How to Use On-Camera Flash Without Overexposing
The most common on-camera flash mistake is standing too close to the subject — flash intensity drops off fast with distance, so a few feet make a bigger difference than most camera settings.
Distance first
Try shooting from 5-8 feet away rather than 2-3. This alone fixes most blown-out, flat-looking flash photos, since the light has room to spread before it hits the subject.
Dial down flash power if you can
Many cameras and some phone camera apps let you reduce flash intensity manually. Dropping it by even one stop keeps highlights from clipping while still giving you that flash-lit look.
Watch the background
Since flash falls off quickly, anything behind the subject will look darker than it did to your eye. If you want some background detail, look for ambient light sources (streetlights, windows) rather than relying on the flash to reach that far.
Does flash work differently outdoors at night vs. indoors?
Indoors, walls and ceilings bounce some flash light back, softening it slightly. Outdoors at night there's nothing to bounce off, so the falloff into darkness is more extreme — which is exactly the look many paparazzi-style photos are going for.
