Need help with fill flash

[tammyk]

I've been told that a lot of my pictures need fill flash. see sample attached ......I understand what it does but how do I do that? I have a Canon Digital Rebel. Thanks

[Keiffer]

Just turn on your flash. and make sure it's popped up.

[DavidEB]

the easy way in the auto zones (except the no-flash mode) or the creative zones (except M) is just pop up the flash.

see this thread (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=79393) for more details about shutter speed, and ratio between background & foreground lighting, also the thread referenced there by scott berger.

[Curtis N]

tammyk,

The picture you posted looks fine, in my opinion. It looks like you found a shady spot to shoot him on a sunny day, which can produce great results when done properly. If it was my picture, I'd just crank up the exposure a little.

Fill flash will make a real difference in the sun, though. Especially with someone wearing a baseball cap. They create nasty shadows.

[tammyk]

ok, for instance with this attached pic I should have just made sure to use the flash and I wouldn't have the shadows on her face???? Is it really that simple?

[Curtis N]

If photography was simple, we wouldn't need this forum.;)

Fill flash will make the shadow on her face less pronounced but not eliminate it entirely. Most often it will create a noticable improvement, though.

The built-in flash on your camera is pretty weak (they all are). So you need to be fairly close for it to have any effect. I think it would have helped the photo of the girl you posted.

Nice picture, by the way. I like the expression and pose. Very cute!

[tammyk]

Thanks Curtis! That is my two year old daughter at the park on Opening Day for baseball. I have thousands of pics of my kids since buying the Canon DR. I love it just need more time to experiment.

btw, what flash do you recommend I buy? I mainly take pics of my children and sports (some nature).

[schmoelzel]

Hello Tammy:

I use fill-flash a lot when taking shots of my daughter Julia. Here is one from yesterday, bright sunshine but I was in the shade. I had my 420EX flash mounted on the camera and put it into hi-speed sync; pointed directly at her. With out it the picture would have had too much shadow in her face.

http://theteahaus.netfirms.com/Canon/nfpicturepro/albums/userpics/10001/35L-f2-1D-A.jpg

[tammyk]

great picture! Thanks for the tip.