When you’re in such a picture-perfect location like the beach, a portrait session will always be in order. However, it does get a bit tricky when you also need to work with flash to balance the natural light. For that, we found just the portrait lighting guide for you!

The Adorama video above outlines four simple steps for balancing flash with natural light. The goal is to either enhance or completely transform your beach portraits. With it, you can even achieve certain moods and looks!

Since you’re working with both ambient light and flash, you need to factor in both in your composition. The look you’re after will determine how much flash power you’ll use for your shot. Want a more dramatic effect? Make the ambient light darker and power up your flash. Otherwise, if you prefer a more natural look, make the ambient light brighter and decrease the flash power. The guide effectively demonstrates how to modify or add in the light, based on what your scene gives you and how you want your portraits to turn out.

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