Function Friday: Flash modes

What is the biggest contributing factor to your images?

LIGHT!

What is your biggest resource for adding light to your photographs? 

The Flash!

Regardless of your camera type, you have the ability to utilize different flash options.

The first step is to understand WHAT those options are:

The above graphic is part of a collection of Keycards

and keep inside your camera bag for quick reference.

<Get the first set here>

<Get the second set here>

Accessing your Flash Function

First, you will need to be in your P mode to command your flash. A / Auto / or the green square mode won't always let you control your flash!

 (For more info about the difference between Program and Auto check this out!)

Now, like with the other function buttons, typically you cycle through the different options by

1. Hitting the flash button over and over changing (or cycling through) the icon on your user display.

2. Using the arrows on your camera back (Cross keys) to select the icon from a menu display

3. Hold the button and spin a command dial (for Bridge or DSLRS)

Understanding the Basics

Much of photography is making choices. Knowing when your flash will help, and when it will hurt your images is HUGE!

First - your camera flash has a "sweet spot" too close and your subject will be over exposed (ghost like face) to far away and they will be underexposed (in the shadows, where the flash doesn't reach)

As a general rule when you use a flash that is built into your camera you want to stand about 6 feet away from your subject. This can be affected by your zoom range, and how light or dark your room is - be sure to play with your flash and get a feel for different situations. 

The biggest part of this to understand is if you are shooting a performance on stage...

like ballet, your flash wont help. You will be too far away for it to do anything more than light the backs of the heads of the other parents. 

Second - There is NOTHING wrong with using your flash outside! When you are taking images of people, it works as a "fill flash" and reduces shadows across their face. 

This is why you see professional portrait photographers using flash equipment outside! 

It provides even, and consistent light for the best exposure.

For additional information on additional flash options for point and shoot cameras

For additional information on strobe flash options

For additional information on Red Eye reduction

Friday Fun Day!

Today I am super excited to be guest posting on the  theindiealist.com 

Where I am offering a FREE printable to keep in your camera bag to use as quick reference guides when shooting your images this summer!

Next Friday there will be 3 more - talking about Aperture, Shutter, and White Balance!

 Then all of August I will be posting an in depth look at each function card!

I hope you enjoy these as a little Friday Fun Day gift to you!

Here is a little sneak peak at the Flash Key Card!

The MagMod

Every now and then Kickstarter provides my family with a new toy. This time, I was lucky enough to have this little gem picked up for me as part of a gift. Introducing the MagMod.

When I first looked at it I thought... well that looks fun... but I don't know how often I would really bust that out to use.... and then I put it on my flash.

See, the first odd piece with the square cut out stretches to fit over your speed light. It has magnets in it that you can then literally SLAP on the honeycomb filter... or multiple honeycomb filters. This image shows the filter being held by the magnet - but not properly placed for use. (just to clarify)

Here is how it looks attached.

Now... there are times when I want to use my flash, but I don't want that harsh "flash" look... and this is a great option to break up that light. I haven't had a chance to test it on portraits but I think it would be a solid option. the part that has me dancing... like really moving and grooving and bouncing in my seat...  gel options.

While I don't use gel's in my photography as a general rule, it has mostly been due to a complete hatred of the thin plastic sheets and that they get torn or bent too easily. 

WHALLLLAH! Introducing hard plastic, easy to pop in and out gels that fit over my speed light! Slap on... slap off! It's MAGIC I tell you MAGIC! (Okay, really it's ingenuous... not magic but I LOVE it!)

Now the kit that I got came with 2 honey combs, and a variety of gels... red, yellow, blue, there's like 6 or 8 of them. you simply stretch the plastic away from the gel that is inside to pop one out and the other in. They are nice and flat and store easily in a pocket of my camera bag. Why oh why am I head over heals in love with this? Because, it means that I can use my speed light as my back-light, and be a little more creative and custom on backgrounds for clients.

Taking an image like this....

Which is perfectly acceptable... (and an amazing product made by Dragon Flight Dreams)

and make it a bit more special... like this.

In an instant.

