# Using Flash on Babies???



## angela_cheryl_7359 (Jan 7, 2010)

My sister just had a baby (a month old) and is convinced that flash is bad for the babies. THEN, she wonders why the pictures are always so dark and out of focus. Is the flash really THAT bad for their eyes? You'd think if it was, they wouldn't use flash in photography studios such as Wal-mart, right???


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## Hardrock (Jan 7, 2010)

I guess Im in trouble because my 6month old has probally seen more flash than most people in a life time!


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## mbkPhotography (Jan 7, 2010)

Hardrock said:


> I guess Im in trouble because my 6month old has probally seen more flash than most people in a life time!


 
haha that made me laugh cause I'm in the same boat, my son is 5 months old and I'm a picture nut.  He's in even more trouble once my B800 shows up lol!

To the OP thats a good question, I would think constant flash over and over and over and over again would be bad for anyones eyes though I'm not sure on an official answer but I hope it isn't lol.


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## itznfb (Jan 7, 2010)

Bounce or direct? I could see direct flash being harmful. It can be painful depending on the power used.


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## Mulewings~ (Jan 7, 2010)

Absolutely!  When my step daughter had their children and I went on the preemie ward, there was a huge sign that said, *Photographs allowed~~NO FLASHES!*
I spoke with the nurses and asked and the reasoning is that babies eyes ... especially newborns can have their eyes damaged by the flash.

Think about how it hurts our eyes!

Try some natural lighting...move the baby near a window and use that.  Set up some house lights.

For example, I used window lighting for this shot...






Good luck and get creative.
Also see if you can reduce your flash settings!


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## iolair (Jan 7, 2010)

I've never seen any evidence that flash can damage babies eyes (though I'd accept it could be the case with newborns), but it certainly can cause pain and scare them.

Fast lens, high ISO and either window light or bright flourescents are your best bet.


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## Big Mike (Jan 7, 2010)

> I spoke with the nurses and asked and the reasoning is that babies eyes ... especially newborns can have their eyes damaged by the flash.


That's a common thought, and it's certainly reasonable...But I've yet to see or hear any actual proof of it...And as mentioned, many babies see more flashes now, than their parents saw in a lifetime.


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## KmH (Jan 7, 2010)

Big Mike said:


> > I spoke with the nurses and asked and the reasoning is that babies eyes ... especially newborns can have their eyes damaged by the flash.
> 
> 
> That's a common thought, and it's certainly reasonable...But I've yet to see or hear any actual proof of it...And as mentioned, many babies see more flashes now, than their parents saw in a lifetime.


+1 ^ ^ ^ ^
It is a subject perfectly suited to being an *Urban Legend*.

As far as newborns, they don't have their eyes open very often in the 1st month and many retail photographers use flash to make images for parents. In fact many retail photographers have packages that expose the kids to flash at 0/3/6/9/and 12 months, all with flash.


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## Mulewings~ (Jan 7, 2010)

I guess I would speak to a medical professional???

Or as the OP stated...her sister said no to the flash...so why not honor it?


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## KmH (Jan 7, 2010)

Mulewings~ said:


> I guess I would speak to a medical professional???.....


Exactly! :thumbup:

And, I wouldn't put that question to a nurse if it was my kid. I'd be asking a Pediatrician that specializes in childrens vision.


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## Big Mike (Jan 7, 2010)

Some things to consider:
Babies are basically blind when they are born, even when they do open their eyes, which isn't much at first.  
A flash duration is a tiny fraction of a second...maybe 1/1000 or shorter.  
It would take a lot more power than a typical camera flash to do any damage in that short amount of time.

Will Flash Damage Babies&#8217; Sensitive Young Eyes? | Sublime Light


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