Should I use flash during day time while taking portraits ?

If you want soft results avoid flash, as the use of flash helps provide lighting as well as renders sharpness to the subject. Daytime shooting has three situations, one when the subject's face is in direct sunlight, second the subject is in against light means sunlight from subject's back and the third when the subject is in shade. Though flash can be used in all the three situations but it has to used differently. In the first case when subject is in direct sunlight , flash can be avoided, but if used can reduce the shadow under the eyes and under the chin. A direct undiffused flash with less power can be fired to provide a fill light.Second situation when the subject is against light. you can create a silhouette without using a flash, but if you desire to show the face, flash becomes a necessity. Try using flash with a diffuser (a small soft box) off camera from a angle to get beautiful and pleasing portraits. Third situation when the subject is in shade, without flash you get soft portraits, but if you want crisp details, flash is a must. Again try using it with some diffuser placed in from of the flash. Though an elaborate subject, I hope I made few things clear. read less

If there is a need to fill in the hard shadows on the subject due to the way the subject is positioned (if the light source is behind the subject/if the subject is wearing headgear, cap, hat or heavy jewelry etc) then you might want to use fill flash and for added effect you can use a diffuse screen to further spread and soften the lighted emitted from the flash. Remember that once you bring in a flash you might want to balance between light from the flash with the available ambient light. Regards, Santosh J read less

Ideally you should avoid flash for portraits as much as possible. By moving the subject to a lighted area such as near the window or to a open shaded area you will have enough light on the person to take portrait without flash. Opening the aperture, slower shutter and higher ISO you can manage to take portraits in most lighting conditions. read less

Dark shadows are created on the face and neck areas when the sun is high overhead. The use of flash in such situation will brighten up the dark shadows. Also it will ensure that the colors are not lost under the glare of the sun. The goal of the flash is to fill-in the shadows. Basically the flash is needed to remove the shadows created by the sun. read less