As for new cool must have toys, I give this one two big thumbs up for my use. Is it a product everyone needs... of course not! That's what makes it FUN! 

Top 5 Things you can do for great Wedding Portraits

Even if you have hired a professional photographer, and followed all my other advice from this months (Love posts), there are still a few things you can do on the day of your wedding to have a dramatic impact on your images!

In my 20 some odd years of being in the photography industry I have done countless wedding, bridal and event photography. In that time I have been able to be a part of all stages, from assisting, to being the “main” photographer, to editing, creating video, and even printing the end product. In that time I have really learned to appreciate the art behind wedding photography.

 Did you know as a bride, attendant or even a guest there are countless things you can do to help a photographer and insure the images that are captured are priceless keepsakes for generations? Here are my top 5 ways of insuring great wedding portraiture!

#1 The Shoot List.
First as a couple, be sure to create a “shoot list” with your photographer. This list is the combo of shots you need it should look something like…
Bride/groom
Bride/ Groom / Grooms mom (Anne)
Bride/ Groom/ Grooms mom / Step Dad (Frank)

This list should be done in advance and copies should be on both you and the photographer’s side. A real wedding photographer will have the basics memorized- but as in many modern families there are people you want in, people who may need to be on the end to be edited out later (you laugh but we all know its true!) and even ex’s who cant be stood next to each other. The more information you can give ahead of time for these little notes, as well as the REALLY important shots you want. Like… if you HAVE to have a photo of great-great grandma and the newborn… you should speak up prior to the chaos.

#2 The Assistant
Any wedding photographer worth their salt will not be doing this solo and the shoot list will be the assistants guide to make sure everything the bride want gets done. He/ she is the backbone so to speak, and the backup. They are also the “go to” in most photographer / assistant relationships. The photographer is there for the bride. The assistant is there for everyone else. If your mom wants a shot of something, she should be told to go to the assistant with it. The assistant will either take the shot (if they are a second shooter) or will be sure to have the photographer do it. Or will at the very least be able to handle the situation without distracting the photographer away from the bride. You should clarify the role of the assistant or additional shooters in your pre-wedding consultation you’re your photographer before the wedding, and be sure to inform your bridal party… and vocal family members whom they can and cannot go to with requests.

If there is no assistant (or even if there is) you should also assign Aunt Betty (who always wants to help, and knows most everyone… you know the one.. ) to assist the assistant. Or, better yet find one from each side of the family, give them a copy of the shoot list, and let her be the runner during the bridal portraits. This can save a lot of time! The photographer or photographers assistant can say who they will need next, and she can go get them. She can also watch to make sure each combo you need is getting done… because trust me – you wont know! It also makes her feel important and keeps her from going to you with everything she thinks needs done.

#3 The Kit
I highly recommend this kit to every bride. Go to the dollar section of your local drug store or big box market and pick up these handy items.

1.  A small sewing kit (includes tiny scissors, thread and needle, add safety pins and several boutineer pins (craft needles) to it if needed)
2.  A pack of Mary-Kay blot cloths ($5) or some round cotton pads (dollar section) to blot shiny areas during the day- don’t forget to use them on you and your groom!
3.  Extra lip gloss /lipstick, powder and WATERPROOF mascara
4.  Nail file, clippers, and basic polish – you know one of your bridesmaids are going to need this.
5.  I also recommend Tylenol, Advil, Tums, and a Powerbar.

Now the tricky part to this kit is making sure you have it with out – ALL the time. I suggest you give it to your maid of honor and put her in charge of making sure you touch up makeup and blot about every half hour. (or before each “stage” of the day at least) I have seen these kits cleverly attached to bouquets or as a cute handbag to carry all day.

#4 The Smile
Everyone should be forewarned that especially in today’s technologically crazed world, it is best to assume someone; somewhere is taking your photo, especially on your wedding day. Everyone should keep good smiles, and shoulders back, sit up straight etc… all day. Nothing looks worse in your church shots then the one bridesmaid or groomsman that is hunched over, or picking their teeth. While your photographer can (and should) do something about this in your formal shots, during the ceremony there is nothing they can do! As a bride and groom, you should always have a smile… remember to excuse yourself to the restroom to pat your underarms dry, checking for food in your teeth, or touching up make-up.

