Light in Photography - LIGHTING - FLASH LIGHTING -

Flash lighting for close up photography

Sometimes it can be useful to use an off camera flash to illuminate small items like flowers and insects etc. As we move closer to an object we tend to get less depth of field, so using the illumination of the flash not only stops moving subjects but allows us to use a smaller aperture.

If we use a standard lens on the camera ( say a 50mm on a 35mm DSLR) with extension tubes or a bellows unit we might find that the lens is physically so close to the subject it blocks out the light. By using a longer focal length ( a telephoto say 100mm lens we find to fill the subject in the viewfinder the camera position is now moved back considerably. This allows light to fall uninhibited on the subject. We can also augment this with a flash light.

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