A little Help from flash experts?

[Chairman7w]

Hi guys, I take a lot of pics outdoors and would really like to learn to use fill flash properly.

I'm pretty ignorant of it, and could really use some help.

It's SO dang bright out, that I try and shoot subjects in the shade, but then the background is so dang blown out, it's a silouhette.

So I want to use fill flash, but when I use my flash my camera won't go over 1/200th shutterspeed, and the background is still blown out (like i said I'm extremely ignorant about using flash so bear with me).

I've tried both Av and M, to no avail (not cause it won't work - I just don't know how to make it work yet).

Can someone give me a couple simple setups and step-by-steps for shooting outdoors when it's so dang bright?

Thanks in advance!

[samsen]

By no mean a flash expert but let me start by answering you as much as I can.

First what kind of camera and flash are you using.

In general, assuming you have manual mode available to you, if you are out door under sun, you are subjected to rule of 16. That your right exposure under sun if using F 16 is One over your ISO. Than means you are using ISO 125, your correct shutter speed is 1/125 sec. You need compensations for every change in weather and sun intensity, what is known as seesaw of F stop and shutter speed or Exposer Value i.e. EV

This is your right exposure for a subject such as landscape behind your candid figure.

Now you need to know how much power you have in your flash. This is referred as G number or Guide number which if divided by flash (And not camera, remember this as might be handy later on) distance (For meter and feet there are two different number so pay attention to unit if you think you know your G #) Gives you the correct F stop.
eg: G number 20 in meter.
Subject 2 meter away,
Correct F number is 20/2 ~ F 11
G number 20 in meter is a powerful flash that not everyone has (G # 60 in feet).

Now you need to match these two variables to get one correct number in terms of F and shutter speed. If you have both, you have a flash ratio of 1 into 1 that means your subject is as bright as background.

So far was words easy to say in theory. But not the harsh reality:

Most flashes especially those on camera are quit weak.
There is a major problem that you seems to encountered unknowingly, called Flash Max Synchronization speed. What it is no mater how powerful a flash you have, you are bounded by the time the shutter remains fully open, during which flash will be fired by your smart camera and all corner of image gets the benefit light of flash. Now if speed of shutter is too fast, flash only can cover a part of your image leaving a dark band of fleshless scene in lower or upper part of image depending on your setting of first or second curtain selection and don't ask me what that means because I don't want to confuse you any more that what I should.

Now if your camera is not allowing you to shoot flash any faster than 1/200 sec is because you reach that critical time. You option at this point is to bring your F so small than out side light falls into this shutter speed frame.
Remember increment to go up and down on
Shutter speed:---1/2000--------1/1000----1/500-----1/250-----1/125----1/60------1/30
F stop --------------4--------------5.6--------8----------11----------16-------22----------32
eg: All for ISO 100;
Usual Golden rule speed F/16 for 1/125 sec
Your camera wants to have F/4 for 1/1000 sec.
But you need to set it on max speed of 1/200 (Close to 1/250) so look at above table your right F stop is 11. That is to keep light dim enough to show the back ground well. But lets say your Flash G number is 8 (on meter scale or 24 on feet). Now what is the correct distance between your flash and your subject?
Yes 8 / distance in meter = 11
or
11/8 = 1 meter and 40 cm
so you can get a face and shoulder close up and not the full length of model or God forbidden a group of people as then you must move backward but your flash power falls short now and as you experiment you get a black silhouette.

Now about that flash to subject distance... If you have the luxury of using off the camera flash, you can keep it at the desirable distance, hidden, then move back with camera. Now don't ask me how, sky is limit it you have access to remote triggering device, wire etc.

In short and something easy to understand, put your camera on manual, your flash on all time ON, keep the exposure with shutter speed of 1/200 as max, use a very narrow F stop (F 11or 16) and your lowerst ISO (Hopefully you have 100 or you may have to chose a narrower F), (alternatively go to shadow and use a back ground in shadow or a day that is cloudy and like wise) stay very close to your subject and you will have a rightly exposed filled in flash (Face portrait etc) assuming you wanted to have a one to one ratio, till you explore more and find your other options.

Start or continue with trial and errors of what you get through this confusing discussion and you will get hanger of it in no time.
Cheers and hope this helped.

[Chairman7w]

Hi Samsen, thanks so much for the help, I'm looking forward to "digging in" and digesting this stuff.

My equipment is a Canon Rebel XS and an 580EX flash unit.

[samsen]

You have a good camera with an excellent flash.
You may want to go over the flash manual extensively and discover more.
One good thing about 5xxEX line of flahs is the ability to be used as Master and slaves (Multiple slaves) by wireless in flash mode. So you may want to consider having a second flash set as slave, that can be placed very close to subject to balance light as exactly you need when you are far from the subject, having the other flash on camera set as Master.

There was one excellent tutorial on line that I am not able to find it now, hope it is not deleted. Any how check those too. Here is one sample:

LINK (http://www.layersmagazine.com/digital-camera-daylight-fill-in-flash.html)

[egordon99]

Hi Samsen, thanks so much for the help, I'm looking forward to "digging in" and digesting this stuff.

My equipment is a Canon Rebel XS and an 580EX flash unit.

Put the flash into High Speed Sync mode, shoot in Av, you'll be able to get up to 1/4000s shutter speed.

[Chairman7w]

Put the flash into High Speed Sync mode, shoot in Av, you'll be able to get up to 1/4000s shutter speed.

:) Thanks egordon!!

[Curtis N]

Put the flash into High Speed Sync mode, shoot in Av, you'll be able to get up to 1/4000s shutter speed.This is one way to go about it, but there are drawbacks. High Speed Sync is less efficient, so you'll have a reduced maximum distance, slower recycle times and shorter battery life. High Speed Sync is a specialized tool for when you want a wide aperture to blur the background.

Here's my usual approach:
1) With your camera in Manual mode, set the shutter speed at X-sync speed (1/200 on your camera).
2) Adjust the aperture to get the background exposure you want. If it's sunny, you'll be around f/11.
3) Start with Flash Exposure Compensation around -1/3 and give it a try. Adjust FEC as needed.

[samsen]

Good news Chairman7, got a good link for you that will not only answer your question in high def but makes that 1st and 2nd curtain story very easy to underestand. Please have a look. You will find a lot of answers to your question in simplest form:

----- L I N K ---- to photography with flash on daylight. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-BD_xD43oA)

Hope they don't remove the tutorial and please note that these come and go often so if interesting make sure to note it well or download it as available.
Have fun.