Portrait Photography How To

The flash vs natural light debate is almost as old as photography itself. (Or at least as old as flash photography itself.) Photographer Craig Beckta recently jumped into the fray with the below video, which is titled “7 Reasons Why Flash Is Better for Portraits Than Natural Light.”

“Could you for a moment, push aside any preconceived ideas you may already have about flash photography and be open to the possibility that there may be something, you just might be missing out on by not using flash on your photo shoots?” Beckta asks.

Indeed, it can be a bit of a touchy subject. There are some photographers out there who will only shoot in natural light, arguing, among other things, that portraits simply look more naturally beautiful in, duh, natural light. Beckta, however, contends that this is reductive argument.  Here are his seven reasons why he prefers to use flash for portraits:

1. Off camera flash allows you to control the direction of the light.

2. You can control the quality of the portrait lighting.

3. You can take photos day or night.

4. You can control the background exposure in camera and then light your subject with flash.

5. You can use a portable flash on the top of your camera, giving you a very portable portrait lighting setup for events, weddings or just everyday shooting.

6. If you are armed with a flash you have greater control of the background exposure when you are shooting outdoors on location.

7. With flash you can position the catch light from the flash in the optimal position of the eyes.

Watch the video below where Beckta demonstrates these points while photographing models in different set-ups. You can also read Beckta’s full article on why he likes shooting flash here, and check out his YouTube channel here.

If you want to hear another opinion on this flash vs. natural light debate, read this story on how to shoot gorgeous portraits in natural light.