To Flash, Or Not To Flash

"To flash, or not to flash... that is the question..."

While many photos look fine one way or the other, sometimes having a flash is necessary to get a good exposure and to freeze the action to avoid blur. But there are times when using a flash is not appropriate.

For example, during a wedding ceremony... often the use of flash is distracting. But there are some churches where the lighting is so dark that without a flash, you'd never get a good shot. So do you use a flash in that instance?

I think if it's been cleared with the minister beforehand, the use of flash is ok. Recently at one of my weddings, I had to use a flash during the entire ceremony. Not only that, but I had to get a lot closer than I'm normally allowed to. But I had cleared it with the minister beforehand and he and I both agreed that the flash and my physical positioning was necessary. So in that case, it was fine.

What about at family parties? Is a flash welcomed there?

Yesterday, while at our annual family Christmas get together, I did not use a flash. Why? Well, when you take over 400 images throughout the day at a family gathering, eventually, the flash will become irritating to people. So in this case, it's not welcomed. Sure, some shots suffered due to the lack of quality light. But with the proper technique, most came out just fine.

So it's a judgment call. While I don't want to risk taking a bad photograph for something like a wedding, I'll take that chance for a "just for fun" event like a family party.