Shadow with built-in flash Digital Rebel XT

[susier0627]

I am a novice - All I want to do right now is take a decent indoor picture with the built-in flash. The environment is fluorescent lighting. When I take a picture with the flash, I get a tan/bronze "aura" type shadow around much of the subject (people). If I try without a flash, everything looks green or under-exposed. I have tried using the camera in Program mode with an ISO of 800 and 1600 and never get realistic color or enough exposure. I am using a Canon zoom--EF 28-135mm.

[robertwgross]

The built-in flash does have its limitations.

If you are shooting in normal horizontal orientation, then the flash is directly above the lens. That should produce a shadow that is behind or below the subject, and that is fairly normal. If you shoot in a vertical orientation, then the flash will be to one side or the other, and that produces a shadow to one side or the other, and that is generally not desired.

That is why lots of us use a big external -EX flash unit and put it on a flash bracket. That way, no matter which way you orient the camera, you can place the flash directly above the lens and you get a fairly normal result.

---Bob Gross---

[RichardtheSane]

Bob's info is spot on, but if you can show us some examples it would be even easier to judge.

To correct for the green with no flash you need to set the white balance to the florescent setting, or shoot RAW.

[robertwgross]

Your camera can do a good job of getting white balance correct if you select the right type of light (daylight, fluorescent, etc.). Where it has a big problem is if you have two types of light that are battling in the same scene, and fluorescent+flash is a bad one to deal with. Daylight+flash isn't so tough, since they are about the same color temperature. The tough ones are fluorescent, mercury vapor, and sodium vapor. Maybe candlelight.

One alternative is to try to let only one type of light dominate the scene, and that will make the white balance issue easier.

On the other hand, maybe that isn't what you wanted to do, in which case it will be a struggle to repair.

---Bob Gross---