Tips for Taking Pictures Indoors Part #1: The Flash

June 12, 2012

Taking a picture indoors can be tricky. One of the biggest challenges you can face is lighting. Sometimes, there is simply not enough for a good picture.
Most cameras today come with a built-in flash that can be set to go off automatically if you want it to. This gives you an easy way to bring some much needed light to a photo. However, it can also create too much light or form an unwanted light reflection. Either of these occurrences can ruin your picture. So what do you do?

Sometimes, you just have to shoot the picture with what you have and hope for the best.
The picture above is an example of a photo where using the flash indoors helped create a good picture. I just happened to walk into the room and spot my cat, Phil, in the cabinet. Since I knew Phil wasn’t going to stay put (he knows he is not supposed to be in there), I had to take this picture quickly. So, I grabbed my camera, set it to automatic, took the picture, and the result is what you see at the top of this blog.

If you look closely, you can see a small reflection of the flash. But I don’t think this picture would have come out as well as it did if I had not used the flash.

Here’s an example of an indoor picture without the flash.
Check back next week for another entry in this series on indoor photography tips. MCPL has plenty of resources on photography for you to check out. The Excelsior Springs Branch also has a recurring Photo Fun program, which will meet next on August 7th at 6:30 p.m.

Robert F.
Excelsior Springs Branch