metering for low light

[camera shy]

I am going to an outdoor, night party this weekend and hope to take some decent photos as it is a friends 50th bday. I have a 50d, 28-135mm f3.5-5.6 lens and a 420ex speedlite. I'm pretty sure the lighting will be low, flourescent streetlight affairs.
I've never done low lit night photos and have practiced bouncing the flash of things, shiny tin roofs, walls etc with degrees of success, but if there are any hints they would be greatly appreciated. I will have a tripod as the exposures will be more than I can handle. I plan to manually white balance with my trusty white paper, bump up ISO if needed, (which from my tests so far is definitely needed), and apply noise reduction for high ISO. Do different metering modes matter or is evaluative all you go for when using a flash. I have not had the opportunity to practice with a lot of people at night so I'm not sure of the reflectance I will get either, especially if there is alot of white clothing. I see there is flash exposure compensation but I guess I will just have to wait til I get there to see if it's needed.

Have I missed anything important?

Thanks in advance.

[ralliart_04]

I would suggest to use a bounce card (any white card or sturdy white paper will do) if you dont want to have a direct flash on your subjects. if you will direct your flash to your subjects, use a diffuser or maybe something to soften the light (softbox or plain old tissue paper on the flash head).

[Brett]

Search Youtube for club photography videos. There's a ton of information there, although much of it will suggest you get the flash off-camera with an ETTL cord. If you're able to obtain a cord, you'd likely be much happier with the results, since bouncing outdoors really isn't a viable option.

[camera shy]

Thanks ralliart, I read earlier about using tissue paper but had forgotten so writing it down now. I'd like to avoid using direct flash as from what I've seen so far it makes the colour on the person quite flat.

I will check out youtube too thanks brett. I won't have a chance to get a cord in the one horse (read camera shop) town where I live, but will keep on searching for tutorials on lighting. I don't think there is even a camera club in this place but POTN is a pretty good substitute so far.

The only other thing I thought is if I use the remote shutter and fire the 420ex manually while off the camera. But like you say, there won't really be much to bounce off.

[ralliart_04]

bouncing off a white card at the back of the flash head works. bouncing on something else may not as there really is nothing to bounce when outdoors...unless you wear a white shirt or someone beside you wears white shirt but what would be the odds? the white card on your flash head may look funny but it does the trick. at least there is 20% light being pushed forward. the key is the distance from the subject. if there really is no choice, direct flash (with nothing on the flash head), go ettl, and then, set flash exposure to -1 (again, depending on your distance from the subject). the farther you are from the subject, the more exposure you would want. the closer you are, the less exposure.

[vadim_c]

I would suggest to use a bounce card (any white card or sturdy white paper will do) if you dont want to have a direct flash on your subjects. if you will direct your flash to your subjects, use a diffuser or maybe something to soften the light (softbox or plain old tissue paper on the flash head).
The bounce card by itself does not soften the light. Same thing a diffuser unless it is a sofbox like big thingy on the flash.
Using a bounce card or some sort of stofen diffuser outside is a useless waste of the battery power.
The purpose of the bounce card is to direct a part of the light directly to the subject when most of the light is bounced from the ceiling.

[Wilt]

Camera on M, not on Av

(have I made my point sufficiently?) :)

Only size really makes a light softer. Bounce increases size by using ceiling and walls (if present); no ceiling, no size increase, no softer light.

Tissue over flash does not increase size; its 'diffusion' is minimal. First photo is native flash lens...
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i63/wiltonw/Lensonly.jpg

Second photo is lens with frosted filter (tissue like) same size as the flash lens...
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i63/wiltonw/Papercover.jpg

Both shots were fairly close to the ruler, where apparent size has more benefit; if I had taken the shots from typical 15-20', the effect of the tissue would have been even less!

[camera shy]

Wilt, point taken http://photography-on-the.net/forum/images/icons/icon7.gif. I guess size really does matter hey?

I will have to fire off a few when I first get to the party before too many people turn up so work it out in my head. Everything really comes down to practice really.

[Wilt]

Wilt, point taken http://photography-on-the.net/forum/images/icons/icon7.gif. I guess size really does matter hey?

I will have to fire off a few when I first get to the party before too many people turn up so work it out in my head. Everything really comes down to practice really.

Yes, size matters...for light sources and for format size. Otherwise, it is the skill that matters!:lol: