Flags & Fill
Flags and Fill
A flag is used to block light from a portion of your image while a fill card is used to push light into the shadow part of an image.
Both techniques are important for creating the light that you envision for your photos.
Different modifiers will create varying amounts of light spill. You may find that you rarely need to flag the light from something like a gridded softbox, it already does a great job controlling the light, but an umbrella often needs to be flagged in order to control the light that spills so easily from its edges.
Watch this video for more examples on using flags and fill in your photography.
Fine Tuning with Fill and Flags
Many times, when creating photos, we will want to take additional control of the light around us, regardless of if it is from the light we create or natural light.
We intuitively know to block the harsh sun by having our subjects step under an overhang or to add more light by using a reflective surface like a sidewalk or white wall.
Most of us use these techniques for images taken with natural light so we already have a head start on using flag and fill cards to precisely sculpt our light.
The idea is the same you are just using different techniques to get there.
The Set Up
For this setup, I used an extremely inexpensive paper lantern with my Godox V1 Speedlite inside.
Here is a link for the lanterns. I purchased the 16-inch option but wouldn't mind having a larger size. There are also lantern modifiers made especially for different flash and strobe systems.
The lantern was placed right out of my frame with the bottom near the center mark of my subject.
By adding one at a time, I used fill cards and flags to sculpt the light.
See how I did it in this video. Sorry about the length, I really try to keep all videos under 5 minutes but it was difficult with this one:
I ended up preferring the images where I kicked some light onto the rim of the pitcher on the shadow side. I liked the separation this caused from the dark background.
Key Take-Aways
Decided before you start shooting what you would like your light to look like.
Approach each area of the image separately. Ask, what does the background need? Are the subject highlights correct? Do the shadows on the subject need to be filled or darkened further?
Today's Challenge
Use any light pattern or modifier but be sure to experiment with flagging and filling your light and shadows.
Please do your best to grab a pullback of your setup and share it with us when you post your image.
Feel free to ask any questions or if you try this challenge for yourself, I would love to see your results.