technique to use SB800 --- question

[russel_sg]

Hi,all:

I am using SB800 for event shooting and I normally face the head up or 45-60 degrees to avoid the harsh edge.

However, I notice that by this method, the upper part of photo is brighter than the lower part of the photos.

May I know how to improve that situation so that the overall lighting is more even?

tks..all the pro...

[jnet6]

are u shooting digital???

u can do trial and error yrself by reviewing from the pics....

[espn]

Originally Posted by russel_sg tks..all the pro...

Siao la.. u thank the pro.. but I not pro.. how would I dare to answer???





Use the inbuilt bounce card.

[russel_sg]

yup, shooting in digital....

will try to build-in bounc card next time & c how..

haha...why so humble yah, espn?

[wcsiaw]

Cheap option... get a bounce card... maybe that will solve your problem...
Expensive option... get a Lightsphere...

Just my opinion...

[espn]

Originally Posted by russel_sg yup, shooting in digital.... will try to build-in bounc card next time & c how.. haha...why so humble yah, espn?

Cos... I really am newbie... PRO are those that don't talk much... only crappers like me talk a lot...

[yyD70S]

Sorry it's taken from another forum but Sam's recommendation is REALLY GOOD. For me, at least! A little bit of fine tuning to your own situation, of course.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/re...ssage=16516158

There is no hard and fast rule. This is photography as one sees it.


Regards

[Beachboy]

Originally Posted by espn Cos... I really am newbie... PRO are those that don't talk much... only crappers like me talk a lot...

most of the time PRO will say that they are not PRO..... eg espn

[russel_sg]

Originally Posted by yyD70S Sorry it's taken from another forum but Sam's recommendation is REALLY GOOD. For me, at least! A little bit of fine tuning to your own situation, of course. http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/re...ssage=16516158 There is no hard and fast rule. This is photography as one sees it. Regards

tks a lot, this article very helpful...

[yyD70S]

You are welcome, mate.

It's very easy for me to "QUOTE"... plucking things from the air. Thenafter, the hard part (but real fun) starts. It's called PHOTOGRAPHY THROUGH ONE'S EYES!


Regards

[russel_sg]

Sam said:
4. Outdoors I keep flash head straight at subject.
5. Indoors I rotate the head up 1 click

Any particular reason why he recommends to keep falsh head straight at subject outdoors?


Below is taken from the URL:

Can I send you smething to help.
Print it oit and study, any questions just yell/

__________________________________________________ ____

D70 and SB-800 Shooting Settings

Common notes:
1. I Shoot in JPEG

2. I use the D70 body and SB-800, settings may be different with the built in flash

3. I Keep the diffusion dome on all the time.
4. Outdoors I keep flash head straight at subject.
5. Indoors I rotate the head up 1 click


Try these settings. I find them very accurate, easy to use, and give repeatable excellent quality exposures and white balance.

Scenario A. Outdoors with fill flash:
1. Matrix metering on camera
2. Aperture mode. Try to set about a 6.3.
Make sure shutter speed is 1/400 or slower.
If it goes above 1/400 close aperture a bit.
3. ISO beginning at 200 or 250. 320 if darker day
4. SB-800 on TTL BL. Exposure comp at 0 to begin with
(see note below) 
5. White balance : Flash , 0 comp (No, I’m not crazy)


Scenario B. Indoors with flash
1. Change metering to spot on D70.
2. (This also changes the SB-800 to regular TTL automatically)
2. Manual metering on camera. I use 1/80 second at f6.3
or f 8.
3. (Don’t use too large an aperture.
4. SB-800 Exposure comp at 0 to begin with (see note below).
5. White balance: Flash, +1 comp (very accurate white balance, try it)


The SB-800 is adjusting its flash output by light reflecting back at the camera.

 With neutral subjects (clothing) leave flash exposure comp at 0.
 Brighter subject (bride) adjust up + 1/3 or + 2/3.

 Darker subject (couple wearing black for example) adjust down – 1/3 or – 2/3

You don’t want to overexpose with a flash shot. Learn to evaluate what the subjects are wearing and adjust up or down. If you learn this “zone” system of flash comp you can always get a very well exposed shot, very good consistency from picture to picture.

[yyD70S]

Originally Posted by russel_sg Sam said: 4. Outdoors I keep flash head straight at subject. 5. Indoors I rotate the head up 1 click Any particular reason why he recommends to keep falsh head straight at subject outdoors?

4. That's his ideal settings which happens to work most of the time (have tested it in S'pore and it works almost flawlessly under overcast sky, especially)

5. Note that he uses the Diffusion Dome mounted all the time and the one click up is for the diffusion effect + the bounce effect to cast a more diffused and natural look on the subject.

* Like I said, you have to do so fine-tuning under different circumstances. If there's a set rule to it, photography will no longer be fun and we might as well go back to the point-and-shoot cams. Having said that, his (Sam's) guidelines gave me a very good headstart.

Enjoy! Digital is cheap.


Regards

[roti_prata]

Originally Posted by yyD70S Enjoy! Digital is cheap.

[arttl]

Originally Posted by russel_sg Any particular reason why he recommends to keep falsh head straight at subject outdoors?

Where do you want to bounce your flash from when you are outdoor? The sky??

[yyD70S]

Originally Posted by arttl Where do you want to bounce your flash from when you are outdoor? The sky??

Russel mentioned "Any particular reason why he recommends to keep flash head straight at subject outdoors?"...

[espn]

Originally Posted by arttl Where do you want to bounce your flash from when you are outdoor? The sky??

I see a lot of people shooting with flash bounced off the sky...

[simon80]

so it will keep the rain away?

[Cheesecake]

how to use a Sb800 and get nice exposure?

the ideal solution is to get a Gary Fong's LSII.
i read the recommendation from Sam... well, i guess if it's ok with him, then so be it.

[russel_sg]

I think why Sam recommends to face flash head (with dome of course ) straight against the subjectis is because the outdoor lighting might not be bright enough so that the light from flash generally will not create harsh edge on the subject. However, this won't be true when shooting indoors with dim lighting condition....hence we need rotate head up

hope I understand correctly..

[arttl]

If you are using strobes on location, you will understand why. Go try it yourself.

Utilmately is what you want to create in the image.