We often meet photographers who tell us that they only shoot in natural light, sunlight, or other available light, as they don't like flash lighting. These photographers usually feel that the light from studio flashes is harsh and unnatural, often describing it as "flashy."We find this reluctance to use studio flashes hard to understand. When you use studio flashes, you are the one who decides how the light should look, and with a little practice, you can adjust the light to fit the subject and environment in such a way that it becomes impossible to tell which light source was used. Do you want a hard light similar to the sun's rays from a clear blue sky, or do you prefer soft light like on a cloudy day? You decide what best suits your image!
Below, you'll find a number of images photographed by Elinchrom Global Ambassador Therese Asplund. Study the images carefully. If you wish, you can click on the image to open it in higher resolution. Before you open the answer found below each image, write down what you think and see how many you get right.
We bet you'll hesitate on whether it's flash or not in several images, as skilled photographers like Therese Asplund always make the light in the image look natural. Sometimes the subject works best in harsh sunlight, or is it flash? Other subjects look best in soft light like in the shade, or is the light coming from a large softbox?
Good luck, and no cheating! :)
Image 1
Image 1 | Here you will find the answer - Has flash been used or not?
In this image, Therese has photographed using the Elinchrom ONE and a translucent umbrella.On important occasions like graduation, Therese always brings her Elinchrom studio flashes. This photo opportunity cannot be repeated, and the photographer often has limited options for choosing the location for the shoot. When you bring your studio flash, you can always create the perfect conditions for a successful graduation photo session. Another advantage of adding flash lighting to your graduation pictures is that, without flash, the brim of the graduation cap can cast a shadow over the eyes, making them appear dark in the photo.
Image 2
Image 2 | Here you will find the answer - Has flash been used or not?
In this image, Therese has photographed using the Elinchrom THREE and the Rotalux Go Octa 60cm.Therese uses the flash for two reasons: first, to lighten the shadow details, and second, to "wash" away color casts from the subject. When sunlight reflects off greenery, walls, etc., the subject can easily take on a color cast that is time-consuming to correct during post-editing. By adding flash lighting, the subject receives the correct color right away.
Image 3
Image 3 | Here you will find the answer - Has flash been used or not?
In this image, Therese has photographed using the Elinchrom ONE and the Rotalux Deep Octa 70cm.This softbox provides directional light, and by removing the front diffuser on the softbox, or removing both the outer and inner diffusers, you can create a slightly harder light. In this image, Therese has placed the flash close to the subject, which causes the light to fade quickly after hitting the subject.
Image 4
Image 4| Here you will find the answer - Has flash been used or not?
In this image, Therese has photographed using the Elinchrom ONE and a translucent umbrella.The strong sunlight is balanced with the flash by using a short shutter speed on the camera. All Elinchrom battery flashes have an HSS function (High-Speed Sync), which allows shutter speeds of up to 1/8000 of a second to be used—perfect for balancing flash with bright sunlight.
Image 5
Image 5 | Here you will find the answer - Has flash been used or not?
In this image, Therese has photographed using the Elinchrom THREE and the Rotalux Deep Octa 70cm.When the front diffuser is removed from the softbox, it creates a slightly harder light that can sometimes be compared to lightly clouded sunlight.
Image 6
Image 6 | Here you will find the answer - Has flash been used or not?
In this image, Therese has photographed using the Elinchrom THREE and a Rotalux Deep Octa 70cm as the main light, along with the Elinchrom ONE with a reflector.The Elinchrom THREE with a smaller octabox provides the model with a nice balance between light and shadow, while the Elinchrom ONE makes the background more present.
Image 7
Image 7 | Here you will find the answer - Has flash been used or not?
In this image, Therese has photographed using the Elinchrom THREE and a translucent umbrella.The flash light brings the family out from the background and removes the green tint that the grass casts on the subjects.
Bild 8
Image 8 | Here you will find the answer - Has flash been used or not?
In this image, Therese has photographed using the Elinchrom ONE and the Rotalux Go Octa 60cm.The sunlight is coming directly from above, and to remove the shadow from the bangs and brighten up the details, Therese used a flash.
Bild 9
Image 9 | Here you will find the answer - Has flash been used or not?
In this image, Therese has photographed using the Elinchrom ONE and a translucent umbrella.Without the flash, the subject would have been in shadow with very dark eyes.
Image 10
Image 10 | Here you will find the answer - Has flash been used or not?
In this image, Therese has photographed using the Elinchrom THREE with a diffuser cap.Using a slow shutter speed and a small aperture, Therese creates motion blur. Just before the camera’s shutter closes, the flash fires, making the model sharp. This technique is called rear curtain sync (rear sync).
Image 11
Image 11 | Here you will find the answer - Has flash been used or not?
In this image, Therese has photographed using the Elinchrom ELB 500 TTL and a 13.5 cm Q-Reflector.The sunlight was extremely harsh, and in this case, the shadows on the model needed to be softened.
Image 12
Image 12 | Here you will find the answer - Has flash been used or not?
In this image, Therese has photographed using the Elinchrom ELB 500 TTL with a lamp head without a reflector.For windy conditions, the ELB 500 TTL is the ultimate studio flash. The small, 250-gram lightweight lamp head hardly catches any wind, and by placing the generator with the battery at the bottom of the light stand, the flash remains stable, allowing the photographer to fully focus on the model.
We hope the images above have given you something to think about when it comes to how flash lighting can be used. One thing is certain: if you always bring studio flashes to your shoots, you'll have even more successful photography sessions, and you won't have to waste extra time on post-editing. With flash lighting, you can eliminate distracting shadows, color casts, and create balanced exposure throughout the image.
Not sure which flash model will suit you best? Get in touch with us at Aifo and tell us what you're looking to achieve, and we'll provide you with the advice that ensures you buy the right equipment straight away.