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Chapter 3 ✦ Flash Photography Basics 59
Lighting Ratios
Lighting ratios are the difference in light intensity between the shadow and highlight
sides of your subject. Lighting ratios are expressed as any other ratio is, for example,
2:1, which translates as one side being twice as bright as the other. You use ratios
when you want to plan how much contrast you want in a portrait or still life. Lighting
ratios determine the amount of shadow detail in your images. You can get very accu-
rate measurements for lighting ratios using Speedlights in i-TTL mode. Adjusting ratios
are achieved by making adjustments on the master unit for each flash. Here, the fig-
ure shows a portrait taken with a 3:1 lighting ratio.
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