VERY insufficent flash from 430EX

[Radtech1]

I am trying to do an indoor portrait for a friend. She wants me to render it "Andy Warhol" style as in the Marilyn Monroe (http://img.search.com/thumb/1/12/Marilyn_Monroe_Warhol_Prints.jpg/200px-Marilyn_Monroe_Warhol_Prints.jpg) shot.

Upon studying the shot, I realized that I am going to need a fairly bright flash to get some of the shadows that are evident in the Warhol shot - especially around the cheek and under the chin. We did some test shots yesterday and I couldn't be more frustrated.

My set up was 5D on the tripod, Canon 430EX about 18" to my left on another tripod with the Off-Camera Shoe Cord 2 connecting them. (This cord IS compatible with E-TTL and E-TTL II on all EOS SLRs.) I have her turned so the is facing a spot halfway between the flash and my camera, with her eyes on the camera. This, I thought, would give me the shadow on her left cheek that I need.

So here is the problem - I cannot get the harsh light that I need.

Below is an example of what I ended up with. Check out these exposure factors (manually set):

ISO = 1600 (!)
1/50th sec (Should be plenty of time for the flash to sync, huh?)
f/5 (fairly large aperture - lots of light in the camera!)
Camera to subject = 5 feet
Flash to subject = 4 feet or slightly less.

I would have expected the shot to be WILDLY overexposed with that technique. BUT, instead what I got was the appropriately exposed, natural light, indoor shot that you can see below, with almost no evidence of flash - no sharp shadows, no visible catchlight, no nothing - yet I saw it flash and the EXIF data supports that as well.

SO my question is this: Is the 430 simply incapable of brightly lighting a scene? Hell, my on board flash from my old 10D was more powerful than that. I bought it used - no paperwork - and the Canon site does not have the instructions on the 430 download site (http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=141&modelid=11923), so no seeking help there. :mad:

Any help here - I am shooting for real next week.

Rad

[EOS MAN1]

I think the problem with the shot above is that you went the totally wrong direction. What I would suggest is to use manual mode first off. What you have hear is an exposure purely for ambient light based on e-ttl with a little unnoticable fill. First (Very Important) raise that ISO a little 1600 is going to be tough to get hard shadows when the sensor is so sensitive to light. It can be donw, but it works better at Lower ISOs. I would try 400 or max 800. This will also improve you image quality. Here is where the fun begins. You are going to guess your exposure. If you want hard shadows, you want your shutter speed fairly high, at the very least double what your cameras meter is saying it the correct exposure. This will cut down the ambient light and let your aperture take over for the flash exposure.

Basically, set your flash to manual. Set your aperture between f/4 and f/8 to get a good DOF on your subject. Have your flash off to one side and start taking exposures. If your overall exposure is too dark, increase the flash power. If the shadows side is to dark, lower the shutterspeed. You cn do this back and forth till you get the right combo. When working with flash, it may be totally different combinations than you would be expecting.

Here is an example of what I am talking about. One hot side, and one side in shadow. I wasn't looking for as deep a shadow as you might be, so just play around with it.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2296/1736044911_1160af13f4_o.jpg

[HaroldC3]

sorry I have to ask the obvious question. Did you check the Flash Exposure Compensation on the flash?

[confessions.se]

why would it have been over exposed ? the flash will try to expose the subject correctly if you are using ettl. With your settings i dont think the flash had much effect at all on the picture.

If you want the flash to create harsh shadows you need to eliminate the ambient light... turn down the iso as low as you can and increase the shutter speed... and let the flash do the lightning.

[timmytimmytimmy]

You've gone down E-TTL and it seems your settings already exposes quite well for the subject. The flash is only putting out a little power to fill in the subject.

Suggest you use manual flash exposure.

[Tee Why]

I suspect either AV or TV mode was used, try P or M mode if so as in AV/TV, the flash is used for filling in shadows only.

[linarms]

The further your flash is from your subject, the harsher the shadows will be.

Of course that assumes the flash is the primary light source in your shot, which has already been addressed by others.

I recommend finding a book on lighting or reading through lighting 101 on strobist.

[Lotto]

There's no catch light in the eyes, looks like a bounced flash shot to me.

[Moppie]

So here is the problem - I cannot get the harsh light that I need.



I think I'm just sumerising whats other have said but:

You are not getting the harsh light you want because you have exposed perfectly for the ambient light, and then the flash has done a perfect job of providing some fill light.

Try underexposing the ambient light by about 2 stops, and set the FEL on the flash to over expose by 1 stop.

It should give very different results.

Better yet, shoot the flash in manual, find an abient exposure you like, and simply keep boosting the flash power till you get the effect you want.

[Jim M]

I think I'm only reiterating what most have said, but put the camera in manual mode. Set the shutter speed to 1/200 or anything reasonable below the maximum synch speed. Set the aperture to 5.6 or 8 or anything else that won't record the ambient light. Set the ISO to 100. The object of all this is to make sure the room light won't be a factor in the picture. You want it only lit by the flash. Make your picture with the flash on ETTL with no compensation. Look at the picture. If it isn't what you want, adjust the flash exposure compensation (FEC) and take another. My suggestion would be to make any apparent over exposure in post processing. I imagine that Andy Warhol started with a properly exposed picture and created his derivatives from there. You could too.

In the for what it's worth department, Andy Warhol once visited the home of one of my uncles. I realize this is completely meaningless, but I have never had the chance to bring it up before in conversation and I couldn't resist. My almost brush with greatness, I guess.

[Curtis N]

There's no catch light in the eyes, looks like a bounced flash shot to me.Lotto has it nailed.

No catchlights, no hard shadow, no direct flash in this shot. Either it was bounced straight up, or the flash didn't sync properly and the sample is just an ambient light shot.

1/50, f/5 and ISO 1600 will get you good ambient exposure in many residential environments.

If you want hard light, point the flash at your subject, and use ISO 100 and 1/200 shutter to eliminate the ambient. You might need a serious dose of +FEC, but it will give you hard lighting for sure.