Flash photography noob qs

[harrods]

Hi there ,i'm new to CS
Just starned photography with a 450D kit and Macro/WC 0.45 converter .

Considering the tamron 17-50 f/2.8 or canon ef 17-85 f/4-5.6 or the sigma 17-70 f/2.8-4
as an upgrade from the kit lens however I'm considering the flash first .

I've noticed my shots are very dark whenever i'm shooting night without flash using my kit lens and I wanna know how can I get good shots woitout getting reflection or uneven leght distribution .

I know ppl use diffusers and omni bounce however wouldn't it affect the camera's guide no calculations and also what is TTL OR ETTL AND all those terms ?

I searched google and the definitions are so difficult to understand and i searched strobist.bs.com however I dont really understand ..What is TTL ?GN? all that ..

Furthermore ,I'd love to go shooting with a few bros from CS however I don't really like those akward moments between kakis who i barely know due to the age gap and skill barriers

BTW im 14 going to 15 .

Thanks so much bros for your comments.

 

[Rashkae]

If you didn't understand the very clear, well diagrammed explanations that you found via google, and you couldn't understand the explanation in your user manual, how to explain here?

 

[Sunny815]

Hi there ,i'm new to CS
Just starned photography with a 450D kit and Macro/WC 0.45 converter .

Considering the tamron 17-50 f/2.8 or canon ef 17-85 f/4-5.6 or the sigma 17-70 f/2.8-4
as an upgrade from the kit lens however I'm considering the flash first .

I've noticed my shots are very dark whenever i'm shooting night without flash using my kit lens and I wanna know how can I get good shots woitout getting reflection or uneven leght distribution .

I know ppl use diffusers and omni bounce however wouldn't it affect the camera's guide no calculations and also what is TTL OR ETTL AND all those terms ?

I searched google and the definitions are so difficult to understand and i searched strobist.bs.com however I dont really understand ..What is TTL ?GN? all that ..

Furthermore ,I'd love to go shooting with a few bros from CS however I don't really like those akward moments between kakis who i barely know due to the age gap and skill barriers

BTW im 14 going to 15 .

Thanks so much bros for your comments.

u are rich! anyway.. i newbie also.. i face same problem too.. haha

 

[jeremyteocx]

well we could go on bout the definitions of E-TTL n GNs etc ... but there really isnt a need to. gd n useful to know, but don't worry so much if u dun really understand. maybe here's what's more useful. regarding your doubt bout diffusers affecting the calculations, well u can just simply adjust the flash exposure compensation after a trial and error. this way you're adding an element of 'manual' configuration into the automated E-TTL function.

as for your problem about age group in group outings, no one can help u there but yourself ...

 

[Edwin Francis]

I know ppl use diffusers and omni bounce however wouldn't it affect the camera's guide no calculations and also what is TTL OR ETTL AND all those terms ?[/QUOTE

Not really. Flash power is controlled by changing the duration of the flash (it's all in milli- or microseconds). In the TTL modes (TTL/ETTL, whatever), the camera measures the amount of light reflected back from the subject through the lens (TTL), and onto the sensor. When enough light has been reflected, it cuts off the flash. If you bounce the flash, what happens is that the duration of the flash becomes longer (to compensate for the loss in intensity), but the total amount of light reflected back through the lens is the same as before.
Unless of course you reach the max duration of the flash (full power) and there is still not enough light.
Whether the exposure is correct or not is another story.

 

[catchlights]

it is better to go to library to pick up a book on basic photography,
and read it chapter by chapter.

there a lot for information you can find in the web, but it is too advance for you, for an example the strobist.

 

[Akatsuki]

2nd catchlights's comment. An easily digested book could be The Dummyguide's to DSLR photography. The book iirc also got a few chapters on photoshop. I guess it's a pretty comprehensive book for a beginner.

 

[zac08]

I agree with Catchlights tat you'd need to understand more on lights and lighting and how it can affect all your shots.

Keep reading,

 

[Octarine]

I've noticed my shots are very dark whenever i'm shooting night without flash using my kit lens and I wanna know how can I get good shots woitout getting reflection or uneven leght distribution .

This is what people call "underexposure" - the camera doesn't get enough light.
Read about the very basics of exposure and the 3 main factors affecting it: ISO, shutter speed, aperture. Check the Newbies Guide and have a look at the library. Start from there to understand light and exposure. No point for you looking at flash (which is nothing but light) as long as you don't understand what exposure is and how to achieve the correct one.
Reflections happen in all surfaces - including lenses. Usually lenses and the optical elements are coated in order to prevent reflections. However, the results vary between lenses and manufacturers. First: remove all filters you might have on your kit lens. Although often sold as "protective filters" they only cause reflections especially when shooting at night. Also, you better don't use this converter. Usually they are of lousy quality. In addition, try to avoid strong light sources (lamps) in the frame. Lastly, get a tripod. Night scenes call for exposure times (shutter speed) that will cause blur due to handshake. No chance to handhold.

 

[shaztech]

i think one common problem to most of us is one thing...we dont really study the manual! whereby,we need to know the camera or flashing system before knowing how to use it first. Knowing where to press and what to press is important for faster learning. And actually there's few footage in youtube where they teaches the fundamental of flash usage (most of the time i look for Nikon creative lighting system since i'm a nikon user). I'm yet to master the technique...but i believe it's do-able! Just need to do more homework and experiment! Kudos for digital age! orelse newbies like us will be struggling with costs if we still do film photos! by the way...Just my two cents! If anyone wanna hang out and have good discussions over the same passion....just PM me. We can share knowledge and at the same time building our network,that's how we can all grow. again...my two cents! pleasant day everyone!

 

[gymak90]

The manual is sometimes very basic and crude. In the sense it does not care to explain the many terms.

Best way is to get a comprehensive book or guide, and then do trial and error with your equipment.

 

[shaztech]

The manual is sometimes very basic and crude. In the sense it does not care to explain the many terms.

Best way is to get a comprehensive book or guide, and then do trial and error with your equipment.

well getting to the basic is whats lacking...the very essential. Manuals come free...whereby book or guide can be very costly and most local library dont really have the latest edition. But the trial and error part i have to agree with you on that part. Not for getting that the thread starter is still in school where money (to my opinion) dont come by that easy. Again there is so many media which we can explore for the extra infos. However GYmak90 do have a point there...the manuals usually give the vague perspective for us. The more we explore our camera,the better we get. We can never cheat experience...lets not rush, start from the basic and work our way up.slowly but surely! or maybe not! medium pace would be fine!