Results of fill flash for outdoor formals

I just wanted to post one of the pics I shot last weekend. I know

you were all biting your fingernails in anticipation. I chose to use

my N90s on aperture priority with my SB-28 at -1.0. This shot was

taken at about f5.6 at 1/200. I did some tests that clearly

indicated that TTL was the way to go. I fired off one shot according

to Timber's recommendations, 100% flash. It was, shall we say, less

than satisfactory. It looked like the shot had been taken at sunset

instead of 2:00 full sun and was very artificial.

 

For those of you who insist on ambient, tell me whether this screams

of flash. I'm sure I won't convince any purists, but I argue that

flash has it's place.

It would be helpful if I actually posted the pic...<div></div>

I think this picture is quite nice...why do you think it's less than satisfactory?

Sorry if I wasn't clear. The less than satisfactory pic was on my test roll. I didn't post it.

I think that the picture looks very good: even the lighting. Just enough flash to keep the color in the shade with some catchlights in the eyes. Remember clients like pictures that look good, and care how you got them.

 

Those of us who have been using the Nikon flash system for years aren't Nikon shills, or lazy, know nothing photographers. We want to help you get consistently good results by taking advantage of what the system is capable of doing.

Maybe -1 2/3 for my taste ---- very even, yes!! but not enough "natural"........<div></div>

CRYSTAL----more than acceptable image you shot :thu: --Just a personal taste~~I like ratios to be mix a little more--But yours is a well executed photo :cool:

Crystal, the light there is lovely. I'm glad the pictures came out to your satisfaction. I'll be using the same settings at my sister-in-law's wedding in July (as I mentioned in your previous thread).

 

I find aperture priority on the N90s body, and TTL backed down one stop, works wonderfully.

 

Timber was (and is) correct that autoexposure and TTL controls can be tricked in certain situations, which can lead to unpleasant surprises at development time. In my experience, though, the meter in the N90s and the interface with the SB-28 are awfully, awfully clever. Only two situations seem to trip them up: extremely strong backlighting and way-too-high white ceilings.

 

And he is right that his preferred route of manual camera settings and manual flash will (if calculated properly) guard against underexposed subjects every dang time.

 

The thing is, when he tries to teach it in simple form (flash always at full power straight aheadm and use THIS aperture at THAT distance) that guarantee for the main subject is all you get. You can lose the background into comparative darkness, as you found out in your test shots.

 

People who have lots of experience at all-manual flash for event photography can adjust the formulaic settings on the fly and STILL get all the shots right. That's a different kettle of fish.

 

I don't have that level of skill myself, which is why my percentages are higher when using aperture priority on the camera and slightly modified TTL on the flash.

 

Be well,

I certainly don't think your shot screams of flash. I doubt a non-photographer would even

notice. The only thing you can do to make it more subtle is to move the flash farther off

camera and make it softer.<div></div>

I think you balanced the light quite well. There is no light drop-off between foreground and background and I don't see any shadows in places they would appear if the flash was overdone. Nice job.

Crystal,

the shot is very nicely done. lovely feel and it loks liek you have captured detail in the

whites and in the sdark values.

<p>

And why should it matter what a purist might think? Tools and techniques are just a

means to an end, not an end in themselves. All that really matters is the power of the final

iamge.

The shot turned out well. I think that manual flash has it's place as well, though. I often use manual flash in certain situations. I started out using completely manual flash, and the biggest advantage is that you know exactly what amount of light you are placing on your subject for the effect you want. So it is completely predictable and you don't have to worry about what your flash/camera meter is going to do. See the previous post about foreground and background exposure. If manually calculated flash was used to balance the foreground and background, the picture would have turned out fine, not underexposed.

 

A lot depends on what kind of lighting situation you are faced with. In the situation you show, you could have gotten by with up to two stops less flash, because it is very even shade. This is a matter of taste. In other kinds of situations, perhaps where you had backlighting or other light factors entering the picture, you would change the amount of fill. The point is, know the theory behind the technique, know what your equipment will do, and then use your knowledge to accomplish the picture.

 

By the way, I think some fill flash is necessary in most shots where you have a field of grass below your subjects. Without the fill, your subject(s) skin tone becomes muddy and contaminated with green. With the fill, you get accurate colors and a crisper feel.

This is backlit with matrix balanced TTL fill flash set 2/3 of a stop below ambient.Film is 160NC.

I was just looking over this thread, and noticed I left a word out of my post. I meant to write: "clients DON'T care how you got the shot"

Crystal Durr:

 

I recommended to you to use a incident flash meter. It is there in my original post.

