ABSTRACT
Although both pop-up and hot shoe mounted flashes provide a ready light source when light levels are too low for handheld exposures, or when a tripod is not an option, the use of an oncamera flash is not recommended for night photography. Photographers rarely use it because the quality of light from an on-camera flash is not very pleasing. A flash fired from the camera position flattens out shapes and textures and throws hard, unattractive shadows behind the subject. In certain situations, an on-camera flash can be used effectively as a fill light, but it is limited to nearby foreground subjects. Flash is often employed as a creative lighting tool by night photographers, but it is usually handheld and fired manually away from the camera.
