For years, I refused to use flash in my lifestyle sessions. 

Eventually, I realized that my firm commitment to natural light sometimes prevented me from delivering the level of images I wanted. In my quest to create gorgeous galleries in darker spaces, I taught myself how to use off-camera flash to produce photographs that *looked* like they were taken in natural light. 

You can trust me when I say I understand your fears about adding flash into the mix. But I want you to be able to confidently grow your photography business by being able to shoot in any lighting conditions. 

In this post, I’m sharing five common misconceptions about flash and the reality behind each one. 

1) Flash is only for studio photographers. 

When most photographers think of flash, they think about complex studio lighting setups focused on one area of a room. But in a lifestyle session, flash is an entirely different animal. There are lighting arrangements designed to fit a range of different photography situations. 

As a lifestyle photographer, my go-to flash setup is a single-speed light on a portable stand. It is relatively inexpensive and easy to pack. Plus, I can set it up in less than a minute and move it effortlessly throughout a home.  

2) Using flash will disrupt the flow of a lifestyle session. 

This is one of the objections I hear most from photographers who have never used flash. 

If you had a complex, multi-light setup, then, sure—it might be distracting or disruptive. 

But if you consider that single-speed light on a portable stand, things get a whole lot easier. 

With that simple setup, you can light an entire room, not just an individual subject. You are boosting the overall light in a space—almost like creating an extra artificial window. That single light—which takes just a minute to set up in each room—is out of the way and easy to forget. And when you’re ready to move to a new room, it’s simple to take with you. 

3) Flash is only for low-light situations. 

Of course, flash is beneficial in dark spaces. But sometimes, flash can be a lifesaver, even in rooms with sufficient light. One example is when natural light comes from the wrong direction. In a bedroom with floor-to-ceiling windows that don’t light the bed, you can use flash to create ideal light throughout the space. 

Another time that flash is helpful is to manipulate the exposure to show off beautiful views and skylines when subjects are positioned near a window.  

4) Flash is designed for dramatic lighting only.

If you join a flash photographer Facebook group, you will likely see a lot of bright highlights, dark shadows, or illuminated subjects against a dramatic sunset backdrop. But there are ways to make flash mimic natural light softly and gently!

Soft lighting is more flattering in a lifestyle newborn or family session. I have found a way to configure my lighting setup so that while my portfolio is 50/50 natural light and flash, it looks so cohesive that you couldn’t easily tell the difference. 

With the proper lighting setup, you don’t have to alter your natural style to make flash a tool in your toolkit!

5) Flash is super complicated to get right. 

I was primarily a natural light photographer for the first seven years of my career. I had a TON of anxiety about flash. When I did use it for a few weddings per year, I worried about all the tech, the buttons, and whether I would be able to troubleshoot issues if they came up. 

Eventually, I realized that I needed to learn flash to grow my business. It was just another setting to learn, like the settings on my camera. In fact, flash exposure was much more closely related to the exposure settings on my Sony than I’d realized.  

Bottom line? New tech is always a little scary, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. 

Figuring out off-camera flash has made such a difference in my business. Now, I’m on a mission to make it easier for more photographers to add flash to their arsenal. 

I built my course Off Camera Flash for the Natural Light Lover so you can skip the headaches and tech jargon. It covers everything from the basics of using off-camera flash, the equipment I recommend, how to determine flash placement in a space, troubleshooting, and editing tips.

If you’re a lifestyle photographer interested in learning to use flash to mimic your natural light style, check it out.