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Frequently Asked Questions
Shadows in Flash Pictures
Why do all my flash pictures have shadows ?
Background shadows in flash pictures are a natural and unavoidable condition of single-flash pictures. The exact location of the shadow will depend upon the orientation between the flash and the camera lens. The only way to completely eliminate background shadows with a single flash would be to have the flash directly on the lens-to-subject axis, and this would not be practical.
We would like to offer a few suggestions which will help minimize the shadow effect. If the flash is located at one end of your camera, be sure to hold the camera with the flash at the top whenever taking vertical pictures. Please check the illustrations in your camera manual for recommendations on holding the camera for horizontal and vertical pictures. If the flash is at the bottom, the shadow may appear above the subject and be quite noticeable.
For the same reason, if the photographer is at eye level with the subjects being photographed, the shadows will be less noticeable than if the photographer aims the camera at an upward angle. There will be picture-taking circumstances when the photographer may not be at the same eye level with the subjects being photographed, so it is preferred to aim the camera downward rather than upward.
It's best not to have subjects close to walls, particularly blank walls. In this situation, any shadows would be darker and more noticeable. The shadow effect is minimized if the walls are papered with a pattern or design. When the photographer has control over the room lights, it can help to turn them on, even in the daytime. The higher ambient (surrounding) light level will help lighten any shadows.