Using of flash in a hotel room

[tamahome81]

Hi guys, i will be renting a flash unit to coupled off with my 450D for some portraiture shots.
I have 0 knowledge on flash and was wondering how should i be tilting the flash? (i saw pple pointing it directly to ceiling, some do a 90degree to their left...etc).

What sort of flash diffuser should i rent to prevent the flash being too harsh on my subjects?

Can someone be kind enough to direct to a website or gimme a few sentences crash course to at least get me started?

 

[kkcharles82]

Flash in a confined space is often very challenging. The fact that the walls are so near, they can cause multiple light paths towards your subjects. My short recommendation is to test and test, the long one is as follows.

Look at the ceiling and walls, note down what colour are they and which way will the light come back after they are shot from your flash gun. Shooting at the ceiling is a simple bet that your shots will turn out fine as we all associate light coming from the ceiling down. But you need to note the colour of the ceiling paint. Or else you will land up with a funny colour cast on your photo. Use the preset white balance on your camera to get the white balance correct.

Second is to put a blouce card on the flash. The bounce card can be any white piece of hard cardboard fixed behind the flash head. This card will direct more light which would otherwise light up the area behind your head and create those nice small flash reflections in your subject's eyes when you focus on them. This will give your shot life and your model will "make eye contact" with whoever is viewing the photo.

Flash diffuser is quite unnecessary if you can master you environment as I find that no matter what flash diffuser, the photgrapher still has to bounce the flash off something to create indirect light, which is the softest any photographer can get.

 

[sherchoo]

Actually I find flash potography in rooms rather simple. Idea of poiting to the ceiling or walls is just basically bouncing to spread the light source. Using a diffuser or a bounce card as mentioned will be an added advantage to reduce heavy shadows.

You can experiment in your room and try the different scenarios and you'll understand better.

 

[Raied]

Flash in a confined space is often very challenging. The fact that the walls are so near, they can cause multiple light paths towards your subjects. My short recommendation is to test and test, the long one is as follows.

Look at the ceiling and walls, note down what colour are they and which way will the light come back after they are shot from your flash gun. Shooting at the ceiling is a simple bet that your shots will turn out fine as we all associate light coming from the ceiling down. But you need to note the colour of the ceiling paint. Or else you will land up with a funny colour cast on your photo. Use the preset white balance on your camera to get the white balance correct.

Second is to put a blouce card on the flash. The bounce card can be any white piece of hard cardboard fixed behind the flash head. This card will direct more light which would otherwise light up the area behind your head and create those nice small flash reflections in your subject's eyes when you focus on them. This will give your shot life and your model will "make eye contact" with whoever is viewing the photo.

Flash diffuser is quite unnecessary if you can master you environment as I find that no matter what flash diffuser, the photgrapher still has to bounce the flash off something to create indirect light, which is the softest any photographer can get.

i find flash in confined spaces easier cause just bounce up and the light will go everywhere and give nice soft natural like lighting. oh ya if the walls all different colour then good luck to you

 

[Flashbulb]

well if the picture is color-ly hopeless, there is always the option of making it B&W.

 

[littlewild]

Just did some indoor flash shooting at a friend's place the other day. I think the easiest way is to point your flash directly at the ceiling and bounce the light. Use a diffuser if you have one.

Do try different exposure settings in manual mode as well, sometimes the auto exposure detection does not give the best results.

 

[zac08]

Bounce off the walls, direct, etc... whatever it does to make your subject pop out better...

You're better off learning about flash lighting properly first. Go hunt for the books in the Library on lighting...