Introduction

Daylight photography presents an ample enough challenge for most shooters, so it's no wonder that taming electronic flash sends many photographers to the edge of madness. At least with daylight you can see what you're shooting. The cards are on the table. But the burst of bluish light from camera strobes lasts only a tiny fraction of a second. There's no way to observe the light and predict how the image is going to look.

So you have to depend on technique, with a little luck thrown in for good measure. This chapter shows you some of the secrets that pros have been using for years to create flash pictures that are flattering and, yes, even beautiful.