Eh???? Can somebody explain this?

PacAce wrote in post #4660417
Wasn't that what rhys was asking, "why the bounced flash picture looks brighter than the direct flash picture"?

Like I said, You're right, but I'm not wrong.

We have two drastically different lighting techniques, combined with the quirks of E-TTL, which combine to create two very different images.

Curtis N wrote in post #4660481
Like I said, You're right, but I'm not wrong.

We have two drastically different lighting techniques, combined with the quirks of E-TTL, which combine to create two very different images.

Yes, I agree. But more to the point, there are at least three issues here that should be addressed by rhys: Direct flash vs bounced flash, underexposure due to specular highlights, and uneven subject lighting due to too low a flash angle.

rhys wrote in post #4660462
Looking at it again, I wonder whether the bounced picture just has more even illumination.

Bingo!

That may not be all of it, but that is what all this inverse square law talk boils down to.