Lots of flash related questions!

[alvin]

Hi CSers!
I have some flash related questions to ask. Searched the forums but couldn't find any :-(

Firstly, suppose I'm taking a picture in a room with quite low light. When I use the flash on my subject, the subject is lit properly, but the surrounding area behind the subject is then "dimmed". This is particularly bad when the subject has a large, walled area behind them. My equipment setup is a sony 717, metz 32mz2. I have tried this with a bounce card (crumpled aluminum) and an omni bounce, landscape with the flash tilted upwards 45 degrees.... camera is set at manual mode, F=2.0, shutter speed at 1/200s.

I'd like to post examples here but my subject will be highly annoyed with me posting in a public forums... anyways...

Next, portrait mode technicalities. How do YOU setup your camera for usage in portrait mode? I.e. how the flash is tilted, where it's aimed at and what attachments do you use (bounce card, omni bounce or nothing attached?) I'm getting mixed results in portrait mode and want to hear what everone uses!

Currently I like to have the flash rotated so that it is pointed upwards, and yet still has the 45degree tilt, with a bounce card attached. Depending on the surroundings, it will cast shadows on the right side of the subject. I love it personally, the contrast, but I guess most would want an evenly lit image all around.

Thanks!

Regards,
Alvin

 

[daddy]

Did you ever try out the WB compensation?
If you camera has auto white balance compensation,
even out contrast is just a click away.

Adjusting your angle of flash does not really help much unless you could position the flash in such a way that the main flash or bounced flash evenly brighten the subject. A tripod mount flash could do wonders.

 

[Larry]

Originally posted by alvin
Hi CSers!

hi alvin

Originally posted by alvin
Firstly, suppose I'm taking a picture in a room with quite low light. When I use the flash on my subject, the subject is lit properly, but the surrounding area behind the subject is then "dimmed". This is particularly bad when the subject has a large, walled area behind them. My equipment setup is a sony 717, metz 32mz2. I have tried this with a bounce card (crumpled aluminum) and an omni bounce, landscape with the flash tilted upwards 45 degrees.... camera is set at manual mode, F=2.0, shutter speed at 1/200s.

use a higher ISO. have you tried the 800 ISO setting on your 717? that would even out the lighting more, since you use less flash. i routinely use 800 ISO for all my indoor shots. or dial in some flash compensation.

another way is to use slow sync for your flash, but your subject has to be relatively still for that to work.

Originally posted by alvin
Next, portrait mode technicalities. How do YOU setup your camera for usage in portrait mode? I.e. how the flash is tilted, where it's aimed at and what attachments do you use (bounce card, omni bounce or nothing attached?) I'm getting mixed results in portrait mode and want to hear what everone uses!

depending on the location, i use either a modified Metz bounce or Lumiquest pocket bouncer (for high ceiling), or Omni-bounce (tilted 45 degrees) for low ceilings. i also usually dial in some flash compensation to minimise subject burnout.

Originally posted by alvin
Currently I like to have the flash rotated so that it is pointed upwards, and yet still has the 45degree tilt, with a bounce card attached. Depending on the surroundings, it will cast shadows on the right side of the subject. I love it personally, the contrast, but I guess most would want an evenly lit image all around.

no way around that i'm afraid, unless you're in a studio environment where you can have 2 or more light sources to kill the shadows. or you can use wireless flash to supplement...

 

[tert]

Originally posted by alvin
Firstly, suppose I'm taking a picture in a room with quite low light. When I use the flash on my subject, the subject is lit properly, but the surrounding area behind the subject is then "dimmed". This is particularly bad when the subject has a large, walled area behind them. My equipment setup is a sony 717, metz 32mz2. I have tried this with a bounce card (crumpled aluminum) and an omni bounce, landscape with the flash tilted upwards 45 degrees.... camera is set at manual mode, F=2.0, shutter speed at 1/200s.

Hi Alvin,

To allow for a brighter ambient, your shutter speed ought to be much slower. My typically setting for general events, weddings etc is manual mode, f5.6 and 1/15-1/30; ISO 400-800.

Whether or not the subject is sufficiently exposed lies in the aperture size. The background exposure however depends on your shutter speed... [just learned it myself also]

Hope it helps.

Cheers...

 

[alvin]

Hi guys!
daddy: What is white balance compensation? My cam does have auto/custom white balance but I'm unsure how to apply it in this case....

Larry, tert: I tried both your settings and they work great! The iso 800 did the track, though with a digicam the noise is quite visible on screen, probably negligible on print.... Went to iso 400, much improved noise levels with a slightly darker background. I'll need to play around with this in my next gathering. But it's reallly much better.

Qn: What's flash compensation? Is this the EV+/- thing?

Thanks guys am enjoying my flash even more now!

~Alvin