PhotographyLesson 2 of 3 in the course Lighting

Photographic Flash: Systems, History, Synchronization, and Lighting

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 4 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

A photographic flash creates a brief burst of light to illuminate a scene. This lesson introduces the purpose of flash, its basic characteristics, and the main ways flash units are connected to cameras.

A flash can mean either the burst of light itself or the device that produces it. A typical photographic flash lasts around 1/2001/200 of a second and has a color temperature of about 5500 K, close to daylight. Its main purpose is to illuminate a dark scene, but it can also help capture fast-moving subjects or change the quality and direction of light.

All flashcards

What can the term “flash” mean in photography?
Either the brief burst of light or the device that produces it.
What is a hot shoe?
A standardized camera accessory mount for attaching a separate flash unit.
What is a studio strobe?
A standalone flash unit used in studio lighting, powered by a battery pack or mains electricity.
What does fill flash do?
It brightens a shaded subject while ambient light contributes to the background exposure.
How did flashbulbs improve on open flash powder?
They enclosed the burning material, making flash photography safer and more practical.

Quiz questions

  1. How does an electronic flash produce its burst of light?Answer: A charged capacitor discharges through a flash tube.
  2. What does the t0.1t_{0.1} measurement describe for a flash?Answer: The time the light remains above 10% of peak intensity.
  3. How does high-speed sync allow flash use above normal X-sync speed?Answer: It fires a rapid series of flashes as the shutter slit crosses the sensor.
  4. What is a typical effect of bouncing flash from a ceiling?Answer: It produces softer light but usually requires more flash power.
  5. What causes red-eye in photographs made with on-camera flash?Answer: Light reflects from the retina back toward the camera.

Based on the Wikipedia article Flash (photography), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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