Foreground fill flash for landscape?

I am struggling with the manual for my Speedlite 550EX. I have a very picturesque landscape locally that including Salisbury Cathedral in the distance, through a dark foreground of a gateway and trees. I need to figure out how to quickly alter the flash output so that I can lift the dark foreground by a small but controlled amount. A kind of "suck it and see" approach, shoot, adjust, shoot again, etc........ I don't want anything like full flash output, that brings up the foreground far too much, but cannot see a simple power adjustment. Or rather, I see it, but cannot make any sense of Canons explanation!

I need any advise offered to start from the basics, the very bottom, as I'm very much a beginner with flash, I just don't use it enough, have never used it enough. I'm using this flash on a 5DII and have had it since my Eos-3 SLR days.

Use your flash exposure compensation.

You can control the flash output from your camera (if hotshoe mounted):

Thanks fellas. Now why does page 45 of my manual not mention that?

So I have metered the background and tried a shot so I'm happy with my M setting on the camera. I would have expected some kind of power adjustment to be on the flash, but I should just use the camera?

So, put the flash in the hotshoe, turn it on and press the ISO button above the top LCD. I'm used to seeing the normal exposure compensation scale across the bottom of the viewfinder, but I assume this is not it?

I imagine 2 stops is enough, but should I need a touch less (I'm talking here of very fine control), does it get complicated?

I've been playing as suggested but the background exposure refuses to stay constant.

So I've also played myself with the flash controls themselves and might have accidentally come up with a solution. Heres what I did:

After metering and setting the main scene exposure in camera, I placed the flash in the hotshoe and turn it on, then press the SEL/SET button (marked 1 in my snap). I then moved to the + and - buttons and was able to go from -3 stops to 0 in 1/3rd stop increments. I took a sample shot at each adjustment and the background remains as metered, only the foreground changes, getting lighter as I came back to zero. The snap shows the flash set at -1 stop.

I do wish Canon could write manuals more simply, because I just don't understand 90% of what they write. A "Speedlite 550EX for Dummies" would explain it better I expect.

A very good book on Canon flash has been written by Syl Arena.

Mike wrote in post #15098214
A very good book on Canon flash has been written by Syl Arena.

Mike,

My 550EX is too old to make it into that guide!

Having accidentally discovered how to achieve what I wanted, I've been reading pages 36 & 37 of the 550 manual over and over again. NOWHERE does it say anything about "this is how to cut (or increase) the flash power". It talks about exposure compensation, but I would naturally take that to mean something else entirely.

I don't have that model of flash nor have I ever used it but from your screen shot is it not just a case of hitting "mode" and changing your flash from "ettl" to "m" I.e. manual. The flash power can then be adjusted on the flash.

xpfloyd,

Its worth trying. I assume to adjust in in manual its simply play with those same + & - buttons? Interestingly the book only makes mention of the manual mode when talking about slave set ups, ignorring it completely otherwise.

Yeah you should be able to hit + and - and change the flash power 1/1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 etc etc

Manual Flash Mode is Section 7 in your manual. It starts on page 44.

dedsen wrote in post #15098351
Manual Flash Mode is Section 7 in your manual. It starts on page 44.

So it does! Canon doing its damnest to baffle me. I've made a note of it now and will carefully read it through. Many thanks.

I've just played with the M setting. It certainly achieves the purpose and may allow finer control than the method I discovered. Its a little more fiddly to adjust on the fly, but perfectly simple now you've pointed me in the right direction. So two ways to do it, I'm really spoilt for choice.

Lowner wrote in post #15098558
I've just played with the M setting. It certainly achieves the purpose and may allow finer control than the method I discovered. Its a little more fiddly to adjust on the fly, but perfectly simple now you've pointed me in the right direction. So two ways to do it, I'm really spoilt for choice.

I'm not too clued up on manual flash but I'm trying to learn. I think the idea is getting it close with the power setting say 1/4, then fine tuning with flash exposure compensation on the camera.

I think ...

xpfloyd wrote in post #15098783
I'm not too clued up on manual flash but I'm trying to learn. I think the idea is getting it close with the power setting say 1/4, then fine tuning with flash exposure compensation on the camera.

I think ...

I did not think of this myself I admit, it was suggested to me as an answer for this particular shot by a Nikon user when I complained about the severe pattern noise I see in deep shadow areas in images from my 5DII. And you cannot be as unaware of flash as me surely? I've had this gun around 16 years and still don't know what it can do for me!