on-camera flash

[megan_stone]

<p>I'm recently going into wedding photography and have done a few jobs so far - Satisfied with the results. I shoot using my Nikon D700, high ISO, no flash ... available light and the results are quite stunning.<br>

There have been times where I felt I needed that extra stop, or a touch of flash for a steady image.<br>

I've dug out my Nikon SB-800 but have actually never worked with on-camera flash.<br>

I have a wedding to shoot tomorrow that I intend to shoot as I always have .. no flash, high iso. But would like to know what settings i can have my flash ready at in order to merely give me a very subtle extra touch of light. I'd like to maintain the feeling the natural light gives me in those images but want to add a very soft, subtle light to make the images more crisp without affecting highlights or shadows from the enviorment.<br>

Can someone let me know what a safe setting is for that? I tend to set my ISO, spot metering and Aperture priority. How can i add this every so subtle touch of light? and should i pull out the reflective white card and keep the flash at an angle?</p>

<p>Thank you</p>

[megan_stone]

<p>Also, when I pull out the reflective white card .. a clear plastic flap also comes out with it. Do i let that rest over the flash head or do i push it back in? Thank you</p>

[Wouter Willemse]

<p>Available light isn't always stunning, so learning how to use a flash effectively is really worth it (a must-do) if you're going to charge customers for the photos. Else, if you find yourself in a bright-lit room with flat omnidrectional light some day, you will find that shooting natural light will not get the best out of the situation at all. Better be prepared.<br /> Effectively, the settings do depend quite a bit of the natural light you have, and how much you want to preserve that. Some natural light is plain ugly, and you're better off making the flash your main light. Some natural light is epic, but you need to fill shadows - the way you expose for that differs, to make the flash take on a "different role". There are no safe settings that work all the time - there is learning how this stuff works, just like you learn how set exposure. A good introduction is the <a href="http://strobist.blogspot.it/2006/03/lighting-101.html">Strobist </a>site, or <a href="http://neilvn.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/">this tutorial</a>. The strobist pages on fill flash are probably good to get you started, and while that site advices setting flash manual, the idea expressed there will work fine in iTTL too (avoid iTTL-BL, though!).<br /> The white flap can be useful to get the tiny reflections in eyes that make eyes look more vivid; the transparent flap is for wide angle use, so you should push that back unless you shoot with a focal length wider than 24mm.</p>

[peter_doucette]

<p>I learned a lot from the Strobist, but for on camera flash, take a look at Neil van Niekerk's site: http://neilvn.com/tangents/</p>

<p>I should have checked Wouter's link, he got there first. I thought he was showing one of David Hobby's tutorials.</p>

[megan_stone]

<p>thank you - i'll have a look.<br>

Does using an on-camera flash use up my camera's battery fast ?</p>

[Wouter Willemse]

No, it uses its own batteries, so you will need plenty of those AA batteries for your flash!

[William Michael]

<blockquote>

<p>I've dug out my Nikon SB-800 but have actually <strong>never worked with on-camera flash</strong>.<br /> I have a <strong>wedding to shoot tomorrow</strong> that I intend to shoot as I always have .. no flash, high iso. But would <strong>like to know what settings i can have my flash ready at in order to merely give me a very subtle extra touch of light</strong><br /> I tend to <strong>set my ISO, spot metering and Aperture priority</strong>.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>For the shooting scenario that you describe, I would typically set my ISO; Evaluative Metering (Canon) Matrix Metering (Nikon): M Mode and use FEC (Flash Exposure Compensation) to adjust the amount of Flash overlay or fill.</p>

<p>Whether or not to use the White Reflector is more about the TYPE of light you want – the reflector makes the light a bit softer at the expense of Maximum Flash Working Distance and also depends upon the Shooting Distance (whether or not you are beyond the Maximum Flash Working Distance), but from what I understand you are describing (that you’ll be at High ISO anyway – so we are discussing low Light Level shooting), then probably the White Reflector will be a good idea.</p>

<p>I very rarely use Av Mode with On Camera Flash because that’s way too much effort (for me) to always watch the Shutter Speed as the TTL Meter varies it. I don’t use Nikon DSLR’s and I don’t know what yours will do if the Camera’s TTL Meter sets the Shutter Speed faster than the max X-Sync – but if you don’t know either then suggest that you find out.</p>

<p>I rarely use Spot Metering when using On Camera Flash.</p>

<p>I would never use Spot Metering when the camera is in Av Mode and using On Camera Flash, because for me it is way too cumbersome a procedure to ride the Exposure Compensation and also ride the Flash Exposure Compensation or alternatively, use the Spot Meter on a standard reference in the scene and then employ Exposure Lock. For me, it is just easier to use M Mode and trust the excellence of Matrix / Evaluative metering modes, to meter the Ambient and if I choose to tweak that Ambient exposure up or down for each shot, it’s just a matter of opening or closing the Aperture a smidge.</p>