 Last… PLEASE remember a wedding is no place for gum! Your photographer will thank you for not making them edit out bright blue gum from open mouths! Fact: Some will charge you extra for it, and they should!!!

#5 Go the extra mile.
Professional wedding photographers all have a different view on the next subject. But most I know agree. If you are having a buffet, or sit down dinner it is not a good time to be doing photos. NO ONE likes having those table shots done, food in teeth and all! It is a good time to let your photographer breath, sit down, swap batteries, or reset gear for the party portion to come. Discuss in advance what your photographer typically does during this time. It is the polite thing to include your photographer (and crew) in on the meal. Some photographers will flat out refuse, while others may tell you they may take a small portion in to the kitchen area or somewhere away from guests, some may outright thank you for being so generous, and some may be even be expecting it! I find that the longer you expect them to produce amazing images, the more you should expect to feed them! This also is a nice way of thanking them for everything they are doing! Yes, they are paid to be there, but if they pass out from lack of food or dehydration think of all that equipment they are likely to break… and moments they will miss as they are carted away in an ambulance!

Found on the Wedding Bee

Tip: If you want a shoot of everyone who attended your wedding, rather then doing table shots ask for a photobooth, or photoguest book option. Or even set up an "upload" station with a laptop or cards to where they can send their own snaps of your wedding to you!

I hope these tips come in handy! I know my past brides and friends have always appreciated them!

Time to Click: The Strobe Flash

It's been a big week all about light and your flash! Today, were talking Strobes... what are they, why and how you want to use them!

So what makes a flash a strobe? What's the difference between a built in flash and a strobe flash?

To the first question, well I guess it depends on who you ask... many people seem to think that the term Strobe, is what you would find in studio photography exclusively.  The big lights that have stands or hang from the ceiling. While that is true, those are typically "strobe" lights, and they do flash, the term itself has evolved to more of a street or slang term for simply a light that fires on command (electronically) and syncs with the shutter of your camera.

Portable Flash: Attached and Detached

So, your flash on your camera that is built in, is also a strobe style. Flashing when commanded, rather then the continuous style lighting that stays on all the time like we talked about yesterday. The terms strobe, and flash are pretty interchangeable these days. And so you can have an on-camera flash, a small portable camera flash, a small portable off-camera flash, a low-powered monolight flash, or even an extremely powerful studio flash system, and they are all called electronic flash, and you can call any of them strobes as well!

Just for clarification, "strobe" flash, very different then a "strobe" light... which you would find in any cool 80's disco or hot techno club!

Flashes can be put on brackets to create more distance from the camera

The biggest difference between your built in flash and an additional flash, weather a studio strobe or a portable camera flash is distance and coverage. Which we have talked about before. However, there are several other practical and useful differences as well.  For our purposes today, since we already covered situations and settings for your built in flash, were going to talk about the portable off camera, or attached to your camera flash. While I wont be covering studio "style" strobes, know that these do fall under this category and work for the most part in the same way as a portable camera  flash. I will be sure to do more of a studio lighting class if any of you would like that.

Most of the time in today's world, a flash that can be connected to your camera on a hot shoe such as shown above is called a speedlight. The hot shoe, allows communication to your flash from the camera with electronic sensors.  The biggest thing you MUST know when you go to purchase one,is that if you are not getting one made by the same manufacturer as your camera you MUST get one that is made for your camera. A flash made for "Canon" will mount but will not work on a "Nikon".. or any other brand.

These all have on light modifiers, that bounce, or soften the flash

Next, I find it almost silly to purchase an additional flash with out a bounce, tip, and swivel, option.  If your spending the money anyways, these are very good controls and come in handy more often then you would imagine, once you know what they do.  Basically, bounce, tip and swivel allow you to be in control of where your light source is coming from. It doesn't always have to be directly at your subject! In fact there are occasions when you wouldn't want it directly on them!

