RingFlash Resource

Dental photography experts, Lester Dine invented the Ring Flash in 1952 as a tool to pinpoint light directly into a dental patient’s mouth and provide full illumination. Their invention revolutionised dentist/patient communication as the ringflash photograph made it easy for the patient to see what treatment needed doing,unlike the view of an x-ray. The invention of ring flash also meant photography could be used as a teaching tool and changed the way dentists were taught in school and further education.

Although designed with dental photography in mind, it wasn’t long before the ring flash became the choice of some nature photographers as a macro flash, and the application followed into jewellery and still life, because of the flat and even lighting. Fashion photographers are also high up on the list of usersas they like the catchlight and the unusually centred lighting styles created.

The modern ringflash is pretty much the same design as that original one over 50 years ago.