first try @ fill-C&C

[scot079]

OK, me and the wife hiked up to the castle in my town and she let me try this stuff on her. Please feel free to comment, as I'm no expert! Thanks to bocaj for the ideas:D

#1

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u264/scot079/IMG_3351.jpg?t=1184859975

#2

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u264/scot079/IMG_3347.jpg?t=1184860011

[cashen]

i want a castle in my town....

where in germany are you from?

[Wilt]

Nice balance of the background sunset and the flash on your wife! You might have given about -1/2EV exposure on the background to saturate the sky a little more, but there is nothing really wrong with the photos they way you shot them.

Das ist ser gut!

--wilt

[forkball]

I would not call this "fill" since you're really using the flash as your main light source. But if you were trying to emulate the look Jacob uses, you did ok. The level of light is good... the direction of light is not so good. Flash on the camera makes a VERY flat light source since it's firing head on. Jacob uses the flash off camera with a cord to come at a larger angle and he uses multiple lights to accent as well, to get his look.

Considering what you had to work with though... you did pretty good. Keep at it and get that flash off of your camera. ;) You'll love the results.

Fill Flash: is flash light that is used to augment lighting for your main light source. If you turn off your flash, and take the shot with the same camera settings and can't see your subject... you're not using fill flash.

[scot079]

i want a castle in my town....

where in germany are you from?

There's a castle in every town! I live in a suburb of Kaiserslautern called Hohenecken. It's more like castle ruins that date back to the 1500's. Ich bin ein Amerikaner by the way, US Air Force.

[scot079]

Nice balance of the background sunset and the flash on your wife! You might have given about -1/2EV exposure on the background to saturate the sky a little more, but there is nothing really wrong with the photos they way you shot them.

Das ist ser gut!

--wilt

Danke Shoen Herr Wilt! I'll give that a try next time, I really like the "meter for the sky" type of shot.

[scot079]

Ahhh, finally someone telling what I did wrong...I've been waiting for this! Thanks for the clarification, I called it fill because, well, i didn't know any better! I'll take some more gear next time I go, I just used 1 580EX and a sto-fen for this. And I'll post up what I get!

I would not call this "fill" since you're really using the flash as your main light source. But if you were trying to emulate the look Jacob uses, you did ok. The level of light is good... the direction of light is not so good. Flash on the camera makes a VERY flat light source since it's firing head on. Jacob uses the flash off camera with a cord to come at a larger angle and he uses multiple lights to accent as well, to get his look.

Considering what you had to work with though... you did pretty good. Keep at it and get that flash off of your camera. ;) You'll love the results.

Fill Flash: is flash light that is used to augment lighting for your main light source. If you turn off your flash, and take the shot with the same camera settings and can't see your subject... you're not using fill flash.

[canoflan]

Scot079, you definitely have the background exposed the way it should. Try reading the Lighting 201 areas on Strobist.com to see the effect of getting the flash closer to your subject (see pic below using this technique).

I suggest zooming in closer to your subject and get the flash at lease 30 degrees to the side and try it in manual, if you are not already.

I know what you are looking for and to do it you have to get the light to the side to show the 3D aspects of your subject.

I am learning as well and have the same equipment you do.

Pat

[scot079]

good advice man, I'll read up on that. I started reading lighting 101, but one or two pages was as far as I got.

[canoflan]

It's great to see you out and trying this stuff out. That's how it starts. I have been practicing on my wife in the living room. When the pros so this stuff, it is like second nature to them, but once it clicks, the imagination is the only limit.

Let me know what you learn and drive on. I will post from time to time when I really get something down.

You may want to also post all your settings and stuff when you post pictures because that really speeds up the pros on this forum telling you where to adjust.

Take care and the best to you and your family,
Pat

[Titus213]

What forkball said...

K-town - I have to get back to Germany, it's a beautiful country. I spent a fair bit of time in Landstuhl - 2nd General. But that was another life.