Why I Sometimes Use Flash in Photography

His eyes look alive!

Many people worry that flash makes photos look harsh or unnatural. In reality, when used properly, flash is a tool that helps me enhance the natural light, not overpower it.

• Comfort first: Always use diffused or bounced flash so it feels soft and doesn’t distract.

• Better quality: Flash helps reduce graininess in dark settings and keeps colors true to life.

• Brighter eyes: A touch of flash adds a natural sparkle to the eyes, making them look more alive and vibrant.

• Natural look: My goal is for the photos to look authentic, warm, and natural—often you won’t even notice I used flash.

In short, flash is just one of many tools I use to make sure photos look their absolute best in any situation.

As an important note, always check Venue rules: If a location doesn’t allow flash, respect those guidelines and rely on low-light techniques. 

It's hard to notice that I used a flash in this photo.

 

A full frame camera does not make you a Pro

I recently watched this video from April Clayton aka Camera Newb who was talking about her journey to became a Professional Photographer. 

I thought that buying a full frame camera was the key to becoming a professional photographer, but I may have been wrong. 

 

Unfortunately, photography today isn’t just about mastering your main tool—the camera—at least not anymore. As a profession, it has evolved into a field where roughly 60% of the work is marketing, 20% is post-editing, and only about 20% is actually taking pictures. And please, don’t confuse online exposure with “marketing.” From my own experience, you can gain plenty of exposure, but if it’s with the wrong audience, it won’t lead to being hired. Plain and simple. Photography is one of the toughest professions to market. 

An Iconic picture

Of all the pictures I took at the last karate competition, one impacted me the most.

 

But why? 

This picture has a powerful visual impact because of the way it captures intensity, focus, and presence in a single frame.

• Expression & Emotion: The young martial artist’s face is locked in concentration and determination. His gaze is sharp and unwavering, which immediately draws the viewer in. That expression gives the photo emotional weight—it’s not just a boy in uniform, it’s a competitor embodying strength and resolve.

• Body Language: The stance is strong and commanding. Holding the bo staff with confidence, his posture communicates readiness and discipline. It tells a story of practice, respect, and the seriousness of the moment.

• Contrast & Setting: Against the softer, blurred background of spectators and the hotel conference setting, he stands out crisply in his white gi and hakama. That separation enhances the sense of focus—not just his, but ours as viewers.

• Impact on the Viewer: What makes this image impactful is that it feels iconic—a moment frozen where youth, tradition, and determination intersect. You don’t just see a karate student; you see the spirit of martial arts captured in one decisive moment.

In short: The picture is impactful because it communicates strength, discipline, and determination in a way that feels larger than the moment itself.

Intriguing...

Sometimes animals intrigue me with the way they act. For example, this squirrel lay down on its belly just to watch me taking pictures.

Is it curiosity? 

 

 Or, is it something else? 

 

Who knows? 

I like to think they’re as intrigued by us as we are by them—a little reminder that observing nature often means being observed in return. 

Why Photography Never Died with the Invention of Video

When video arrived, some thought photography might fade away. After all, video adds motion, sound, and a fuller sense of reality. But photography never died — because it offers something unique.

A photo freezes a single moment in time. It allows us to pause, reflect, and feel the power of one frame without distraction. Unlike video, photography invites imagination — what happened before and after that moment? What story is hidden between the pixels?

Photography isn’t just about recording life, it’s about framing meaning. And that timeless ability will always keep it alive. 

Above are two of the best pictures I took this past weekend. 

Lot of Megapixels, Lot of problems

 That's basically the Conclusion of this article recently published by FStoppers. 

The camera industry thrives on spectacle. Every new launch has to sound revolutionary, and the easiest way to do that is with bigger numbers and shinier promises. But in practice, many of those hyped specs do little to improve photography, and some make it worse. Professionals know that what matters isn’t the number on the brochure. It’s the reliability of the tool in the field. At the end of the day, cameras should serve the photographer, not impress shareholders. 

I used to shoot with a Sony camera that delivered 46 MP, and I experienced many of the problems described in this article. Now I’m shooting with a Canon R6, a 24 MP camera — and it works perfectly for me.  

Distractions or... about deleting them

One of the features included in the latest versions of Lightroom Classic is the ability to remove people from a scene. I had the opportunity to test this option on a few photos from our last trip to St. Augustine, and I’m impressed with the results. Here are two of them.

These pictures were taken on Labor Day weekend, on a Sunday. Believe me, the Castillo de San Marcos was packed with people.

Another popular spot with people cleaned/deleted by this option. 

 The feature may fail to detect people who are too close to the camera or when only partial body parts are visible in the frame. In such cases, manual selection and removal using the traditional tools in Lightroom is still required. For best results, try to use the tool on scenes where subjects are fully visible and at a moderate distance—this gives the AI a clearer reference and produces cleaner edits. 

By the way, all these pictures were taken using the Tamron 28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di VC PZD Zoom Lens for Canon EF Cameras, you can find the link to buy this lens and my opinion about it here.