Photography Tips

Using flash sync modes

Flash sync modes offer ways to use flash for creative effect if you understand how to work with them.

If you’re shooting with a DSLR or a mirrorless camera system, even if you’re not familiar with flash you will have heard about it and probably even used it once or twice in some capacity.

You’ve probably also heard of flash sync speed, which is the fastest shutter speed you can use while using flash, without using high speed sync or suffering from dark lines across your images.

So we’ve got sync speed, as well as high speed sync, but there is also flash sync modes that can be set and used for creative effect.

Photo by Seth Doyle on Unsplash

While flash sync modes might vary from camera to camera, the most common ones include:

• Front curtain sync (normal)
• Slow front curtain sync
• Slow rear curtain sync

Each sync mode might have options for red eye reduction as well, but let’s look at these flash sync modes and what they can be used for but first you might be wondering why it’s going on about curtains?

The shutter in the camera (for mechanical shutters) consists of two “curtains” that cover the image sensor. A front…