new to flash - fill-flash help

[thaking]

i am new to flash photography...this was taken with my 50D and 430exII...i was attempting fill-flash...it was about 630 in the evening, partial shade...settings were: f/7.1, 1/160s, ISO 1000...

please disregard any details other than the flash lighting (ie, pose, etc) as we were just playing around with the new flash...any tips, please?

[gonzogolf]

I think you are in the ballpark. She looks just a tad bright, you might want to dial back the Flash exposure compensation a little bit. You also might consider underexposing the background just a tad, but maybe thats just my taste. Is the flash on camera? also are you using any sort of diffuser?

[Curtis N]

The settings you listed merely determine the ambient exposure and that depends on the conditions. Ambient exposure looks fine.

The important setting for fill flash is Flash Exposure Compensation (FEC). Adjust it to get the amount of fill you want. This shot could do with a bit less flash but it's really not bad.

[aparis99]

is it necessary to use ISO1000? what about 200/400?

[Subfightersandman]

I would prob go 1 stop slower on the ss this will make the background a bit darker, i would also go 1-2 stops higher on you aperture this will make the flash a bit less intense.

[Subfightersandman]

forget what i said u are using ettl flashes, i thought u were using manual flashes. do one stop slower ss and dial down you flash exposure compensation.

[Peacefield]

I'm not so sure this type of setting required fill-flash in the first place.

Fill-flash is intended to lift harsh shadows in direct sun. But it is NOT intended to elimniate them which is why you use negative FEC; so that you leave some light shadowing and your subject looks three dimensional. There are no shadows on your subject's face at all because your flash wiped them out. Even if you used FEC, in partial shade, the shadows may be so gentle that just about any flash will elimimate them and make your subject appear flat and featureless.

Sun behind your subject (so use a lens hood), meter on the background, set FEC to -1.5 or so, but use it when you either have harsh shadows or the background is significantly brighter than your subject.

[mufutau55]

+1 on the reduction of ISO setting.

Mufutau

is it necessary to use ISO1000? what about 200/400?

[thaking]

first, thanks for all the responses, much appreciated...i got a pm because i hadn't turned on image editing although i thought i did, so it's on now...let me see if i can answer most of the questions raised...

i'm using no diffuser, fully auto flash on camera...i thought i read that when using fully auto flash it will default the settings to fill flash automatically (or something to that effect), and thus i used no FEC...the settings were definitely what were used for ambient...how i came to those settings is turn off flash and take a shot, then i turned on flash and retook the shot - and this is what i got (that's why ISO 1000)...w/o flash it was dark cause of shadows over her face, hence i used flash...like i said, i was just experimenting and this is what i got...

i was using 70-200 f4 L, wouldn't a lens hood interfere with the flash? should i have been shooting in manual rather than auto, or could i just use FEC in auto (again i'm just learning so i'm not sure if i could use FEC with auto flash)?

i'm glad some said the image wasn't that bad (thanks) but i DO have much to learn about flash...i'm used to ambient lighting...

[gonzogolf]

first, thanks for all the responses, much appreciated...i got a pm because i hadn't turned on image editing although i thought i did, so it's on now...let me see if i can answer most of the questions raised...

i'm using no diffuser, fully auto flash on camera...i thought i read that when using fully auto flash it will default the settings to fill flash automatically (or something to that effect), and thus i used no FEC...the settings were definitely what were used for ambient...how i came to those settings is turn off flash and take a shot, then i turned on flash and retook the shot - and this is what i got (that's why ISO 1000)...w/o flash it was dark cause of shadows over her face, hence i used flash...like i said, i was just experimenting and this is what i got...

i was using 70-200 f4 L, wouldn't a lens hood interfere with the flash? should i have been shooting in manual rather than auto, or could i just use FEC in auto (again i'm just learning so i'm not sure if i could use FEC with auto flash)?

i'm glad some said the image wasn't that bad (thanks) but i DO have much to learn about flash...i'm used to ambient lighting...

You are correct that the flash when left alone will work as a fill flash. A microwave will also cook a steak.... But you can do much better with a little care. First thing to note when you use a fill flash is that you basically have two different exposure settings to consider. The first is your ambient light, the one your camera exposed for initially. In this case its okay, maybe a little bit bright as you want your subject to pop out of the background a little bit. If you are using one of the automatic setting you could just dial it down a stop with the Camera's exposure compensation. If you were shooting in manual you could just increase the shutter speed by one stop.

The second half of the exposure to consider is the part of the photo being illuminated by the flash, in this case the lovely lady. Having the flash with no diffusion throws a hard, flat light on her and makes her look a bit washed out. I think she would have benefited from using the FLASH exposure compensation to reduce by a stop. She wouldn't be quite so washed out.

A couple more thoughts. For portrait work its nice to be able to soften the light a little, perhaps you could get a bounce card. That will soften the light a little without wasting too much light. Your lens hood wont affect the flash so dont worry about that.

[thaking]

@gonzogolf - i was in Manual on camera...so, should i always increase the shutter by one stop when using flash, to help with separation? or is this more trial and error - ie experience?

the second part, FEC...when approaching a scene how do you know in advance whether you should reduce FEC or not? or is this again something that comes with experience?

i had the flash aimed right at her as the only thing around us were trees, so i didn't think bouncing was an option...would you have aimed it differently, in order to use a bounce card?

[gonzogolf]

@gonzogolf - i was in Manual on camera...so, should i always increase the shutter by one stop when using flash, to help with separation? or is this more trial and error - ie experience?

the second part, FEC...when approaching a scene how do you know in advance whether you should reduce FEC or not? or is this again something that comes with experience?

i had the flash aimed right at her as the only thing around us were trees, so i didn't think bouncing was an option...would you have aimed it differently, in order to use a bounce card?

No, you dont always have to always increase the shutter speed, its trial and error and creative judgement. In this case I would have just because I like that extra separation, but thats mostly a matter of taste. But it is important to remember for fill flash to work, you have to underexpose the scene a tad for the fill to become the dominant light source if only by the tiniest amount. If you expose fully for the scene, then add light from the flash you end up overexposed.

Bouncing off an external object wouldnt have been an option for you but using a bare flash, mounted on the camera, will rarely give you the quality of light you want. You need to soften it somehow. There are lots of options. The reason I mentioned a bounce card is that the large ones direct a good amount of their light forward and it increases the apparent size of your flash source which is the major factor in softening light.

To get the best results you need to get the flash off of the camera so you dont get the "deer in the headlights" look that an on camera flash will give you. YOu can use an ocf cord, they make them up to 24ft now. You can also use radio triggers, although with most you lose ettl. Getting it off camera also allows you to use different light modifiers like an umbrella or softbox.

[gonzogolf]

take a look at this thread.
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=653964
Its dedicated to off camera flash but you dont have to be off camera to use the technique. A lot of the shots by tony were taken mid day but he has controlled the ambient light to darken the background while illuminating the subject with his flash.

[thaking]

thanks for the tips gonzo...

[RichNY]

IMO a big part of this has to do with the color of the light, not just the quantity of flash exposure. A CTO gel would have made a difference to warm the light.

[thaking]

gels? gels! ha, i'm just learning flash, i don't wanna throw too much new material in here.. :) but i see what you're sayin...