Learning how to use a flash - pics of my daughter

Had been relying on fast glass (faster than 2.8) to take candids of my daughter but have recently shook the dust off my 430ex and began playing with the 24-70L and 70-200L 2.8 indoors.

C&C very welcome and appreciated.

Kaitlyn @ 17 months:

#1 taken with a DIY lightsphere (http://farm3.static.fl​ickr.com …2177416557_174f​d7ef79.jpg)

Brain, These are very nice.. I don't think they look flashy at all and they are also very sharp. well done.

I really like #1. Hard to tell on a small image size, but it looks like the fingers in the front may be a little OOF (and I know the other end of her body is as well). Only improvement I see on that one is slightly larger DOF unless that was all by design!

#2 (without EXIF information) looks to me like a fast shutter speed. Great capture, but especially with her dark hair, I would have liked a slower shutter speed to lighten the background. (I'm guessing fast shutter=dark background)

Cute subject!

Exif for #1:
Camera: Canon EOS 5D
Exposure: 0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture: f/2.8 (thus the shallow DOF)
Focal Length: 115 mm
ISO Speed: 500
Flash set to manual - 14mm 1/32

Exif for #2:
Camera: Canon EOS 5D
Exposure: 0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture: f/4
Focal Length: 280 mm (70-200 + 1.4x TC)
ISO Speed: 500
Flash set to manual - 14mm 1/64


Thanks guys! I'm trying to use as little of the flash as possible as to keep the aperture as large as I can. I feel the 'bokeh' gives these candids a dreamy feel to them.

bkw wrote in post #4684715
Thanks guys! I'm trying to use as little of the flash as possible as to keep the aperture as large as I can. I feel the 'bokeh' gives these candids a dreamy feel to them.

Agree completely... I tend to push to 1/250" for most of my flash pictures, but lately I've been paying attention to the background too. Especially if it's dark, that fast really makes it almost a black background.

bkw wrote in post #4684715
Exif for #1:
Camera: Canon EOS 5D
Exposure: 0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture: f/2.8 (thus the shallow DOF)
Focal Length: 115 mm
ISO Speed: 500
Flash set to manual - 14mm 1/32

Makes sense. I usually do the same, but 1/3 or 2/3 aperture closure would have just brought the rest in... of course, you never know this until you're doing PP.

bkw wrote in post #4684715
Exif for #2:
Camera: Canon EOS 5D
Exposure: 0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture: f/4
Focal Length: 280 mm (70-200 + 1.4x TC)
ISO Speed: 500
Flash set to manual - 14mm 1/64

Wow. 280mm with flash at 1/125?

She's got such beautifully black hair - would just have loved to see a lighter background on that second one!

Just don't make me vote which one I like more - I love them both!

Thank you! Next up, going to try to play with the flash off the shoe (the hard stuff )!

good shots, how did you make the home made light sphere, please let me know i have a jo at a night club tommorw and ccould really use it.

http://www.flickr.com/​photos/brianwon/217741​6557/

Oh man. I love how the first one is lit! Mind if you show me how you made the sphere?

Yeah looking at the exif are you using the 70-200 L f/2.8 IS for these?

leninglass - the sphere is simply just a small chinese fast food take out plastic bowl cut to fit my 430ex.

kato1 - 70-200 L f/2.8 non-IS.

Thanks!

bkw wrote in post #4684590
#2 taken with a white fabric fruit protector mesh thingie
(http://farm3.static.fl​ickr.com …2186652474_4481​5e68d8.jpg)

Ah man, i had some korean pears the other day and it had that mesh thing on it. I should of saved it. HAHA

I think the shots came out great. Love the DIY stuff!!!!

that's exactly what I took the mesh from, korean pears!

i like the first more
the second looks a little dark (or maybe under exposed)

oh i just love the first one! how cute is she?!? good work