A One-Handed Flash Trick for Cleaner Shadows

Some photographers will use brackets to optimize flash placement. Some will leave it on the hot shoe and forget about it. At times, I will even have an assistant hand-hold a strobe close to the lens—but what if you’re not able to do that? How can you still get a flash look that’s direct and punchy, yet cleaner by having the light higher than the lens? That’s where this technique I’ve picked up comes in. It may not be the most elegant solution, but it works.

One hand on the camera, the other hand on the light. Camera down low and light up high. That’s essentially the gist of it. There are a few reasons why I do it, and also things I’ve discovered after doing it for a couple of years.

This mostly started when I was doing a campaign shoot where my assistant would hand-hold the light close to the lens, but a bit above it—getting more flattering shadows under the chin, etc. Then I did a shoot without an assistant and wanted the same look. Instead of using a speedlight on the hot shoe, I grabbed my trigger, separated the light from the camera, and ultimately got the look I was after.

From there, I even adopted this method for events I shot. In settings with more space, I’ll use a compact softbox on the light; in more crowded scenarios, I’ll just go bare-bulb. For reference, I typically use the Godox AD300 — the 100 model would probably be more than enough, but since I have the 300s in my kit, I found they’re not too heavy and do the trick without worry about the battery.

Yes, it sometimes looks (and feels) silly, but the results speak for themselves. This has become my go-to whenever I want that direct flash vibe. I’ve seen another photographer do something similar: they use a two-camera harness, but instead of mounting a second camera, they mount a small strobe. I’ve toyed with that approach and even attached a flash to another camera strap once, which helped in some respects, but I also found it got in the way.

The least efficient part of this, beyond holding it all the time, is that I usually shoot with zooms, and I’ve gotten very good at zooming with my pinky. I realize it would be far easier with primes, but that’s just not usually my vibe.

Another obvious downside, especially for longer shoots, is that you’ll feel it by the end of the day. One-handing your camera will have your wrist aching, and holding the light aloft is definitely a shoulder workout. Yet for some reason, I keep doing it. And the reason is the result.

If you’re reading this and thinking of trying this technique, go ahead—call me crazy and never do it again. Or be like me and continue the insanity. If anything, I’d caution you: it’s a workout, keeps your hands busy, and isn’t the most elegant solution. But for me and my work, it works—and that’s all it has to do. Until I find a system that works better, you’ll catch me doing this all the time.