Using Flash at an indoor wedding

[sarah_landry]

<p>I will be photographing a wedding this weekend which is taking place in a small chapel. It is not very well lit and the ceilings are very high. I am just learning weddings and this is only my 3rd. I went to the location to "practice" tonight and am looking for advice on how to best use my flash. I have a 430ex. I always use it when doing outdoor portraits as a fill, I bounce it off a reflector, and never get shadows...just a nice soft light on the subject. However, I cannot use a reflector in the chapel. I have an Omnibounce on my flash but I am still getting really harsh shadows in the background. The ceilings are too high to bounce off and the there are no nearby walls to bounce off. What are some other options in this situation???</p>

[dave_wilson1]

<p>Click on the wedding archives (lighting), there's a thread from just recently about using flash in a place with "no windows" there's some interesting discussion on there should apply similar here more or less. And while some will disagree with me, any device like the Omnibounce just cuts power and essentially becomes a point source that produces shadows exactly like you describe once it's at a further distance from the subject. Your results may vary though, so testing things out carefully is a very good plan.</p>

[Damon DAmato]

<blockquote>

<p>any device like the Omnibounce just cuts power and essentially becomes a point source</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>I agree. The whole point of an Omnibounce is that some of the light is sent bouncing around the room for fill. Useless outdoors or in this situation. Maybe back off the flash power and slow down the shutter for a more balanced look.</p>

[redphoto]

<p>You might try point the flash upwards and using a white card behind it to direct some light forward. You may still be able to bounce off a wall, no matter how far away. Use a wider, more open aperture, like f/4 and increase your ISO. Set your camera on manual and set an exposure level that will be for the ambient light, or slightly below. Use your flash on TTL and adjust the FEC for the look that you are after.</p>

[picturesque]

<p>Use of a white card will help, but you will still get shadows. If you cannot bounce, you will not get soft light, and you will get shadows. There is no getting around that. Soft light is dependent upon the ratio of the size of the light source in relation to the subject. The ideal has the light source the same size as the distance of the light source to the subject.</p>

<p>Given you will not get much soft light, if you want to avoid shadows, you need to get the flash above the camera for verticals, or the shadows will be side shadows. Some people are satisfied with the little bit of height you get using your flash with a white card on the short side of the reflector. I'm not. I use a flash bracket when I know there will be shadows.</p>

<p>When you use the white card, use it pointing straight up, or just slightly tilted forward. This is so some of the flash light is still contributing to reflectance. Go to the Demb Diffuser website and see the tutorials.</p>

[caleb_santos]

<p>Use a fast lens, i.e. f/1.4 and ISO between 1600-6400. :D </p>

[john_deerfield]

<blockquote>

<p>any device like the Omnibounce just cuts power and essentially becomes a point source </p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Unless you are bouncing your flash off a larger surface, it will always be point light source. However, using the Omnibounce will <em>diffuse</em> the light. Diffusion will lower contrast and specularity, both considered a good thing in portrait photography, generally speaking. You could use some sort of bounce card, but this requires even more power than an Omnibounce and the effect is for all practical purposes the same: small, point light source (although some bounce cards can be very larger); it is just the the bounce card diffuses the light. Same as the Omnibounce. </p>

<p>The real issue here is that you only have one flash (or at least only listed one flash). You want to get the flash <em>off</em> the camera and then you can probably bounce it off a wall; use a wide® aperture and high ISO and you are good.</p>

[sarah_landry]

<p>Thank you everyone for your responses. They were very helpful! I did crank up my ISO and lowered my flash and I am pleased with the results! I know I have a long way to go when it comes to equipment, but this worked well for today's wedding! :)</p>

[mariosforsos]

<p>A solution (and I know some people don't like that) is to use something like the Gary Fong Lightsphere. It spreads light wonderfully around, lights up the background sufficiently and reduces shadows significantly across the board. When you're far away from the couple you can adjust the power settings on your flash by increasing them a bit (the Lightsphere cuts down SOME of your light, about 2/3 of a stop), while when you move closer to the couple, you can dial them down a bit to avoid blowing up your whites.</p>

<p>That's the only on-camera flash solution I would use in such a situation. Oh, and make sure you drag your shutter to allow any available light in...</p>

[markonestudios]

I use the Demb Flash Diffuser. Extremely versatile, weighs next to nothing and costs a great deal less than some of the other (http://photo-tips-online.com/review/best-flash-diffuser) alternatives out there. Oh and it works for me very well even when outdoors in the dark :)

[lonnie_ray]

<p>I also have used the Gary Fong Lightsphere in similar situations where there seemed to be nothing to bounce light from. I achieved acceptable results by this method, especially in a dark dimly lit tall ceiling church.</p>