Can you be creative with a single light source? While on-camera flash often results in a light that’s harsh and ‘too straight’, if you get the flash off the camera, or use a different light source, you can get some great results, writes Darran Leal.
I find mushrooms fascinating as photographic subjects. What attracts me to them is the great diversity of photo angles and techniques I can try when shooting them. If possible I like to use natural light, but often this is hard because mushrooms tend to hide in dark locations. Straight flash on a camera rarely works as well. The result is often not as creative or flattering as it could be.
Enter modern technology. Through The Lens (TTL) camera flash systems are available for most cameras. This is an automatic system which controls the intensity of light, subject to your settings.
You can buy a TTL off-camera flash cord, which allows you to move your flash away from your camera a short distance, or you can use newer wireless systems, which work at greater distances.
Taking your flash off-camera lets you direct the light and use new angles to be creative. As an example, if a mushroom has a distracting background I have a very simple shooting technique to solve the problem. You can use either a TTL off-camera flash cord, or the 'Commander Mode' with your camera’s built-in flash, triggering a second cordless flash.
Nikon and Sony have this system as a standard feature in all their models and Canon is now adding it to its cameras as well. Other manufacturers offer wireless transmitters, with those prices starting out at just over $100.
By taking the light source off the camera, the image becomes more textural. This mushroom was illuminated with off-camera flash. Exposure compensation was set to -1 to darken the background. Photo by Darran Leal.
To achieve a clean and simple background, I would suggest you try the following formula: ISO 100, manual exposure, f/22 and 1/125s (or your camera’s fastest flash ‘sync’ speed).
This simple technique works because you underexpose the ambient (available light) and allow the TTL flash setting to expose the subject. With your flash set to TTL, place it behind, and slightly above your subject. I start with this position, but after a couple of shots, I change the flash and/or camera angle to look for different results.
In recent years I’ve been using an even more simplified system – using an LED torch as the sole light source. These units offer amazingly bright light. I now carry one in my camera bag as a standard tool.
Torchlight adds depth and softness to this photo of a banksia flower. If the photo had been shot with on-camera flash it would appear harsh and flat. 1/180s @ f/11, ISO 200, LED torch. Photo by Darran Leal.
LED torches open up a fantastic creative world as you can see the light before you shoot. Not only have I used this light type for small subjects like mushrooms and flowers, but in Ecuador I used it to photograph a bird because flash wasn’t allowed. Suddenly, we have a light source which is balanced to daylight, is bright and is very controllable. Even better, I can use Aperture Priority and set a manageable aperture/shutter combination which allows me to be creative. And I can manage all of this hand held – which is great!
In your search for creative images that show shape, line and form try to use your flash off camera, or buy a powerful torch to explore your creative options.
Darran Leal is the owner of World Photo Adventures, which offers photographic workshops and tours around the world. World Photo Adventures is also a fully licensed Travel Agent specialising in travel services for photographers.
This mushroom was illuminated with off-camera flash. In both images, exposure compensation was set to -1 to darken the background. Photo by Darran Leal.
This banksia was photographed on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, using an LED torch to elluminate the flower's delicate details. 1/180s @ f/11, ISO 200.