Flash Related Faults

Red Eye – This is where the subject’s eyes appear to be red. This is result of a small flash gun being used too close to the camera lens and leading to the illumination of the pink retina at the back of the eye. This can be avoided by either using the pre-flash option on the camera (if possible), by taking the flash off the camera or bouncing the flash off the wall.

Uneven Coverage – This occurs when the flash gun has a narrower angle of illumination than the camera’s angle of view. To avoid this problem the flash can be removed from the camera to locate it further from the subject or a wide-angle light spreader can be used.

Hot Spot – This is where the light has been reflected back from a highly reflective surface such as a mirror or glass and results in a very bright spot in the photograph. This fault can be prevented by choosing the viewpoint carefully so that the light is at an angle.

Incomplete picture – If the focal plan shutter was set too fast when using flash, this could lead to a portion of the picture being missing. Ensure the camera shutter speed is set slowly enough to avoid this problem.