I just got and external flash, and am working to learn it. I've had a lot of success with bouncing indoors, dragging the shutter, and sometimes fill. Yesterday during a session I was attempting to use it for fill. Camera in manual, flash on ttl, flash exposure compensation turned down to -2EV (on camera). Metered camera using center weighted and gray card.
Took picture without flash, shadows under subjects eyes. I must need fill. Turned on flash.
Took picture, subject's face overly bright (over exposed and flashy).
I tried this with flash pointing at subject, and straight up bounced off a flipit. I was standing about 3 to 4 feet away from subject. Did this happen because I was too close to subject? I had done some fill taking a photo of my husband. I was about 10 feet away and it worked great. Why wouldn't the ttl take care of the distance?
I know I'm doing something wrong, I just don't know what.
Erin
Full Version: Fill Flash Out Doors, Blowing Out Subjects Face...
QUOTE(ErinK @ June 28 2007, 09:34 AM) 
I just got and external flash, and am working to learn it. I've had a lot of success with bouncing indoors, dragging the shutter, and sometimes fill. Yesterday during a session I was attempting to use it for fill. Camera in manual, flash on ttl, flash exposure compensation turned down to -2EV (on camera). Metered camera using center weighted and gray card.
Took picture without flash, shadows under subjects eyes. I must need fill. Turned on flash.
Took picture, subject's face overly bright (over exposed and flashy).
I tried this with flash pointing at subject, and straight up bounced off a flipit. I was standing about 3 to 4 feet away from subject. Did this happen because I was too close to subject? I had done some fill taking a photo of my husband. I was about 10 feet away and it worked great. Why wouldn't the ttl take care of the distance?
I know I'm doing something wrong, I just don't know what.
Erin
Took picture without flash, shadows under subjects eyes. I must need fill. Turned on flash.
Took picture, subject's face overly bright (over exposed and flashy).
I tried this with flash pointing at subject, and straight up bounced off a flipit. I was standing about 3 to 4 feet away from subject. Did this happen because I was too close to subject? I had done some fill taking a photo of my husband. I was about 10 feet away and it worked great. Why wouldn't the ttl take care of the distance?
I know I'm doing something wrong, I just don't know what.
Erin
Move the (hopefully diffused) flash further back and chimp. Shoot the flash in manual mode.
try stopping down your aperture - then the TTL can still work, but isn't overwhelmed by too much light.
You can always put the flash on manual mode and dial it down until you like what you see, though you have to keep a reasonably consistant distance from your subject.
Oh, and I don't usually bother to diffuse a flash outdoors, unless it's off-camera and I want to modify the light with something like an umbrella.
Oh, and I don't usually bother to diffuse a flash outdoors, unless it's off-camera and I want to modify the light with something like an umbrella.
I found a document available at the following link, and have figured out the mistake I made.
Fill Flash Cheat Sheet
Here's the explanation:
The problem is in using the gray card to a certain extent. I'll do my best to explain my interpretation for everyone else's benefit. If someone knows or understands differently, or if I make a mistake in my explanation, please correct me.
When you need fill flash, it is most commonly because your subject is shaded, and your background is brighter than your subject. You add fill flash, and it adds light to the subject so now both the subject and the background are properly exposed.
In my situation, I had used a gray card to meter for the light on the subject's face. In my stated settings, ISO400 f2.8 1/60, the skin on my subject was properly exposed. However, I saw shadows and thought I needed to use fill to get rid of them. Because the subject was properly exposed prior to adding the flash light, when more light was added, the subject is now over exposed. In this particular situation, I should have skipped the flash and just used a reflector to reduce the shadows.
Fill Flash Cheat Sheet
Here's the explanation:
The problem is in using the gray card to a certain extent. I'll do my best to explain my interpretation for everyone else's benefit. If someone knows or understands differently, or if I make a mistake in my explanation, please correct me.
When you need fill flash, it is most commonly because your subject is shaded, and your background is brighter than your subject. You add fill flash, and it adds light to the subject so now both the subject and the background are properly exposed.
In my situation, I had used a gray card to meter for the light on the subject's face. In my stated settings, ISO400 f2.8 1/60, the skin on my subject was properly exposed. However, I saw shadows and thought I needed to use fill to get rid of them. Because the subject was properly exposed prior to adding the flash light, when more light was added, the subject is now over exposed. In this particular situation, I should have skipped the flash and just used a reflector to reduce the shadows.
QUOTE(ErinK @ June 28 2007, 11:50 AM)
I found a document available at the following link, and have figured out the mistake I made.