Direct flash - creating red eye and darkening rest of image, also washing out cats true coloring due to over exposure.

By bouncing flash from ceiling, you remove red-eye, lighten the image, and show true coloring.

Bounce: So what does bounce/tip mean, and how do you do it? Simple, you tip the top section of your light towards the ceiling or a white surface - TIP: it is very important that it be WHITE, otherwise what ever color you are bouncing off of will overwhelm your image... because it will reflect that color of light back down.  You need to think about where you are standing and where you want your light to hit, think about your angles....

This also not only keeps your subject from being overexposed with too much light hitting them, but it can be very effective in eliminating harsh shadows as well!

Vertical shot, with flash attached and pointed straight on subject. Harsh shadow to the side due to light coming from left side

Vertical shot, with flash pointed at a white reflector up and to the left. This bounced light down, behind the subject as well as covering the front and side. Notice the shadow is much less harsh, and the exposure overall is much better.

Shot horizontally with flash tipped up to bounce off reflector and over entire front and back of subject. No shadow from prop.

Swivel: Now, having a flash that swivels is just as handy... this means you can bounce your light from the side... like what I talked about with using a single light and a reflector for a home studio solution... but it is great for taking shots of people as well.. since again, you control where and how much of the light will hit them, fall behind them, or fall in front of them. Since light is the best way to change the feel of an image and add dramatic effect... this gives you amazing abilities to effect your image!

Flash swiveled to the side towards wall... reflection to hit subject.

Bounced light from the left side for highlight

Location: Being in control of where you flash is located, as in being able to use it off camera, is a fantastic perk! Since light is the biggest effect you can have over creating a "feeling" and "story" with your images.

Slave Flash: As an added bonus, I can also use my flash to trigger my studio lights without effecting my image at all. By swiveling the flash head all the way behind so it's pointing over my head, it can trigger other lights set to a "slave" mode, meaning they fire when they see another flash burst. It works in a pinch for me, since I normally use a wireless remote trigger hooked directly to my studio lights. But for someone who doesn't have that device, or when I forget to pick up a spare battery... this is a great alternate option! Plus this works for other Speedlight style (don't forget thats just a common term for flash that attaches to your digital camera) flashes as well as studio strobes. I know plenty of photographers that have 2-3 Speedlights and use them as studio lighting, rather then bulky studio lights since they can also be set as slaves, and or triggered remotely making on-location studio's much easier to carry around.

Adaptability: These lights not only have good range, power, and provide you with the ability to manipulate that as well as angles and direction of your light, but they also offer you the ability to work with additional light manipulators. I have talked about this a little prior, in our Light 101 post.

These light reflectors, and diffusers are priceless when you are working with people and products. With these products in addition to your flash unit, there is an unending amount of possibilities for your images!

Reflector: Showing translucent, gold and Silver options...

Light Modifier's (umbrellas) for speedlight off camera

I certainly could not do what I do without having full control over my lights. Not only in how I can manipulate where the light is coming from, and how many I can use. But also, in how much output of light, or how powerful they are!

How your flash works:  For the common user, you will set your camera to some sort of  TTL (through the lens) metering option, and your camera will "talk" to your flash to evaluate the light in the scene and they will work together to expose your image correctly.

Additional modes you may find on your additional flash may be, (not all Speedlights let you set all these modes):

• • TTL (Through The Lens): The light from a pre-flash reflected by the centre subject is metered by a sensor in the camera and flash power is adjusted accordingly to expose the centre subject is correctly.
  • TTL BL: Like TTL, but the algorithm used by the in-camera computer to figure out the flash power setting is more complex and takes additional data into consideration.
• Auto
  • A (Auto): The light reflected by the scene is metered by a sensor inside the flash itself and this measure used to determine flash power level.
  • AA (Auto Aperture): The same as A, but automatically adjusts the aperture setting on the flash to match the aperture on the camera.
• Manual
  • M (Manual): The flash power level is set explicitly by the user.
  • GN (Distance Priority Manual): The power level is derived from the distance to main subject, as set by he user.
  • RPT (Repeating): Like M, but the flash fires repeatedly during a single exposure.

