Shooting with flash+sunlight! Newb rant & impressions!

[DocFrankenstein]

I've had a 6 hour shoot on friday. (it's my first "photojournalist" event btw) :P

It was fun, but I only understood how little I know about photography. I had the rebel, kit lens and vivitar 285 flash.

It was way too much. I wasn't sure of anything. How to compose... Where to be... How to be in 5 places at once :?: :!: The notebook I had refused to recognize the CF reader. :roll: I didn't know how my thysistor flash works :oops: and what the settings are.

Also my brain stopped working. :shock: Before, when I shot with that flash, it would be in the fully manual mode under controlled conditions. I'd just try a few settings and once in manual shoot the same way.

In here, at first I was getting horrible shots ALL THE TIME.

1) the shutter speed was above sync speed and the bottom part of the image didn't get enough light.
2) I was too close to the subject. The subject was blinded and on the image was 100% white, even though she was dark indian :shock: :lol:
3) Flash didn't behave consistently. :roll:
4) The lighting conditions were horrible. Pateo, with some direct sunlight and some shadow... tents...

Now that I think of it, the easiest thing to use would be the Tv mode with exposure compensation of about a stop. But no. I either used Av mode or manual. :lol:

After some time I managed to set settings to proper ones both on the flash and the body. The flash was firing at full power. The aperture was around 8 and one stop underexposed in Av mode.

If I wasn't too close to the subjects, it was ok. :lol:

I did get some good shots though. And had some fun :P

What are your comments?

[robertwgross]

You really need to spend some hours reading and understanding the manuals for both the camera and the flash. Once you think you understand it all, then practice shooting something at home that is similar to the real subject that you intend to shoot for six hours. Then go back and re-read the manuals again and repeat until you have consistent results.

---Bob Gross---

[Mark_Cohran]

If I were you I would:

1. Follow Bob's advice and then some.
2. Take a class at a local community college or an adult education course in photography and/or lighting.
3. Ditch the Vivitar 285 (great flash for manual film SLR's) and get a Canon EX flash so you can take advantage of the dedicated features and the E-TTL functions.
4. Practice, practice, practice before you ever take on an assignment.

For what it's worth, you were working under adverse conditions. That you managed to get some good shots is a testament to your perseverence!

Mark

[DocFrankenstein]

I don't have the $$ for a 550 EX and I don't want the 420

And I didn't expect to have an assingment at all. :shock: The funny part is that I was offered to talk about pay. They were ready to compensate my efforts, good thing that I refused because I "can't guarantee excellent results just yet" :shock: :?

I'd have a heart attack if they were paying me. 550 ex makes sense now. :lol:

BTW: I do know how to use the body and all the functions though. If that makes any difference. 8)

[chris.bailey]

Makes you realise just how good the pros are :!:

I have done a few weddings and my first was much as your experience, the best shots of the day were from my wife who was there with an S50.

Being organised is half the battle and that means having contingency plans for just about eeverything, two bodies, two flashes, lots of memery cards, batteries galore and a large portion of luck.

[MT]

over the weekend - shot the entire thing TV with a -1 exposure compensation (well after the first 4 or 5 pictures) with a 550EX. I'm a believer in ETTL - not that my pictures were that great - but the exposures generally were right on.

[Andy_T]

Take a look at this link:

http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/

Best regards,
Andy

[Perfect_10]

Doc .. if you can think manual camera, thne using the 285/300D in TV or manual mode shouldn't be that difficult. I hope your 285 is the HV version, not the earlier model .. as the older one has higher voltage at the pins. The flash will read reflected light back to the sensor on the front .. range determined by f stop (color). I've been using these 285HV guns on my older Canon FD kits for some years .. and as slaves for digital. Always get great results. Do you have the flash bracket and remote sensor cord .. are you using bounce off the Vivitar card holder ??

[DocFrankenstein]

Doc .. if you can think manual camera, thne using the 285/300D in TV or manual mode shouldn't be that difficult. I hope your 285 is the HV version, not the earlier model .. as the older one has higher voltage at the pins. The flash will read reflected light back to the sensor on the front .. range determined by f stop (color). I've been using these 285HV guns on my older Canon FD kits for some years .. and as slaves for digital. Always get great results. Do you have the flash bracket and remote sensor cord .. are you using bounce off the Vivitar card holder ??

I just had the bare flash shooting straight at the subject. I had a opportunity to get the card holder, but it was overpriced so I didn't.

It's the HV version, but just in case I got the Safe Sync adapter. No remote cord and no stroboframe yet. :?

[OviV]

Doc,

Take a look at the Sigma 500 Super DG. $219 at B&H with a lot of the features of the 550 EX. Granted it is not the same build quality but I am happy with mine.

Ovi

[slin100]

I'm assuming from the subject line that you were trying to use flash to fill in the shadows. If you are determined to use the 285HV, then I suggest the following technique for outdoors. The idea is to use the flash as fill, not as the main light; the sun is main light.

Canon flashes use a fill ratio of 1 1/2 stops below ambient. If you like that ratio, then set the 285HV to one of the auto modes and set the camera to Av and the aperture to 1 1/2 stops smaller. I don't own a 285HV, but from B&H it appears that it has 4 auto modes: f/2, f/4, f/8 and f/11. So, if you set the 285HV to f/4, set your camera to f/6.7. The 285HV will automatically produce enough light to properly expose at f/4. Since the aperture is set to f/6.7, the light will be 1 1/2 stops too low. The rest of the light will be provided by the sun and by virtue of being in Av mode, the camera will set the shutter speed to properly expose for ambient light.

Be sure that the subject is within the range of the flash at the set auto mode. You may have to compensate by adjusting the aperture if the subject is too close or too far, but the above technique should yield the highest percentage of 1st-shot keepers.

Be sure to watch your shutter speed and keep it below the sync speed to avoid partially exposed frames.

[DocFrankenstein]

I'm assuming from the subject line that you were trying to use flash to fill in the shadows. If you are determined to use the 285HV, then I suggest the following technique for outdoors. The idea is to use the flash as fill, not as the main light; the sun is main light.

Canon flashes use a fill ratio of 1 1/2 stops below ambient. If you like that ratio, then set the 285HV to one of the auto modes and set the camera to Av and the aperture to 1 1/2 stops smaller. I don't own a 285HV, but from B&H it appears that it has 4 auto modes: f/2, f/4, f/8 and f/11. So, if you set the 285HV to f/4, set your camera to f/6.7. The 285HV will automatically produce enough light to properly expose at f/4. Since the aperture is set to f/6.7, the light will be 1 1/2 stops too low. The rest of the light will be provided by the sun and by virtue of being in Av mode, the camera will set the shutter speed to properly expose for ambient light.

Be sure that the subject is within the range of the flash at the set auto mode. You may have to compensate by adjusting the aperture if the subject is too close or too far, but the above technique should yield the highest percentage of 1st-shot keepers.

Be sure to watch your shutter speed and keep it below the sync speed to avoid partially exposed frames.
I guess that's what I did during the shoot... after adjusting the settings for 40 mins :oops: