How to Avoid Harsh, “Flashy” Looking Light with Strobes and Flash

I recently asked my Facebook group what topics they’d like to hear me talk about and one of the things that came up, several times, was how to avoid getting harsh, “flashy” looking light when working with strobes and flash.

So that’s what I’m going to talk about today.  I want to share three common lighting mistakes people make when starting with artificial light that results in that Harsh and Flashy look.

I’ve been teaching photographers how to work with strobes and flash for almost ten years now

And one thing photographers tell me all the time is that they stay away from using artificial light in their work because they don’t like the way it looks.  They prefer the softness of natural light and therefore work exclusively with natural light, to get that look.

Now, to be fair, I used to think the same thing. And because of that,  I worked exclusively with natural light for the first 12 years of my career.  And while it’s true that natural light is beautiful, it’s also true that it’s not always available.  Sometimes it rains, some days are dark, and some situations are just less than ideal.

Now I know that strobes and flash can look just as soft and perfect as window light, but to get those results, there are some mistakes you need to avoid.

So let’s get to it.

Mistake #1: Using the wrong modifier for the results you want

Modifiers, are the pieces of equipment that you put on your strobe or flash to help control the shape and quality of the light you’re producing…. So a soft-box of the umbrella, something like that.  And if you’ve ever shopped for modifiers, either in person or online, you probably know that there are about a million different ones to choose from… they come in all shapes and sizes.  

Where a lot of people go wrong when getting started, is that they don’t understand what all those shapes and sizes do, and how they’ll affect the look of your light, so they end up buying the wrong ones for the look they are going for.  And then they end up frustrated because not only are they not getting to look they want, but they’ve also spent a bunch of money on equipment they don’t need and will never use.

So, when it comes to modifiers, remember this simple rule.  Size matters… teehee… but seriously...The size of your modifier affects the quality of your light.  The bigger the modifiers, relative to your subject, the softer the light.

Mistake #2 Not knowing where to place your light

Now we just learned that the size of your modifier has a huge impact on the look of the images you’re creating.

So does where you place your modifier.

Where a lot of photographers go wrong is that they may get the right modifier for the look they are going for, but they just don’t know where to place it.  

Now, there are a lot of ways you can position your lights to create certain lighting patterns… light butterfly light, loop light, split light, that sort of thing.

But for now, we’re just talking about quality, right… how to avoid getting a harsh and flashy look, and for that… 

The simple rule is this:

The closer your light is to your subject, the softer it is.  The farther away from your subject, the harder it is.

So if you want a soft light, you know two things… use a large modifier and bring it in close to your subject…  easy peasy!

Mistake #3 Crowdsourcing settings.

Okay, you guys.  

This is the BIGGEST mistake out there…  and once I see all the time.

Photographers will go into a forum or a FB group, see a beautiful image that was taken with strobes or flash, and ask the photographer who took the image what their settings were.

What they believe is that if they know the settings, they can plug the same settings into their own camera and get the same results.

What ends up happening instead, is that they plug in the settings, get an image that looks NOTHING like the photo that was posted, and then give up in frustration and like artificial light will just NEVER work for them.

That is because getting good results with strobes and flash is about MUCH more than settings.

So, Instead of learning what other people’s settings are, you need to learn how to properly meter your own work so that you can consistently find your own settings based on the equipment you’re using and the look you are going for.

Learning how to properly meter when working with strobes and flash is the quickest and easiest way to avoid getting that harsh and flash flashy look.

It is so important in fact, that I have an entire video module dedicated just to metering inside my online class, The Missing Link.

Okay… so let recap:

To avoid getting “harsh and flashy” images when using strobes and flash,

1: remember that the size of the modifier you use will impact the quality of the light you produce.  The bigger the modifier, the softer the light

2: The proximity of your light to your subject will also affect the quality of your light.  The closer the light source, the softer the light.

3.  Learning to properly meter will get you the results you want… not crowdsource advice from strangers on the internet!

Now if you are ready to learn more about how to create natural-looking light with strobes and flash download my FREE PDF guide, Crafting YOUR Ideal Light. 

Don’t forget to subscribe! And if you liked this episode and found it helpful, feel free to share it with a friend (sharing is caring)  and leave a five-star review!  

Have a great day!

In the webinar, I’ll get into detail about the 3 most common myths many photographers have about artificial light, how believing in those myths is hurting your work, your brand, and your business and I’ll share my simple framework for Crafting the Natural Light look with strobes and flash.  

Hope to see you there!