Weekly Poll: Flash or Natural Light?

[Nicole]

This week has been all about light with the weekly assignment, so it got me wondering: Are you a flash or natural light person?

If you prefer using a flash, it would be great if you could tell us what kind of setup you're using, and why you prefer it. Even if you're using the built in flash, why not share some of the tips you've learned to make it work to your advantage. Using a flash, especially off camera (Strobist anyone?) can yield some amazing results. When you know how to use flashes well, it can look like they weren't even used.

If you prefer using natural light, what do you do to get the photographs that you're looking for? Do you use a fast prime lens, do you shoot at a high aperture, do you only shoot in the middle of sunny days? Using only natural light can be harder and can be really dependent on your gear. Just look at how many people use and recommend the 50mm f/1.8 lens for dSLRs. And sometimes, all you need is natural light, especially if you're shooting landscapes.

So let's hear it... flash or natural light?

[PLouie]

I think that natural light gives a much more......natural(GASP!)...quality to photos, which I prefer and think is more comfortable to our eyes.

So I'd say natural light. Then again, I don't have a flash but I certainly want one (ring flash). You can get some cool stuff to happen with flash. I'd probably only use it for studio/indoor shots. I'd stick with natural for outdoors with the exception of macros.

[Sime™]

Just off to Calumet to buy a little set of reflectors... Love natural light, much prefer it.. Flash work is fun and i'm learning more about it nightly... but Natural all the way...

[jiminyClickit]

Last flash I used was in January, 2007. I've learned to wait for the Sun, and/or adjust camera accordingly.

[matthewchj]

I don't really use flash much, I prefer natural light.

When I make indoor mini-studio like shots, I use a combination of natural light and light from table lamps.

[velvet4269]

I'll use the flash very rarely, for some inside photos (like this one of my cat chomping on my foot), but for the most part, I use the natural lighting. Most of my pictures are taken in the middle of a sunny day (I live in Texas - constant summer, most of the time, and that's typically about the only time I get to go out and take pictures), and for those that aren't, it gives me a chance to play with the longer shutter speeds, EV settings (although I'll change those when I'm out on a sunny afternoon), and different white balances (majority of my indoor shots have the WB set manually to 2300k)

[windrider86]

I prefer natural lighting and rarely use a flash. Only on those occasions when I am indoors and must. I have a slave flash for which I cant rememebr the name brand of it. Got it off of Ebay.

[Isilwen]

I'd much rather shoot with natural light, but that's hard to come by sometimes. Since I only have an on-board flash, it gets used a lot. Just don't like it!

[Teewinot]

I too have an on-board flash and I use it only when it's absolutely necessary. Unlike many p&s cameras, I can tweak my flash settings quite a bit, but sometimes I just think, "yuck!"...light from a flash can be so harsh! Perhaps I'm just not good at figuring out the best settings and surely there are MUCH better flashes out there...but all that said and done, give me some beautiful natural light anyday!

[RexK_Cozumel]

Ummm while I prefer natural light sometimes it is just not possible to get enough light where I want it so then I have no choice but to go with a flash. Or two or three.....