Take readings at a 1/2 body shot distance for your lens

(hopefully 35mm) and a full body shot. Use only ASA 100 film (like Portra 160 rated at 100

ASA). You may find that your flash is 1/2 f stop more powerful than my recommendations.

In which case, you could use f6.3 for the full length shot, for example. But look at your

incident meter, it knows best.

 

If you have direct clear noon sunlight, and the sunlight hits any partial part of

the front of

the person, you must balance for it with a strong flash power.

 

 

 

It appears to me that the light in your picture is coming from a cloudy day light situation.

As a result, your settings need to be adjusted. You need to adjust these settings by using

a exposure meter. This adjustment is likely beyond your experience at this time when

using flash fill. My recommendation was for only one

situation: daytime clear direct sun on the subject ( at any angle ). It was not "optimum"

for the other situations that can apply:

 

twilight

near sundown

full shade

partial shade

partial shade with fill from an object ( like a garage door)

multiple flash usage

cloudy day sun

foggy day

rainy day

and so forth on and on.

 

When I use fill flash, I make an exposure meter reading for the continuous light, such as

the Sun, and then select an exact fill-flash power to counter balance WHATEVER THE

CHOSEN LIGHT I am to counterbalance.

In my recommendation to you, I acknowledged the difficult of giving a person a

recommendation for a situation that I could not be "on site" and seeing what are the

conditions of the lighting.

I think that if any photographer needs to have lighter backgrounds, they should take

control of the situation, rather than leaving success up to auto modes that are

documented to have wide variations in exposure, especially for important pictures.

 

 

 

If you want lighter background, I would just use natural light. But you would need to read

that situation, too. There is a time for natural light, and a situation for fill-in of clear

direct sun. You have to know when to use which.

Regarding:

 

"Timber was (and is) correct that autoexposure and TTL controls can be tricked in certain

situations, which can lead to unpleasant surprises at development time. In my experience,

though, the meter in the N90s and the interface with the SB-28 are awfully, awfully clever.

Only two situations seem to trip them up: extremely strong backlighting and way-too-

high white ceilings."

 

This photographer is saying that there are "situations" to consider. That is correct. I agree

wholeheartedly. Reading your light scenes takes experience. I do believe that my own

"reading of the situation" with a handheld flashmeter and calibrated manual mode will

continue to give me 100% successful results. It has always worked for me, and it will

always work for a photographer who wants to become more learned about lighting

situations. I made my choice long ago where I want to be.

Not a techie ... All I can tell you is that I shot with an Canon F1N and a Metz and/or Sunpack flash -- everything manual for 10 years... To keep it simple (and you can check out my folders for some examples) I would simply meter the skin tones or the grass... open up a stop or just 1/2 stop or so -- and then set my flash to one stop less than my Fstop. Anotherwords -- open shade.. 60th at 5.6 -- Shoot it at F4 and put my flash at F2.8. I don't know if that helps... <p>

Now -- I shoot on "P" (for professional ;-) and set -1 on my flash if I'm close to the couple...outdoors... I like natural looking shots.<div></div>

This is in shade with a "kiss" of fill flash.The TTL flash is set for two stops below ambient.

http://www.qtm.com/flash/qft4d.php........this looks like a nice strobe and good info to read.....

Steve -- although your jpeg was below 500 pixels in width - it doesn't show up as a photo in the forum because you need to give the image a "title"..... Please note that for future image posts...

ASA 160 --250 @ F 13 --QUantum Strobe @ F11 +--6 ft<div></div>

Regarding Steve Levine's comment:

 

A "kiss" of flash fill is not a quantity that informs beginners well. If you said that an

"added 1/8th f stop's worth of flash fill" were a "kiss" then you would be communicative.

This small amount of flash fill, however, ruins natural modeling of the natural light. It

makes the scene look more flat. This means that it is a technique that adds a choice to

the photographer's tool kit.

 

Because this low light "fill" technique is used at f 2.8 type apertures to suck in alot of

natural light (7/8ths natural light 1/8th fill flash), the people in the picture need to be

arranged in a line; there is little depth of field to make more creative arrangements. Every

choice in lighting has its strengths and weaknesses.

 

Dark shadows can be used to artistic effect to eliminate extraneous detail in the

background, like a fire hydrant or a Mastercharge sign or a parked car. Light shadows can

be used to artistic effect, too. It becomes mainly an artistic choice as to what is

"satisfactory" from the artistic choice toolbox.