Adding a little drama to your flash photos
If you’re using a off-shoe cord to do your flash photography. Use your reach to add or subtract light to your subject simply by moving the flash, closer (more light) or further away (less light) from the subject.
A boring name for a law, the inverse square law, is a fancy way of saying the further the light goes the less bright it is. So if you want less light, which means darker shadows and “more drama” simply move the flash further away from your subject.
I just did a bunch of Dahlia shots at Bayard Cutting in Oakdale, NY. You can change character of the flowers by moving your flash back and forth as well as higher and lower. Try it and you’ll see a large array of new possibilities.
Keep in mind that the flash does not have to be pointing at the flower. Move the slightly off center, so that only the side of the light being thrown hits the flower. This is known as feathering the light and is often used with studio lights and soft boxes specially. However, the same technique can be applied to portable flashes.
