how would I have better avoided these shadows?

[photochick]

flash to the left and above lense, obviously a little less flash...? Do you

feel the shadow ruins the picture/should be edited out?

[scott_brooks1]

Bounce the flash off the ceiling as opposed to direct flash should at least soften the affect.

[merle_white]

I do not feel the shadow ruins the image, but it does draw to much attention. I suggest find a bracketing system that you find easy to work with. Make sure the flash is above and centered over the lens

for both the vertical and horizontal position.

[Jerry_]

Get more distance from the wall behind the couple. As noted above, you need a flash bracket and cord -- to keep your flash directly above the lens on vertical shots...much less shadow trouble when you use a flash bracket.

[matthewkane]

Try to balance the ambient light with the flash light. Shoot manual with a bracket on and if

there is any ambient - drag the shutter - more.

[jimstrutz]

<I>"flash to the left and above lense..."</I>

<P>

No it wasn't. :) The flash was to the right of the lens, and perhaps just slightly below it. Look at the shadow.

<P>

I would do what has been suggested: Use a bracket flip type bracket that keeps the flash directly over the lens even when the camera is turned vertical. Move the subjects away from the wall to darken areas around the shadow. Drag the shutter to add more ambient light to soften the shadow. Use bounce flash when possible to diffuse and lower any shadow. All of these will work to some degree, and a combination of them is usually best.

<P>

In this picture the shadow is a minor irritation.

<P>

"Lens" is the generally accepted and preferred spelling. "Lense" is sometimes sited as a acceptable variant, and other places as a common misspelling.

[j_c38]

I agree with Jim, flash was not above and to the left.

 

After looking and thinking about this picture, it doesn't add up. The angles of the shadows to subject really look like off camera lighting. Ecspecially when you look at the shadows cast by the flowers on the table. Light source looks like it comes from quite a ways off the right.

[grinder]

More pics like this or is this one unique? It almost looks like someone had a powerful slave way right of the camera or someone flashed at the exact moment as you from another camera to the right

 

Good advice given from people above.

It is still usable let them see it.

[david_schilling___chicago_]

Getting a bracket and putting the flash high above the lens and dragging the shutter a bit is a good idea. Asking the couple to move someplace else in the room and have a spontaneous moment is silly. Next time you see that shot try to move a few feet to the left for a better angle.

 

Don't forget to type in a caption and keep the width down to 511 pixels or less and your image will show in the thread.

[jmichaelc]

Fast Lens, Fast ISO, and Flash pointed backwards/up + Comp (left/right) for bounce/spill effect would have probably worked beautifully here.

[ned1]

I agree that in this case the shadows don't look bad. If they weren't so diffuse they would look horrible. Assuming your flash is powerful enough you could get rid of them and have the light come from the same angle by turning the flash head behing and toward the corner.

 

His one was done with an on-camera flash bounced off a rear corner:

 

http://www.photo.net/photo/4399071

[jmichaelc]

To better illustrate the back bounce / spill method above, take a look here at the photo posted. To give you an idea of the luminance of the scene, this was shot at 3200 F2.8 at 1/13 second hand held with 1/3 EV dialed in. Notice the reflection of the bounce in the mirror and how for back and how high of a bounce and no shadows on the wall. With this method, your subjects will be filled with spill (the back wall/ceiling becomes your light source) and it appears as if flash wasn't used at all.....which is my goal. As you can see by these readings, it was very dark here with just a few decor lights.<div></div>

[jmichaelc]

Thats suppose to be -1/3 EV dialed in.....

[picturesque]

I agree with David--this is obviously a spontaneous moment so you can't ask them to move. With this kind of shot, you either shoot it or not. You might not have had any time to even move yourself to a better vantage point. Only two things would have helped. One is a bracket that puts the flash over the lens axis. By itself, it would not eliminate the shadow but cast it lower and made it less distracting. The other is a flash modifier that creates diffuse shadows, like the Lightsphere or Flip It in it's card back position. Getting closer to the ambient exposure with less flash (high ISO, wide apertures) might have helped, but then again, might have resulted in ghosting.

[david_bain1]

In the kiss shot the shadows would be much less obvious if the crop was tighter. Get rid of most of that top area of brickwork to concentrate attention on the subject. The bottom edge of the darker brick near the centre should be about right.

[steve_levine]

Move far away from walls, and shoot at angles to them, or in doorways. If there isn't a wall, there can't be a shadow.

[khaisy]

I like it without shadows that is me though, bounce and bracket works for me, this is a quick edit not perfect,<div></div>

[vcallaway]

One photographer I studied under had a bare bulb flash attached to a hat. Said it was the only way to get the light to wrap around the subjects.

 

I think he wound up spending too much time explaining the flash to people, but the pictures were great.