The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS/1000D Companion

Chapter 10. Flash Shooting

USING A FLASH AND OTHER TOOLS FOR BETTER CONTROL OF THE LIGHTING IN YOUR SCENE

Using a flash is not hard, but it is something that sometimes requires a little bit of extra thought and planning. In fact, one of the most important things to learn about your camera's flash is when not to use it. You've already learned some low-light shooting tricks that provide you with additional strategies for shooting in dark situations, but sometimes you simply need more illumination to get a good shot. The Rebel XS has a capable built-in flash, as well as support for Canon's entire line of external flashes. In this chapter we'll look at both built-in and external flash use, as well as some additional ways that you can control light, whether or not you choose to use a flash.

Controlling Existing Light

Before we get into a full discussion of flash shooting, let's look at some simple non-flash-related strategies you can employ to control the light in your scene.

In Chapter 7, you learned about fill flash and saw how you can use the XS's built-in flash to fill in some of the more shadowy areas in your scene to create a more even exposure. While the flash can work well for this situation, and is definitely easy to carry, sometimes a better alternative is to use a reflector.

Consider this image:

Figure 10-1. The lighting in this image, direct sunlight, is pretty harsh and contrasty. ...