This is The Digital Story Podcast #844, May 24, 2022. Today's theme is "How Much Fill Flash Do You Really Need?" I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue


Fill flash is a fundamentally sound practice that improves portraits in many situations. But some photographers shy away from it because they don't want to carry a cumbersome hotshoe flash. But is there a nimble option that provides the desire results without adding bulk to your kit? There is, and that's the first story on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show.




Digital Photography Podcast 844





 
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How Much Fill Flash Do You Really Need?



Fill flash used for this outdoor portrait. Photo by Derrick Story.



Believe me, no one dislikes excessive bulk more than me. And I got rid of my clumsy hotshoe flashes years ago. But I do carry a shirt pocket Metz 26 AF-2 that has saved my bacon time and time again.



How? By providing just enough fill light for backlit people when working outside. That's the beauty of fill light. You can hold on to some background tonality while still rendering a pleasant exposure on the main subject.



The thing that I've learned over time is that I only need a little fill light for this magic to work. And that has allowed me to rely on pop-up flashes and shirt-pocket sized accessories.



The magic begins by shooting everything in RAW. In contrasty situations, the fill does help balance the lighting, but it can still be a bit overpowered by the background. Shooting in RAW gives me the extra latitude I need to get all the tones balanced.



Next, raise the ISO. There's a world of difference in flash output at ISO 1600 compared to 200. If I'm not getting the results that I want at the lower ISOs, I have no problem increase the sensor's sensitivity. Today's cameras shoot beautifully at ISO 1600.



And finally, work with a short zoom lens to ensure you stay close enough to your subject. Most of my fill flash shots are between 28mm and 50mm. Not only do you get a more personal vibe at these focal lengths, you're close enough for your pocket-sized flash to reach.




The Metz 26 AF-2 is a good example of a nimble fill flash.



The Metz 26 AF-2 has been discontinued. What a shame. But the MEIKE MK-320P Mini Flash is available for $69, and it too is super nimble. 


Fit panasonic and Olympus or other M43 mount camera
Supports manual, ttl, optical slave(s1,s2),stroboscopic mode ,front/rear curtain-sync,overheating protection,automatic sleep mode
Built-in LED auxiliary lighting ,external USB interface
Weighs only 150g , small and easy to carry
Metal hot shoe , support ON-Camera and OFF-Camera Flash Triggering


You can also use the pop-up flash on your camera. And Olympus users receive a nifty, super-portable hotshoe flash in the box with their camera.



If you haven't been using fill light outdoors b

How Much Fill Flash Do You Really Need? - TDS Photo Podcast

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