An external flash is a must-have for anyone needing to take photos in a variety of lighting conditions. Finding one that is compatible with your camera’s metering system is an important part of this process. This will allow the in-camera light meter to determine how much light the flash should emit. If you have a DSLR camera, you might shop DSLR flashes from the same brand, but you can also find cross-brand compatibility.

Since many photos benefit from indirect rather than direct flash, you will also do well to choose a flash that can tilt up and down and swivel back and forth. When you choose a wireless TTL flash, you can even choose to set a flash off to the side on its own tripod. You might also want to consider using light reflectors and modifiers to further control the lighting in your picture.

Other choices when shopping flashes revolve around power (replaceable batteries or rechargeable), manual vs. automatic modes (having a manual option offers greater control), type of wireless communication (infrared vs radio) and zoom settings (for widening or narrowing the beam of the flash).

External flashes are considered one of the ten must-have photography essentials because they open up a lot of options for the experienced photographer. If you are still new to photography, you might want to learn more about basic camera settings for photography before you get into using a flash, but once you have a handle on the basics, you will appreciate all the options that you gain when you add a flash to your setup.

Though flashes can enhance certain types of outdoor photos, the artificial lighting provided by a flash is particularly crucial in studio photography setups where you have posed or arranged your subject in front of a studio backdrop. You will also improve your setup with certain flash accessories, like diffusers and modifiers.

If you have only ever experienced amateur flash photography, you might associate it with red eye issues in night and low-light pics. However, the flash is capable of creating many flattering and image-enhancing effects. So, learning how to use a flash correctly is well worth the effort.