yellow cast when using flash

[Camm]

Hi,

I always have a problem of yellow cast on my photo when using external flash. I'm using 420ex and bouncing to celing without bounce card. Is it due to flash is yellowish or light bouncing problem? Before buying this flash, I've tried with a third party flash, think it's sigma and photo seems whiter. But that time during testing, I thought that photo looks washed out, thus chosen 420 instead. Anyone can advise how can I eliminate the yellow cast with external flash?

 

[Del_CtrlnoAlt]

Hi,

I always have a problem of yellow cast on my photo when using external flash. I'm using 420ex and bouncing to celing without bounce card. Is it due to flash is yellowish or light bouncing problem? Before buying this flash, I've tried with a third party flash, think it's sigma and photo seems whiter. But that time during testing, I thought that photo looks washed out, thus chosen 420 instead. Anyone can advise how can I eliminate the yellow cast with external flash?

wats your shutter speed, if you drag anything like 1/30 or longer, i think its due to ambient light...

or... your bounce not powerful enuff, u hit ceiling but never return...

and also, i think maybe might be due to your white balance...

 

[catchlights]

Hi,

I always have a problem of yellow cast on my photo when using external flash. I'm using 420ex and bouncing to celing without bounce card. Is it due to flash is yellowish or light bouncing problem? Before buying this flash, I've tried with a third party flash, think it's sigma and photo seems whiter. But that time during testing, I thought that photo looks washed out, thus chosen 420 instead. Anyone can advise how can I eliminate the yellow cast with external flash?

when you do ceiling bounce, even the ceiling is white, it still will have a little warm cast, compare to direct flash, it happen on film also, not only happen on digital only, but not all people aware.

 

[Camm]

I'm using P mode and it auto set shutter to 1/60. Here's a sample, not sure if it's a good example to explain the prob.

http://glphotoalbum.myphotoalbum.com/view_photo.php?set_albumName=album01&id=pic

 

[justarius]

What's your white balance setting?

 

[Camm]

White balance to auto

 

[justarius]

Then might be a problem with WB... try playing around with the WB...

 

[raptor84]

Hmm IIRC the 420ex does not communitcate WB info to the flash unlike the newer 430ex so that may be the issue. Try doing a manual WB in that case..

 

[catchlights]

White balance to auto

You fixed the white balance, not on auto, use the highest sync speed, shoot one shot direct flash, another one shot with ceiling bounce, load two image in computer monitor and make compare, tell us the result.

 

[hazta]

Hmm... Looks ok on my monitor. :think:

Seems more like saturaion setting. :dunno:

 

[Camm]

You fixed the white balance, not on auto, use the highest sync speed, shoot one shot direct flash, another one shot with ceiling bounce, load two image in computer monitor and make compare, tell us the result.

Sure I'll try out and let you guys know. Btw, how can I know what's the highest sync speed? Does normal digital camera have that? Or does it applies to DSLR only?

 

[catchlights]

Sure I'll try out and let you guys know. Btw, how can I know what's the highest sync speed? Does normal digital camera have that? Or does it applies to DSLR only?

I guess you are using Canon G2, it does not say what is the highest sync speed, you can avoid using slow sync setting or fix at 125s, shot at f5.6 for both test, the purpose for this is to eliminate the ambient light affect the test results, AFAIK, the results will be something like what I said in post #3, but maybe you can do a test to find it out yourself.

But before that, is your ceiling white enough?

 

[Camm]

Tested out some shots, realised that with omni bounce attached, it somehow seems to have eliminated the yellow cast problem. The previous picture I posted is bounced 180 degree to ceiling without bounce card nor omnibounce. :sweat: :sweat:

 

[catchlights]

Tested out some shots, realised that with omni bounce attached, it somehow seems to have eliminated the yellow cast problem. The previous picture I posted is bounced 180 degree to ceiling without bounce card nor omnibounce. :sweat: :sweat:

when you use omni bounce, about 40% direct light are fall on the subject, so will eliminate the slight yellow cast, for using bounce card, about 60% of the light are bounce off from the from bounce card, so the yellow cast are not obvious, as the ceiling bounce, read post #3.

 

[Camm]

Hi,

Yeah I get what you mean. Ceiling bounce be it 45 degree or 0/180 degree does have the yellow cast. I've uploaded some pics to my gallery, pls give me comments again. Ceiling bounce without diffuser gives a much warmer feeling, but the background seems more lit up. Pics taken with omnibounce gives a better foreground, but the background is not as lit up as ceiling bounce.

Catchlight, when you mention that "when you use omni bounce, about 40% direct light are fall on the subject, so will eliminate the slight yellow cast", are you refering to pointing the flash directly at the subject or tilt it 45 degree?

If I'd like to achieve a picture with the result of whole picture properly lit up without the yellow cast, is it achievable with omnibounce? Or do I need to use a bounce card?

 

[Camm]

Err..I'm not sure if I've got the angle correct.

When I mention 90 degree, I'm refering to pointing the flash directly at the subject. 45 degree refers to tilting the flash to the 60 mark and 180 refers to pointing the flash directly at the ceiling.

Noticed that when flash pointing at ceiling while taking portrait, pic turns out that everyone having eye bags :bsmilie:

 

[catchlights]

Hi,

Yeah I get what you mean. Ceiling bounce be it 45 degree or 0/180 degree does have the yellow cast. I've uploaded some pics to my gallery, pls give me comments again. Ceiling bounce without diffuser gives a much warmer feeling, but the background seems more lit up. Pics taken with omnibounce gives a better foreground, but the background is not as lit up as ceiling bounce.

better don't use Ceiling bounce at tilt 45°, you might get a head bright, leg dark images. (uneven ceiling bounce if the subject to close to you)
normally ceiling bounce will illumimate more areas evenly than omni bounce.

Catchlight, when you mention that "when you use omni bounce, about 40% direct light are fall on the subject, so will eliminate the slight yellow cast", are you refering to pointing the flash directly at the subject or tilt it 45 degree?

of coures I refer to tilted to 45°~60°, omni means all directions, so is about 40% of the light is going forward to the subjects.

If I'd like to achieve a picture with the result of whole picture properly lit up without the yellow cast, is it achievable with omnibounce? Or do I need to use a bounce card?

The light effects (refering to highlight and shadows of the subjects created by the light source) from ceiling bounce, omnibouce and bounce card are differents, for the color cast, you can fine tune it with white balance setting, for the ambients, you can fine tune it with shutter speed setting, but I can't tell you there is one setting can fix all.

 

[raptor84]

Noticed that when flash pointing at ceiling while taking portrait, pic turns out that everyone having eye bags :bsmilie:

Normally if you bounce close for portraits you slhoud have a bounce card to fill the shadows made form the overhead light.

 

[catchlights]

Err..I'm not sure if I've got the angle correct.

When I mention 90 degree, I'm refering to pointing the flash directly at the subject. 45 degree refers to tilting the flash to the 60 mark and 180 refers to pointing the flash directly at the ceiling.

yes, direct is pointing drect the subject, ceiling is of course point at ceiling.

Noticed that when flash pointing at ceiling while taking portrait, pic turns out that everyone having eye bags :bsmilie:

that's means you are too close to you subjects, now the light is from top straight down, even it is very soft light, sure everyone will have eye bags, so if the light is from ceiling top down in a 60°, eye bags wouldn't be noticeable for most people.

 

[Camm]

better don't use Ceiling bounce at tilt 45°, you might get a head bright, leg dark images. (uneven ceiling bounce if the subject to close to you)

Oh no wander..some of my pics have this prob at 45 degree....so it's too close to the subject. I have a better idea now. Thanks