Shooting group shots with people wearing white shirts - how do you handle it?

I'm finding my exposures are all over the place when using my G6 and 550EX for such endeavours. I try using Av and the backgrounds never seem right, and Manual isn't much better. I *know* that white shirts (and dark clothes) throw off the E-TTL. I can play around with flash exposure compensation in the Av and Tv modes, but it doesn't work in Manual but could control it with the 550EX, I suppose, if it makes a difference.

Maybe I have to read up on how to use the FEL feature.

My current solution is to use my EOS film system for such occassions, always predictable and get good results.

Hmmmm......I have stumped the experts! I think shooting RAW would be the answer to this problem, and I'll try that the next time I find myself in this situation.

SBG, it could be that there aren't too many G6 owners with a 550ex. Most of us have a 420ex, enjoy the results, but don't really understand them. At the risk of repeating myself, documentation that explains how the G6 works with all the controls of the 420ex, let alone the 550ex, is elusive.

Good luck.

You did not say exactly what your problem is, beyond the statement that the backgrounds don't seem right. If I assume that you mean that the backgrounds are too dark, then the implication is that it is due to the white shirts throwing off the exposure reading.

Using the spot metering feature, set up your shot to place the white shirts on Zone VIII. If that doesn't work, then you should try bounce flash, if that is practical for you.

most of the time if good light conditions I don't care about WB, but if there are mixture of bright white and black then I try to find mid-tone, do exposure lock and take a pic... never get exposure reading out of bright white or black IMHO