The more you learn about your flash, and your camera the more you will be able to manipulate the look and feel of your image when shooting it. Which in my book, is the essence of a photographer! That happens when the shutter clicks, not in "post production", at least in my world.

Luckily flashes also come with manuals - I would suggest you hang on to yours since we will continue to grow on this core post and talk more about how to use the manual modes, as well as the other accessories you may have gotten with your flash, and ones you may want to add! For now, I hope you can see where it could be a huge benefit to your photography to add this to your collection of "must have" items in your camera bag and hopefully I have inspired you to grow a bit in your photography world! Next week we will be ending our Time to Click series by putting together some of the lessons we have had in the past few weeks, into practical situations.

Time to Click: Additional Flash for the Point and Shoot

We are debunking a popular myth about point and shoot camera's today!

Every camera comes with a flash these days. We have already talked about how they can vary from camera to camera and you know that you can add a flash to many bridge and DSLR camera's. But did you know one of the most popular myths in photography is that you can't use flash, or additional lights with a point and shoot camera?


Since some cameras allow separate flash units to be mounted via a standardized "accessory mount" bracket or "hot shoe" which is located on the top side of camera, many people assume you need a mount in order to use additional flash.

You can see the metal hot shoe on the very top of the camera

In fact this is just one style of flash called a Strobe Flash.  These strobes style flashes are only on when triggered. You can use them attached to your camera or off camera as shown below... or together!

Camera with attached flash, and an additional light that can be used off camera for additional lighting

However, any camera can benefit from using additional light sources, and there are tools available to make it super easy! The biggest part is understanding your camera, and what you are trying to shoot, so you can make the best choice for your situation.


For the point and shoot, or bridge camera's that do not have an option for an attached flash you can still pick up something called a "slave" flash. Basically it fires when it senses your on camera flash firing, adding additional light to your scene. Many times you can pick up a slave flash and a mount that will connect it to your tripod mount for under $100. Find one for your camera brand if it isn't made for your camera brand it may not function at all for you. Like for example it will say on the packaging:  Zeikos (the flash brand) for Nikon.

This bracket one can be found on newegg.com

 Keep in mind, these are based on old school manual flashes, so you may have to learn how to set it for distance and power. It's not a perfect system, and you will have to use it and experiment to really get the hang of it all. But it can really come in handy if you find yourself standing too far away from your subjects and needing those few extra feet, or needing to overcome things like red eye or harsh shadows. Since the flash would be farther way from your lens and larger covering more distance and spread, it solves those issues perfectly. Oh, and its a portable option so good for travel, and more people based photography. 


If you are doing more product style photography, you have a MUCH better option tho. Flashes tend to be really harsh, and may even cause your image to look blurry due to reflection of the light. Plus having to use your flash on your camera to trigger the other doesn't help your situation for Marco photography, or controlling your light sources.  For you, a Continuous light, or "hot light" would be my suggestion.

Continuous light, or video lights are often referred to as "hot lights' because they are always on, and put off a lot of heat. Bad for babies, kids, and chocolate, and  I don't suggest the hot lights for adults, in case your wondering... because you tend to get really grumpy results after sitting under them for any length of time.  However, these are very practical for almost any kind of product photography that doesn't involve something that would melt. Part of that practicality is that you can see shadows and glare on your items prior to shooting, and make adjustments! 

Small tabletop with multiple backgrounds and small lights

Continuous light kits for product photography are made in about every price range, style and size... since the light is on all the time you can use your white balance to adjust for the temperature of light, since they all vary. (see our past post on Light 101, and white balance) You will need to command your flash off, so it doesn't get in the way, but after that and setting the WB you should have good success!

 Now, you can get larger or smaller kits depending on your product. I like the ones with some sort of diffusion on the lights to prevent glare like the ones shown in the first image, and spread the light more evenly.  However, even the small table top kit shoots though the box, which diffuses the light. If your looking for a kit like this send me a message I have some strong feelings about some online companies that I have had good luck with, and some that I will NEVER use again.



