Knowing how to balance flash and ambient light is one of the most important skills a portrait photographer can have, as it will give you the maximum creative and technical versatility needed to tackle just about any scenario. If you are wondering how to do this, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you four steps to creating a balanced, compelling photo using both flash and ambient light.
Coming to you from our friend, Pye Jirsa, with Adorama TV, this awesome video tutorial will show you how to balance flash and natural light. This is such a useful skill, because it allows you to create images like the classic sunset portrait. To shoot this, you need to expose for the sky to avoid blowing out the highlights, but that will then throw your subjects into shadow. Adding a bit of flash can bring the exposure on your subject back to where it should be and give you the best image quality. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Jirsa.
If you would like to continue learning about how to light a portrait, be sure to check out "Illuminating The Face: Lighting for Headshots and Portraits With Peter Hurley!"
