Natural Light Falls on Dorze Weaver
Ethiopia 2013 Near the town of Arba Minch
We had a professional photographer on our tour. She was a studio photographer and told us she was an expert using studio lights and flash. On this day, she promised to give me the definitive lesson in the art of using flash.
We entered the weaving room and as is my habit, I looked for a pleasing subject with good light. I found this young man and got my shot.
Bounced Light from Flash
This older man sat in the back of the room. Very little light fell on him. I handed “teacher” my flash and watched as she struggled to get the right amount of light. She bounced it off the light-colored wall to the man’s left. In a way she replicated the natural light that fell on my photo of the young man above. It took her several tries to get the right light. Oh, aren’t we lucky to have digital that allows us to look and rectify our mistakes. After 3 or 4 shots, she got it right and gave my camera back and I shot this using her settings.
The lesson I learned is that there is no definitive method for using flash. It’s trial and error. The key is not to give up. Keep trying until you get it right. When you are a pro, it’ll only take 3 or 4 tries.
I recommend www.soratours.com for your trip to visit the Dorze and other tribes in Ethiopia.