lisa_chang1

<p>Again thank you so much for all your thoughtful, detailed replies. Obviously I have a lot to learn about flash photography (and probably need to get a better flash! :P)</p>

<p>And sorry about forgetting to answer your question WW! <strong>My camera is a Canon 400D</strong>. I'm stuck at work (again) so I can't tell you the flash unit brand other than to say it is generic. I am really starting to wonder what results other people have had with it and so I'll post a question specifically regarding that brand later.</p>

<p>That said, I agree with most people here and will keep my camera in program mode, especially when the action is moving fast. :) I haven't shot in program mode for a long time (prefer AV and lately more manual) but since I'm not totally confident in my flash that seems to be the way to go. And I really want to try out some of the manual settings suggested here but I'll do that at less key moments.</p>

<p>Regarding other settings:<br>

Metering - evaluative. I'm not comfortable w/ spot metering yet and use ex. compensation when there are major light/dark contrast issues. ISO: 400 (I'm not happy with ISO 800 on my camera - noise starts to become an issue). I plan to shoot mostly in RAW.<br>

Equipment - I'll have two memory cards (2G and 4G) and will bring along an extra set of batteries for flash and camera.</p>

<p>Again thanks for your help ~ These are answers I'll keep coming back to as I continue learning more about flash photography. :)</p>

<p>Hi everyone ~</p>

<p>Thank you SO much for your replies, especially the details. These are all things I need to research and know about, either for this wedding or the future. :) This is my first post in this forum, and I'm really impressed by the detail and quality of the answers! You guys are great. :)</p>

<p>I understand some people's worries ~ but my question was about how to get better results from my flash, not whether or not I'm qualified to shoot a wedding! Though I guess how I worded my post has caused some to worry, and if that's the case let me calm your fears - I'm not the only photographer, this isn't the first wedding I've taken pictures at, and my friend has realistic expectations. In addition, we're in a wedding photography market that is COMPLETELY different from that in the States (I live abroad) and I'm confident that the results my friend will get will be on par with what he'd get if he brought in a stranger to do it.</p>

<p>Now on to my actual question! My flash is an external flash gun similar to the one in this photo: <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/612139-USA/Nissin_ND466C_ND466C_Di_466_Shoe_Mount.html">http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/612139-USA/Nissin_ND466C_ND466C_Di_466_Shoe_Mount.html</a> (sorry I'm not at home and can't tell you the brand but it's generic). For some reason I haven't been able to get the TTL like it should and I don't know if it's because I haven't figured it out or it doesn't work that way. I can adjust the power of the flash manually and have relied on that so far.</p>

<p>I guess the question about depth of field is kinda silly ~ I'm just wondering if I'm "burning" out the background with the flash. But then if there's a wide enough aperature (my lenses widest aperatures are 1.8, 2.8 and 2.8) and proper distance between the subject and background (and I set the flash properly) then this shouldn't be a problem.</p>

<p>One last question: Why ISOs of 400-800? Is that just so the flash will long enough of a range or is there another reason as well? (It doesn't seem getting adequate light would be a problem w/ a flash).</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>Lisa</p>

<p>P.S. I would LOVE to work with things like strobe lights and off camera lights. Maybe someday. :)</p>

<p>I'm shooting the banquet/reception of a friend's wedding this weekend and will be using my external flash. I've been practicing and have the basics down (using the assist infrared light, adjusting the power of the flash) but what other suggestions can you give me?</p>

<p>Specifically:<br>

Which camera mode should I shoot on? (I tried experimenting with different modes and it seems that the mode doesn't really matter that much. What's more important is the power setting on the flash)<br>

If shooting in manual, what suggestions do you have? (It seems from my experiments that manual is simpler as I know my settings won't be running around on me. I'm used to shooting wide open but wonder if this is appropriate for a low-light banquet hall situation. Is depth of field still possible with a flash?)</p>

<p>Any and all suggestions are welcome :)</p>