Do you ever point your flash directly at your subject?

Guitarman0 · 1 Jun 2012 at 13:15

Hi!

I have had my Yongnuo 565EX for about 2 months now and have been messing around with on and off camera flash. So far other than for macro work I have never pointed my flash directly at my subject and always bounce it when the flash is on camera but when I look at other photographers I see lots of them (especially photojournalists at sporting events) like to point their flash directly at their subject.

Have you guys got any situations/examples of when you would point your on camera flash directly at your subject? What are your opinions on using flash directly at your subject?

Cheers

Raymond Lin · 1 Jun 2012 at 13:16

Only when outside and/or as a last resort.

Logsi · 1 Jun 2012 at 13:20

I usually dial it right down if i shoot at my subject.

Otherwise it's usually off camera with a cord or wirelessly.

Razor-BladE · 1 Jun 2012 at 13:46

When I'm doing club photography I shoot direct. I've tried bouncing it, but because there's so much variation in there it doesn't work that well. Plus you want to make the people in front of you pop rather than everything. Other than that I try and bounce it, unless there's no where to bounce it.

dannyjo22 · 1 Jun 2012 at 14:05

Only usually outdoors, in bright sunlight/backlight on HSS and dialled down to make it as subtle as I can. It's hard enough these days to get my son to sit still for a photo let alone getting out OCF. He would be long gone before I was set up!

BruceLee · 2 Jun 2012 at 01:10

You can quite easily point it directly at the subject, depends what look you are going for, nothing wrong with hard light if that works with the subject.

You should look in to light modifiers like umbrellas or soft boxes and the apparent size of the light source to the subject

gary996 · 3 Jun 2012 at 09:51

I have the Fong light sphere and point it directly fairly often. Does a very nice diffusing job. Not too harsh at all