Most entry-level cameras come with a built-in camera flash. While the feature introduces photography beginners to camera flash techniques, sometimes the harsh light will hurt your images. I guess that is why most high-end professional cameras opt for a detachable camera flash.
What is a detachable camera flash?
Just like the name suggests, a detachable camera flash is an external camera accessory that produces a beam of light when you press the shutter button.
An external camera flash has advantages over a built-in camera flash in that you can either attach it or remove it from the camera to change the angle of the light. While still on the camera’s hot shoe, you can tilt or pan the external camera flash to bounce off the light from another angle.
Master flash & slave flash
You can use more than one detachable camera flash in a lighting set-up. This is when master flash and slave flash come in.
The master detachable camera flash is the basic source of light and is usually mounted directly on the camera. It transmits infrared signals to a slave camera flash which will light the section which could not be lit with a single camera flash.
Having a master flash and slave flash can allow you to apply some of the lighting techniques in photography. However, if you are a beginner I would recommend you stick to a maximum of two detachable camera flash since more than that may complicate things.
When to shoot with a detachable camera flash
An obvious time to use a detachable camera flash is when you are shooting a dark scene. Such scenes include a dark room, caves, or at night. These conditions will require you to use an external flash to light the environment for taking photos.
You may also use an external camera flash when you are killing shadows in bright daylight. When shooting in direct sunlight, some parts of the image may be highlighted, and using an external camera flash will bring all the difference.
You may also want to use a detachable camera flash when you want to slow your shutter speed. This technique which is referred to as long exposure will produce long trial images which will appear blurry and creative.
How to use a detachable camera flash
A detachable camera flash can be used on-camera, off-camera, or both. To use the Speedlite on camera, you need to mount the flash on the camera’s hot shoe while to use it off camera you mount it on a monopod. The easiest way will of course be using the flash on the camera.
The first thing you should identify is the on/off button. When the detachable camera flash turns on, it is automatically on through the lens mode (TTL). This is an automatic mode on the external flash to evaluate the intensity of light the flash will produce. This may result in inconsistent lighting.
To be in full control of the detachable camera flash, you need to switch to manual mode.
External camera flash manual mode works hand in hand with the camera’s exposure triangle settings and the distance of your subject.
Depending on how far and exposed your test image is, you can increase or reduce the flash power. The highest flash power is usually 1/1 while the lowest is 1/128.
Sometimes the detachable camera flash does not go off even after pressing the shutter. This is due to a situation known as recycle time. Recycle time is the duration a detachable camera flash takes to recharge. The duration is longer when you use high flash power. To keep the recycling power in the check and save battery as well, I use flash power between ⅛ – 1/32.
Techniques of using a detachable camera flash
Typical photography beginners will shoot directly at the subject which will make no difference from using the built-in camera flash.
The whole essence of using a detachable camera flash is to change the direction and intensity of the light. Instead of pointing the camera flash directly forward, you should angle the source of light to create a dynamic.
To change the angle of light, you need to press a button on the detachable camera flash and then tilt upwards. If you are inside a room with a white ceiling this move will bring some improvements.
However, since all the light will be coming from an upper angle, you will notice some shadow cast around the eyes. To kill these shadows you will need to pull a white plastic card from the Speedlite or add white paper behind the source of light.
This will bounce some of the light from the detachable camera flash toward the face of your model killing the shadows. The same technique can be applied when shooting outdoors.
You can opt to use a whiteboard to bounce off the light from a camera flash. This will soften the light and give you beautiful pictures
Using a detachable camera flash is more fun when shooting inside a room with white walls all around. In such a scene, you can bounce the light from the wall nearest to your model. Just make sure no light directly hits your subject as this may cast many shadows.
You can also use a detachable camera to flash wirelessly.
The easiest method to trigger a camera flash wirelessly is using the optical slave trigger. In optical slave mode, the slave flash senses the master flash when it goes off to produce light. The downside of the optical slave trigger is that you have to be aware of the on-camera speedlite and how it affects your lighting.
Using a radio trigger is my favorite mode of the wireless flash trigger. All you do is mount the radio transmitter onto the camera’s hot shoe and sync it to the detachable camera flash. Most speedlites have an inbuilt receiver but if yours does not have one, you should attach it.
Check out this video by Mik Milman to understand some detachable camera flash techniques;
Benefits of using a detachable camera flash
A camera Speedlite is a cheap option to the more expensive continuous lighting in a photography studio. The camera accessory however does not compromise on the quality or how creative you can be. These are some of the advantages of using a detachable camera flash;
- Detachable camera flash will definitely improve your photography from using a popup flash. The camera accessory will give you softer tones and eliminate red-eye.
- With the many creative angles achieved using an external camera flash, you can replicate images captured with studio lights
- Detachable camera flash is better for use in small spaces and when there are a lot of movements such as weddings
- You have more control over your lighting
Cons of using a detachable camera flash
These are the disadvantages of using a detachable camera flash;
- The light from a speedlight does not always look natural. If you use colored walls (such as blue/red) the image will appear to have those colors.
- The detachable camera flash has a narrow and short flash range. Therefore, you cannot use it when you want a big room to be lit.
Conclusion
Lighting is the most important aspect of photography as we all know. Investing in a higher-quality source of light for your images should always be a top priority.
A detachable camera flash is an affordable camera accessory that intermediate and professional photographers must have if they want to upgrade their skills. I would recommend having one, try and test it and improve your photography.