Help please?

[protest42]

So I could really use some help, I'm really new to flashes. I got to shoot some skating and I can't figure out how to expose the background more, everything I tried would blow out the skater. I have searched and from what I've seen I should set up what I want the background to look like without flash and then bring in the flash once I have the background dialed? I could totally be wrong, any help would be great. thanks in advance

[theextremist04]

Use a longer shutter speed or add more strobes. WIth sports it's really tricky, as the conventional "dragging the shutter" (longer exposure) doesn't work too well.

[SMBPhotography]

Photoshop.

[protest42]

thanks for the replies, yeah I guess I'll just have to try another strobe next time.

[namasste]

I'd have started by seeing how things looked bounced. Next, check your settings. You don't want to blow out your subject but f7.1 and 200ISO seems whack to me in a skatepark. Increase your shutter to max sync speed (or close to bring in more background), bounce the flash with the ISO around 400 and the lens as wide open as you can. Start there then adjust flash exposure, and aperture/ISO as needed to properly expose the skater. Then photoshop what you need to to get things looking good but using a layer mask and working over the background. Also, we careful that you a) get good focus which this one is missing and b) pay attention to your positioning so you don't wind up with the video shooters lens in your shot. Details can make or break ya.

[protest42]

Originally Posted by namasste

I'd have started by seeing how things looked bounced. Next, check your settings. You don't want to blow out your subject but f7.1 and 200ISO seems whack to me in a skatepark. Increase your shutter to max sync speed (or close to bring in more background), bounce the flash with the ISO around 400 and the lens as wide open as you can. Start there then adjust flash exposure, and aperture/ISO as needed to properly expose the skater. Then photoshop what you need to to get things looking good but using a layer mask and working over the background. Also, we careful that you a) get good focus which this one is missing and b) pay attention to your positioning so you don't wind up with the video shooters lens in your shot. Details can make or break ya.

Thanks for the feedback, I didn't think I'd be able to bounce it because the ceiling was pretty high, but looking back on it I probably should have at least tried. I also agree about the focusing as well as the positioning, but I wasn't really taking the shooting too seriously and at the time was just sitting on a bench because I wasn't sure if the flash would mess up the skaters if I got too close. I was really unprepared for this as it was a kind of spur of the moment thing I got to go to through work so I only got to shoot for about 20 minutes until my camera died, and it was the first time I had shot skating as well as only using my flash a few times. I really appreciate the advice and will try out what you suggested next time.