it's characteristics so briefly explained and shown! Thank you!

[pablogacitua]

Hey Pye, great video! I do fashion photography so I love hard shadows and edgy portraits. I have both speed light and ring flash, and as you say, each one has its own look so it really comes to down to the style of the image you want to create. I love (in my eyes) the way ring flash makes the subject “glow” and gives more volume vs speed light that makes it look “flatter” and more angular. Amazing video, keep it up!

[martindrazsky]

Perhaps worth mentioning that you could use the speed light or any other second strobe to eliminate the distinctive ring flash shadow on the background, if you wanted to. And (a bit off-topic) that ring flash can nicely be used as fill.

[slrlounge]

Thanks for watching! What would you like to learn next?

[dannydiazphoto]

Pye you are an amazing teacher! Thanks for all that you do~!

[patmat.]

Great demonstration thank you. Your model was perfect for this lighting style, incl. her makeup, hairstyle etc... e.g. the shiny reflection on her forehead brought depth. Makeup is probably more important for this direct flat lighting than any other since it creates very little illuminance variation and shadow.

[Almigghty_Productions]

Great video! Thanks for never disappointing! I’ll be adding the westscott fj80 to my gear! I’m shooting with a Fuji xt3!

[timd]

Good information. Not sure I dig the ring flash though. The shadow it creates around the subject is a bit strange for me. It gives me the feel of a subject being lit from both sides, and somehow not canceling out the shadows that would be eliminated if that were done. Good video Pye. I'll put this in my Pye playlist for future references. Yep. You got your own playlist on my YouTube.

[jasonbodden]

I love that ring light look. I think I like it more when it's not up against a background but I don't mind the halo outline at all. For me, I love the flat, edgy light it produces. As long as the exposures are good to my taste I love the ring flash look. I love the catchlights of ring flashes/lights as well (I know a lot of photographers hate it but I adore them).

[alexanderpons]

Great video Pye many times on camera flash gets a bad reputation! That was a great side by side for us to consider ring flash for a future shoot. Thanks for all you shareSir!

[Panther-]

omg been looking for this sort of video for ages.

[jermaine]

im convinced on getting the r200 ring light now thanks!

[jankarlsson]

A very good video ... And for me the shadow from a ring flash always looks terrible ... so I only use it for outdoor portraits or far from backgrounds ... but very rarely ... I prefer it for macro photography and nothing else .

[tonygreenwoodN]

Very interesting and useful - many thanks!

[wiktoriabosc]

Thank You Pye for your great tutorials which encourage me to explore new ways of taking pictures. I would like to have your advice on lighting for a dinner gala event shooting. What would be your recommendations for it? Direct Flash or ring light? I have to consider I won't have too much lighting and probably will have to take groups of people sitting around the table? Thank You in advance for your answer. 🙂

[michaelj.dillonvideography]

How do you not get red-eye shooting directly in front?

[omahmoud]

Hi very nice video. I was looking for the flash bracket on the internet but couldn’t find. Any help?

[kevaunmendes]

Can you please do a video of on camera flash using a dslr camera like a T6 or T3

[leestrickland]

Great video as always! Your A-cam has a dead pixel at 802x1969 (4K). Other cams don't show. Doesn't detract from the content at all, I'm just observant like that.

Keep them coming!

[topeadio]

Thanks for the educative video. Please May I know the white thing you lay on the floor. Thanks for your response.