But back to topic, continuous lighting isn't really portable so you wont be carrying this set up around with you to Aunt Cindy's wedding or anything. But you can get large "studio" looking versions if you want to use them for family portraits indoor and such.

LED style lights

Plus, with LED lights and new technology you even have some cooler options available so it becomes practical as well making the "hot lights" a thing of the past. Depending on what you purchase, you can set up your own home studio easily enough! But that again, is a post for another day!

Time to click: Red eyes

While we are talking about flash this week... I thought I would take a few moments to explain why you get Red eye, (or pet eye sometimes called eye-shine - with the green or white reflections in animals), and a few ways you can prevent it!

First, lets look at what the science is behind Red Eye's.

Red-eye's in photos are effectively the reflection off of the back of an eye.  Typically you will notice them in lower light situations, or when an intense flash is used. The Flash enters the pupil from a direct angle, and reflects off the blood vessels in the back of the eye. That light then exits the eye headed back to the camera.  The closer the flash is to the lens (like shown above) the more direct the reflection path is back to the lens....

So how do you reduce, eliminate, or fix Red-eyes?

1. Change the position of your flash.

When the flash is moved away from the lens it hits the reye at an angle, and reflects back at an angle as well... just like the ball in a game of pool hitting the edge of the table. So the further away your light sorce is from your lens, the less you will have red eye from your camera to start with.  By using a flash with a bounce option you will see a drastic change in your end result.

Not only do you see the rest of the room.. but there is no more red eyes!

This is great with cameras that have an attached flash, or the ability to use an additional flash, but if you don't you will need to be more creative in your solutions!

2. Turn on Additional Lights in the room! The less intense your flash is the less chance of red eye as well. If you have the abilty to ADD light to your situation this will lessen your need for flash (or the intensity of it) and it will allow your subjects pupils to contract. Smaller pupils mean less light coming into the pupil and less light being reflected back out!

3. Use Red-eye reduction flash function.

Yep! It's what we just reviewed yesterday, and it is a functional option. The theory is that it will give eyes a chance to adjust to the brighter light allowing pupils to contract, before the flash fires. Just be sure to warn your subjects.

4. Change YOUR shooting angle.
Just because you can't change where your flash is, doesn't mean you can't change the angle of where your flash is hitting an eye! Grab a chair and shoot down at your subject, (more flattering then kneeling shooting up at them! Trust me, no one likes images shot up their nose). Or move to the left or right and have everyone look slightly over your shoulder not directly at the camera!

5. Kick up your  ISO setting.
Bet you didn't know you could change your film speed on a digital camera did you? ha! In truth its still called ISO, but its really the sensitivity of your chip and how they see light that your changing. Just like in film, the higher the number the better it is in lower light situations... but also the more "grain" or in digital terms "noise" your image will have. Typically your camera on "auto ISO" will shoot the lowest number available for the lighting situation. If your overriding.. no need to go crazy a 400 or 800 is usually just fine for most indoor situations where your still using flash. Yes, your flash will automatically know of this change and compensate by not being so intense... there for reducing your red eye!

6. Shoot, and Edit later.
Any photo editing or viewing software worth ANYTHING, has some sort of basic red eye removal tool. I personally don't like suggesting you do anything that REQUIRES you to have to spend time editing. However, it is a real option and you can choose to do it. Just promise me, like cropping you will do this on your computer for better results, no need to make your camera do it! (Yes, some have the option to do small edits like this in the camera.)

Eye Shine: While effectively the same as red eye in humans, eye-shine or pet eye is typically greenish or clear. Because some animals have the addition of a reflective layer behind the retina.  This layer is called the tapetum lucidum (Latin for “bright tapestry”).  The obvious advantage of this design is the increased availability of light for the retina. The draw back, making for poor pet photos.

This effect causes an equally haunting iridescent glow in the eyes (typically green).  Take a normally cute and cuddly creature and photograph them with a harsh flash and they will look absolutely demonic. It is also the effect behind the “deer in the headlights” look. So why, do you ask did the cat at the beginning have red eyes? Because blue eyed cat's tend to reflect red. In fact, my red tipped Siamese will shine red in regular house lights... no flash needed. Creepy right?

