Taking Self-Portraits
Sometimes it’s easier to take your own picture than to hand the camera to someone else especially when you’re practicing with your camera. Everything you learned a few pages ago about taking headshots applies to pictures you take of yourself. Helpful camera features for self-portraits include the following:
POWER USERS’ CLINIC - Built-In Flash vs. External Flash
More expensive digital cameras offer serious photographers a wonderful feature: a place to plug in an external flash attachment. An external flash moves the light source away from the lens, which reduces red eye, especially if the flash is on its own separate bracket rather than a hot shoe right on the camera. The external flash makes your camera’s battery last longer, too, because it has its own batteries. You’ll be grateful for that during long events like weddings.The most versatile way to attach an external flash is with a standard hot shoe right on top of the camera, as shown in Figure below. Some cameras just aren’t big enough to accommodate a hot shoe. To circumvent this problem, some camera makers have engineered a system that uses a tiny socket on the camera that connects to the flash via a proprietary cord and bracket.
This system isn’t the height of versatility, but it does allow you the flexibility of an external flash on a very compact camera. Finally, a detached flash attachment gives you more flexibility, because you can use it to bounce light off the wall or ceiling to provide fill lighting for certain shots.
A good external flash with a dedicated cord costs at least $200, and, of course, only the fancier digital cameras can accommodate them. But as you become more serious with your photographic pastime, you’ll find that external flashes help you capture shots that on-camera flashes just can’t get.
