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Fill Flashgeneral

A touch of flash in daylight to lift harsh shadows on a backlit or sunlit subject.

Counterintuitively, flash is often most useful outdoors. When the sun is behind your subject (or overhead, casting harsh shadows), a low-power flash fills the shadows so the face isn't dark — while the background stays naturally exposed. Dial the flash down so it lifts rather than dominates.

Use this when

  • Backlit portraits, harsh midday sun: flash at -1 to -2 EV to fill

Common mistake: Full-power flash that flattens the subject and kills the ambient mood.