Diffusing The Light; Bounce Flash Photography - Nikon Speedlight SB-16 Instruction Manual

-PHOTOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUES-continued - ----------:
Diffusing the Light
Light is what gives form to solid objects. If the flash is
pointed direc tly at th e subjec t and loca ted near th e lens,
the subjec t will look fl at because of th e lack of shadows .
Howeve r, if the fla sh is moved off-axis , shadows sta rt to
appear on the side opposite the light sou rce , thus giving
the impression of roundness . But because the light sti ll
comes directly from the flash. the shadows are harsh
and unattrac tive. By diffusing the light, you can eliminate
the harsh shadows, making snapshots and portraits
much more attrac ti ve .
There are two ways to diffuse light : you can either
bounce the light off a broad reflective surface , such as
the ceiling or walls , or use a diffuser between flash
and subject.
Bounce flash photography
With the 8B -16's main flash head tilted back and/or
rotated , the light travels directly to the ceiling or wall and
then bounces back to the subject. Acting as a broad re -
flector, the ceil ing or wall scrambles the direction of the
light rays, making the lighting diffused and much more
natural looking. Because the 8B-16 's secondary flash
head faces straight ahead , it provides a small amount of
direct illumination to fill in unflattering shadows around
the eyes and creates a catchlight for the eyes.
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