How to Diffuse Light in Photography

Diffuse the light emitting from your camera to get a warm, even image.

The main issue with a built-in flash on a camera is that you cannot control the light output from streaming straight forward. This issue causes a bright flash to occur on your subject that can be harsh and brighter than the rest of your image. Take a few minutes to learn a simple trick to getting the light from your flash to spread more evenly over the subject and make your image appear warmer and more realistic. Diffusing flash light is a simple and inexpensive task.

Things You'll Need

• Paper tissue or other opaque material
• Scissors
• Clear tape

Instructions

1. Cut a piece of opaque material such as a tissue or thin napkin to the size of your flash with scissors. Avoid using a colored material unless you want a colored glow on your image.

2. Tape the material to the top of your flash with clear tape so it falls over from the top and covers the flash entirely.

3. Attach an inexpensive flash diffuser to your camera. These units are priced at about $20 and fit a wide range of cameras.

4. Take a test photograph and adjust your diffuser based on how it fits over the flash to get the flash to cast just the right amount of light to the correct places on your subject.

References

• Digital Photography School: Seven Strategies for Avoiding Flash Blow Out

Resources

• Gary Fong: Puffer Pop-Up Flash Diffuser