Product Photography: Flash Vs. Natural Light, Which One To Choose?

Learn the advantages and disadvantages of working with natural light vs. flash when photographing products, especially if they have reflections

Lighting is the key to perfect photography, and Martí Sans (@marti_sans), who discovered his calling as a product photographer while training as a chef, is an expert on the subject. As he says, photography allows him to control and take care of each ingredient to achieve an exquisite final product, and light is an essential factor.

That’s why Martí has explained some of the pros and cons of working with natural light or flash when doing product photography. He also has some basic tips to achieve soft and hard lighting with any type of light.

Natural light or flash, which one should I choose?

As so often happens, there is no correct answer if we talk in absolutes. Everything will depend on the results you want to obtain, the type of product you are about to photograph, and, above all, the means at your disposal. What you should keep in mind, though, is that any of the lights you use–flash, natural, or a spotlight–will allow you to achieve excellent results. What really matters is that the light that reaches the camera is of a good quality, it’s a suitable color for photography, and it isn’t too harsh.

Natural light:

- The most significant advantage of natural light is that everyone has access to it. Therefore, it is the cheapest, most affordable, and easiest light to use.
- However, this type of light is not constant: at 8 in the morning the light is not the same as at noon or at 6 in the afternoon, it even changes color.
- You should also consider that you will have to adapt to weather and other changing conditions if you want to get hard or soft lights for specific needs and preferences.

Flash:

- Ideal for intensive use.
- You have two options: a proper flash that emits a fast burst of light, does not create heat and allows freezing movement; or a continuous spotlight (bulb or LED), perhaps the easiest to work with because it is easy to visualize the final result and adjust direction and intensity.
- There are many brands, some powerful but more expensive, some cheaper but not as powerful (Martí Sans recommends the brand Elicrom).
- As a disadvantage, it should be noted that not all lights and accessories are compatible with each other.

Tips for softening natural light:

- Use a translucent diffuser. If you don't have one, you can use a white sheet or some cloth.
- When the light is intense and creates very hard shadows or a pronounced brightness, place your diffuser in front of the object. The brightness will soften, and you will get a nice gradient in the shadows.

Tips for working with a flash:

- A flash without a diffuser generates a continuous low-power light that makes it very difficult to take good pictures, but it will allow you to set the proper lighting conditions before the shot.
- Always balance the flash intensity with the ISO of your camera.
- Various types of accessories can be used to filter the light, including a translucent diffuser.
- There are certain limitations when choosing your camera’s shutter speed. In general, cameras cannot synchronize with flashes at more than 1/200, because you will see the shutter curtain reflected in your photograph.

Martí Sans teaches the Domestika courses Product Photography for Beginners, where you'll learn the first steps in this type of photography, Product Photography, ideal for learning how to photograph your creations, obtaining high-quality images, and some other post-production tricks; and Photography of Shiny Objects and Lighting Tips, where you'll learn how to photograph reflective products and illuminate them correctly on different backgrounds.

You may also like:

- How to Choose a Camera
- Tips for Highlighting Brightness and Reflections in Product Photos
- Photographic Composition: 9 Basic Principles You Should Know