Unfortunately they don't like all the above solutions so well.. especially telling them where to look.  Fortunately, all the same things will work! You just have to find one your pet wont mind sitting still for!

Time to Click: Flash Functions

Did you know you can do more then just command your flash on and off!? Yes! It's true! Every camera has several different flash options that work great in different situations!

Just like knowing what P S A M and all those other icons are on your camera, it's important to understand all the icons in your flash menu as well!

So first, find your built in flash menu options!

Almost all cameras have a "flash command" button. It will have this icon on it (or something very similar) The lighting bolt, or a lighting bolt with a arrow on the bottom.

This is typically found on your camera body. Depending on your camera... take a moment and find it now. Anyone who doesn't see it should feel free to give me a shout with your make and model and I will be happy to tell you where you can find it (or look it up in that silly manual you have!)

Can you spot the Flash button?

(As a reminder you will need to be in your P mode to command your flash. A / Auto / or the green square mode won't always let you control your flash! For more info about the difference between Program and Auto check this out!)

Now, like with the other function buttons, typically you cycle through the different options by
1. Hitting the flash button over and over changing (or cycling through) the icon on your user display.
2. Using the arrows on your camera back (Cross keys) to select the icon from a menu display
3. Hold the button and spin a command dial (for Bridge or DSLRS)

Did you try it and see some different icons pop up!?

Here are are the ones you should be seeing as you cycle through. You may have all of these... you may have a few other combinations... but these are the core functions.

Auto Flash:

This means it will fire if it thinks it needs more light for the image. SOme cameras will show you this image on your display screen, others will simply fire the flash if you are in program mode and it thinks it needs it.

Auto Flash DID NOT fire due to outdoor light, causing subject to be in shadow.

This is like the difference between auto and program. There are simply times when your best judgement will be much better then your camera's. Your camera can be tricked because it doesn't really know what it is looking at. Like in in cases like this where the camera sees all the light from outside, but your subject is in the shadow.

Flash On:

Will always fire the flash... it works great indoors or outside! Sometimes this can be called "fill flash" like if you are using it outside to "fill" in the shadow from under a hat or "fill" the shadow from a tree. It commands your flash regardless of the light your camera sees.

With Flash, you see the subject.. not out the window.

Flash Off:

Some camera's don't have a symbol for flash off, sometimes you simply push the flash down to close it and that's the "off". It might even be silly to some to have a flash off mode... but there are times when you wouldn't want the flash to fire... say, when doing any sort of night photography... fireworks, stars, sunsets.... or if you want to show action like dancing blur etc. Times when your camera might "auto flash" but you want something different. Knowing that you can command your flash of is just as important as knowing when to turn it on!

Slow shutter speed, no flash.

Red eye:  (as shown here as Flash with red eye)

Sometimes you have the red eye symbol separately, and it can be toggled on and off. There are many ways to address a red eye issue, but with small point and shoots this is a "good" option. Basically it does a pre-flash like a strobe to dilate eyes prior to the flash going off. This helps prevent the reflection back from the eye. The draw back is, many people complain about it, and often think that it is the flash and move, or start to move away by the time the real flash fires. If you are going to use this I suggest you warn your subjects not to move before you tell them! (More about Red Eye!)

Yes, even light eyed animals can have red eye (or green reflections called "pet eye")

Also, you could have the word "SLOW" next to your flash symbol.

This option is called "slow sync flash":

This function is really a lot of fun to play with! How it works is the shutter opens, exposing for a background like holiday lights, sunsets, or city nightscapes, and then the flash fires exposing for the foreground (like a person) before the shutter closes.

Where if you just used a flash you would see this image like...

Tip: Remember if you are using a "slow" function you need to keep your camera on a tripod so you don't get camera shake from the shutter staying open for a long time!

Now occasionally you will find combinations like...
Flash / Slow / Red eye: And if you understand what they mean together you can figure out the combinations as well! Now, it's up to you to take some images and test out your new knowledge before we tackle our more advanced flash technique classes!