Fill Flash Cheat Sheet
Here's the explanation:
The problem is in using the gray card to a certain extent. I'll do my best to explain my interpretation for everyone else's benefit. If someone knows or understands differently, or if I make a mistake in my explanation, please correct me.
When you need fill flash, it is most commonly because your subject is shaded, and your background is brighter than your subject. You add fill flash, and it adds light to the subject so now both the subject and the background are properly exposed.
In my situation, I had used a gray card to meter for the light on the subject's face. In my stated settings, ISO400 f2.8 1/60, the skin on my subject was properly exposed. However, I saw shadows and thought I needed to use fill to get rid of them. Because the subject was properly exposed prior to adding the flash light, when more light was added, the subject is now over exposed. In this particular situation, I should have skipped the flash and just used a reflector to reduce the shadows.
Fill Flash Cheat Sheet
Here's the explanation:
The problem is in using the gray card to a certain extent. I'll do my best to explain my interpretation for everyone else's benefit. If someone knows or understands differently, or if I make a mistake in my explanation, please correct me.
When you need fill flash, it is most commonly because your subject is shaded, and your background is brighter than your subject. You add fill flash, and it adds light to the subject so now both the subject and the background are properly exposed.
In my situation, I had used a gray card to meter for the light on the subject's face. In my stated settings, ISO400 f2.8 1/60, the skin on my subject was properly exposed. However, I saw shadows and thought I needed to use fill to get rid of them. Because the subject was properly exposed prior to adding the flash light, when more light was added, the subject is now over exposed. In this particular situation, I should have skipped the flash and just used a reflector to reduce the shadows.
Hey I tried the link and for some reason I cant get there. Is it my computer or a broken link?
K
Just a quick question.... are you making sure your shutter speed is at or below your camera's max sync speed? If not, when you turn on the flash it may automatically drop your shutter speed down and cause overexposure, even with your flash at minimum power.
I apologize for the bad link. I had an extra "/" in the link code.
Lloyd, yes. My shutter speed (my exposure was set at F2.8 1/60) was below the sync speed. The sync speed on my camera is 1/125 when Super Steady Shot is activated, and 1/160 when SS Shot is off.
Regardless, I don't think it isn't necessary for me to stay at or below the sync speed. My flash gun has a High Speed Sync option. If I turn that on, my flash will work at shutter speeds higher than 1/160
Lloyd, yes. My shutter speed (my exposure was set at F2.8 1/60) was below the sync speed. The sync speed on my camera is 1/125 when Super Steady Shot is activated, and 1/160 when SS Shot is off.
Regardless, I don't think it isn't necessary for me to stay at or below the sync speed. My flash gun has a High Speed Sync option. If I turn that on, my flash will work at shutter speeds higher than 1/160
QUOTE(ErinK @ June 28 2007, 02:50 PM)
I found a document available at the following link, and have figured out the mistake I made.
Fill Flash Cheat Sheet
Here's the explanation:
The problem is in using the gray card to a certain extent. I'll do my best to explain my interpretation for everyone else's benefit. If someone knows or understands differently, or if I make a mistake in my explanation, please correct me.
When you need fill flash, it is most commonly because your subject is shaded, and your background is brighter than your subject. You add fill flash, and it adds light to the subject so now both the subject and the background are properly exposed.
In my situation, I had used a gray card to meter for the light on the subject's face. In my stated settings, ISO400 f2.8 1/60, the skin on my subject was properly exposed. However, I saw shadows and thought I needed to use fill to get rid of them. Because the subject was properly exposed prior to adding the flash light, when more light was added, the subject is now over exposed. In this particular situation, I should have skipped the flash and just used a reflector to reduce the shadows.
Fill Flash Cheat Sheet
Here's the explanation:
The problem is in using the gray card to a certain extent. I'll do my best to explain my interpretation for everyone else's benefit. If someone knows or understands differently, or if I make a mistake in my explanation, please correct me.
When you need fill flash, it is most commonly because your subject is shaded, and your background is brighter than your subject. You add fill flash, and it adds light to the subject so now both the subject and the background are properly exposed.
In my situation, I had used a gray card to meter for the light on the subject's face. In my stated settings, ISO400 f2.8 1/60, the skin on my subject was properly exposed. However, I saw shadows and thought I needed to use fill to get rid of them. Because the subject was properly exposed prior to adding the flash light, when more light was added, the subject is now over exposed. In this particular situation, I should have skipped the flash and just used a reflector to reduce the shadows.
That makes sense to me
. And thanks for the Cheat Sheet!!!
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