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So, if you accept the fact that for most bug macro work, a flash is necessary, what do you do to make it look natural?
Soften The Light.
First and foremost, improve the quality of the light. Look at your flash head for a moment. The area from which the actual illumination emanates is maybe 1 by 2 inches--that's 2 whopping square inches for all your light, which translates to the harsh light apparent in a conventional direct flash exposure.
Remember, you're painting with light with every image you take. A flash is a point light source, so it has all the charm of a police car searchlight. Now think of soft window light, how it gently wraps its light around everything in the room. That soft window light is the quality of light that improves an image. Pro photographers spend thousands to replicate soft lighting when they shoot models, products, interiors--basically everything they shoot. The macro shooter has an easier job: You're not trying to illuminate a room; you're just trying to put some nice light on the funky bug you just found. All you need is a flash accessory to spread the light from its source.
There are many third-party flash accessories that soften the light. I have found the most effective to be any attachment that distributes the original 2 square inches of flash head into a wider area, such as the Lumiquest Softbox. This model measures 6 by 5 inches, effectively changing 2 square inches into 30 square inches. A huge improvement! The result is that the light “wraps around” the subject, providing a softer edge to shadows, with a more gradual transition from light to dark.
Shadows are not inherently evil. They provide depth and interest to the image. However, to make the shadows more interesting, the shadow should originate from a point away from the lens's axis. Perhaps a higher 12 o'clock position, or to the side, almost any flash angle is more appealing than lighting your subject from the same position as your lens.
This is a simple example of the result of 2 different flash placements--on and off camera. The shot at left shows a more natural light and could easily be mistaken for a shot taken on a sunny day. The other shot, using strictly on-camera flash, looks dull and lifeless, however, unless you're a photographer, you probably wouldn't even realize why.
The message here: get your flash off your camera. Your pictures will have more depth and natural appearance.
Dropping your synch speed down can aid exposure of your background, but bear in mind that you risk overexposing your foreground in the process. So, if your subject is in an area that's dimly lit, and if the background is appreciably lighter than the foreground, try metering for the background when shooting.
Next: Ringlights...Are Shadows Bad?
Copyright 2006 Eric Delmar