<p>I don’t think it is a good idea make any "first shot" of a shooting scenario an experiment with Flash, having only one day’s practice. I suggest that you get all the necessary shots in the can, using your established style and procedures, before you tackle a duplicate shot using techniques at which you are not versed or experienced in the basics thereof.</p>

<p>WW</p>

[megan_stone]

<p>William that was very helpful - Thank you</p>

[William Michael]

<p>Break a leg.</p>

[William Michael]

<p>If you are still reading . . . I just thought of another trap to watch out for . . . and then I thought of a trillion other things for later on:</p>

<p>With <strong>FLASH ON CAMERA</strong> - You'll likely find that Landscape Orientation will be better (safer):even if you dial in FEC so that the Flash's overlay is minimal you might get some shadow, if so it is usually better that the shadow fall downward and backward rather than to the side.</p>

<p>This example image was made at Dusk and the Flash is On-Camera with the little white reflector panel used and the Flash Head at 45 degrees. I understand this is not exactly the shooting scenario that you described because these boys are in shadow with no appreciable modelling from any Ambient light: the use of Flash here was to subtly front light them and create a little 'pop' from the Background.</p>

<p>Why I am showing you is for an illustration about the Shadows. It's likely that the shadows (on the ground) went unnoticed until mentioned - but if the Camera were Portrait Orientation then shadow from the flash is likely to cause a problem on the GROUP especially if there are several Subjects in the shot.</p>

<p>The Group of seven, with quick and easy bit of soft Front Light Flash 'Pop' to get the boys out from the background:<br /> <img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/13046413-md.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>There is a touch of "neck shadow':<br /> <img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/13046416-md.jpg" alt="" /> <br /> *<br /> And a little shadow falling on the boy at the rear <br /> <img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/13046414-md.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>. . . but overall we got seven 'cool faces' and that's what the boys saw when they looked at the photograph.</p>

<p>***</p>

<p>Later on:</p>

<p>How I interpret your main aim is that you've got a scene where the ambient is giving you reasonably good modelling and atmosphere but you want to add a touch of "bight" or a bit of "rim light" or a "fill in" for light shadow here or there. If this is correct then when you have more time to practice, you might invest in an <strong>Off Camera Cord</strong>. This will allow you to get the FLASH <strong>OFF </strong>the camera so you have MUCH more control over the DIRECTION of the Flash's Exposure.</p>

<p>We used this Off Camera Technique quite often with the Hammerhead Metz Flash Units with Medium Format Film cameras - Those Metz Flashes have a Quick Release Bracket. With my Canon Speedlite, I just hold it in my (non-camera) hand. My Off Camera Cord is about 1.3 meters (5 ft). You have to learn to use the camera one handed, and Left Handed if you ever want the Flash to come from the direction of Camera Right. You also have to learn how to aim the Flash.</p>

<p>For Fill Flash outdoors in Sunlight one uses Direct Flash for the fill; but for low level light where a touch of (off camera) Flash is required, then this is the "Mitt" that I generally use. I find it much better than the little white reflector and it gives me good 'directionality':</p>

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/14399374-md.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>Here is an example of how wide and soft the mitt throws the Light and the typical modelling from it when it is extended about 4ft to Camera Left:</p>

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/17868720-md.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>*<br /> One of the reasons why I use a Battery Grip on my DSLR's is so I can shoot one handed, left handed (to allow an Off Camera Cord to go to Camera Right): this is how I hold and work the Camera, in my left-hand:<br /> <img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/14699272-md.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="486" /></p>

<p>WW</p>

[rodeo_joe1]

<p>The purpose of the little white "business card" on the SB-800 is to provide an eye catchlight when using bounce flash. It's completely separate in function from the clear diffuser it comes packed alongside, and they can be used independently of each other. They just share a hinge. The clear diffuser is primarily to widen the coverage of the flash when using direct flash and a wide-angle lens.</p>

<p>Anyhow. I suggest you experiment with bounce flash Megan. Most event areas have a white ceiling or light-coloured wall that can be used. Or you can buy a cheap translucent diffuser cap for the flash. Its purpose is to spread light out over a hemispherical area to bounce off nearby surfaces and lighten shadows with the flash pointed directly upwards or even slightly back. Clip on opal diffusers do <strong>not</strong> soften the light directly from the flash to any noticeable degree as some people with the initials GF would have you believe. Keep the flash power down in relation to the ambient light and you can get quite subtle results. What you don't really want are specular, sweaty-looking hotspots reflecting from people's faces.</p>

<p>I'd advise against experimenting with flash during an actual wedding shoot. Just stick to what you know works for a while. Practise with the flash on your own time - not on a client's shoot - and only use it in anger when you know what you're doing and what the effect will be.</p>

[megan_stone]

<p>All very helpful - Thank you </p>