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I'm loving bounced flash

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eNo

eNo

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Ever since I purchased my SB-600, I've been marveling at the results I get when I bounce it. No more of that over-flashed, flat, washed out look, and plenty fast exposure to capture the moment. My preferred setup is to fix the exposure in Manual to f/5.6, 1/100sec (or 1/80sec) and ISO400, then set the camera to Matrix metering to let the flash figure out its power in iTTL mode. Works reasonably well.

Here are a few samples taken over the holidays:

D80 & VR16-85: f/5.6, 1/80sec
http://esuastegui.esmartweb.com/D80/attic/cmas '08-04.jpg
http://esuastegui.esmartweb.com/D80/attic/cmas '08-05.jpg
http://esuastegui.esmartweb.com/D80/attic/cmas '08-06.jpg
http://esuastegui.esmartweb.com/D80/attic/cmas '08-07.jpg
http://esuastegui.esmartweb.com/D80/attic/cmas '08-10.jpg

D80 & VR18-200: f/5.6, 1/100sec









~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Rule of Thirds is meant to be broken, but only 1/3 of the time.



D80/D90 photos: http://esuastegui.esmartweb.com/D80
 
Nice shots. Looks like everyone had a happy Christmas. :-)

I am constantly amazed at how my SB-400 changed how I felt about flashes. Probably the best $99 I've spent in photography. Before it, using on-camera flashes, I'd always hated using a flash. Everything always had that blown-out, flash-in-the-face look to it. Yuck.

Then I finally bought a SB-400 to see if it'd make a difference. Wow, was I impressed. Being able to bounce it, and having more power available completely changed how I feel about using a flash. Might pick up an SB-600 some day, as they're even better.

Just as your photos demonstrate, the lighting is just so much more natural and balanced when you use a bounce flash. Looks great!
 
Similar enjoyment of bouncing for me eNo, and have recently begun experimenting with wall and window(or other reflective surface) bouncing at a lower angle, to some fairly positive results.
--
David~
WSSA Member #90

Rule of Thirds must be broken- but only into three equal pieces

. . . shoot like there's no film in the thing!
 
Well, I can't see your photos because of the company web content filter, but given my own experience with bouncing the SB-600, I'll assume they look nice. :)

I also use f/5.6 when using either the 28-105 or 12-24. With the 50mm prime, I usually drop that to f/4. I tend to use a slightly faster shutter speed (1/160 to 1/200) to account for any possible camera shake, but I don't have VR lenses. I also tend to leave the camera in spot metering mode (and the flash in TTL) so I can quickly meter for specific ambient light. I haven't used TTL-BL too much in the past, but have recently and like the results.

The only problem I have with bouncing flash is having to constantly tweak the flash head so that it is pointed more or less straight up. If only they could come up with some sort of gyro system that keeps that flash head vertical regardless of camera orientation...
 
Don't forget you can also bounce off walls behind you as well (where wall and ceiling meet is a nice place to aim the flash).

You can also add a small card behind the flash head to throw some light forward - adds nice catch lights to portraits (been using that trick for many years from my film days).

I cut a piece of stiff paper (photo paper) to fit between the housing and diffuser of my SB600. Then I can move it up or down depending how much light I want (closer = less light). A rubber band and a piece of white paper will also work in emergencies.

Very nice start. Have fun experimenting.

--
unc

~ The only things stopping us from reaching our goals are the limitations we place on ourselves ~
 
Pretty cool more natural than straight flash shot.
I recently got SB-400 and I like to use bounced flash, but the lock
of tilting head in vertical photos pushed me to return the 400 and I order
SB-600. Hope to get good results with portrait photos.
--
Nikon D40
Nikon CoolPix 4500
DSLR Noob :)
 
These are awesome!

Are you pointing the SB600 straight at the ceiling of slightly angled?

You have inspired me. :)
 
Only the last photo has hints of straight down from the ceiling lighting-that doesn't mean that it is, though.
 
nice work! I've been loving my sb-800. It's definitely changed my opinion on flash as well. Playing with the wireless function and using the onboard as commander is another interesting and useful technique to try as well.

Julia
 
sydney21 said:
These are awesome!

Are you pointing the SB600 straight at the ceiling of slightly angled?

You have inspired me. :)
Click to expand...
It depends on the distance to subject. Usually, I end up with a 60 deg angle, but he last one and the one with the dish were up close, so I angled straight up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Rule of Thirds is meant to be broken, but only 1/3 of the time.



D80/D90 photos: http://esuastegui.esmartweb.com/D80
 
binary_eye said:
I also use f/5.6 when using either the 28-105 or 12-24. With the 50mm
prime, I usually drop that to f/4. I tend to use a slightly faster
shutter speed (1/160 to 1/200) to account for any possible camera
shake, but I don't have VR lenses. I also tend to leave the camera in
spot metering mode (and the flash in TTL) so I can quickly meter for
specific ambient light. I haven't used TTL-BL too much in the past,
but have recently and like the results.
Click to expand...
Big apertures are nice when you want less DOF, but I find f/4 too shallow sometimes. Depends what you're shooting, for sure.
binary_eye said:
The only problem I have with bouncing flash is having to constantly
tweak the flash head so that it is pointed more or less straight up.
If only they could come up with some sort of gyro system that keeps
that flash head vertical regardless of camera orientation...
Click to expand...
And then there are those times when you are shooting a vertical (like the one where she's eating icecream), and then you have to twist the thing to the side.

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Rule of Thirds is meant to be broken, but only 1/3 of the time.



D80/D90 photos: http://esuastegui.esmartweb.com/D80
 
I have a diffuser, which might do something similar to the card you describe, but even when I point it up or sideways for a bounce, it gives me too much direct light, so I'm back to the over-flashed look. It's nice when there's nothing to bounce off, though, to soften the light, but also cuts down on flash power, so it's a bit of a compromise.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Rule of Thirds is meant to be broken, but only 1/3 of the time.



D80/D90 photos: http://esuastegui.esmartweb.com/D80
 
Supr X said:
Similar enjoyment of bouncing for me eNo, and have recently begun
experimenting with wall and window(or other reflective surface)
bouncing at a lower angle, to some fairly positive results.
Click to expand...
I tried bouncing off a mirror once... It was a mess. Wall/ceiling color also matters. The darker, the more flash compensation you have to add. For a fashion photo-shoot I was bouncing from a chandelier at +2EV flash compensation; that was hard and I learned the hard way I should have used ISO400, instead of 250. Of course, after the fact and lots of PP'ing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Rule of Thirds is meant to be broken, but only 1/3 of the time.



D80/D90 photos: http://esuastegui.esmartweb.com/D80
 
Wow, for some reason, your post really inspired me. I have been struggling with flash ever since I got the SB-600.

So after your post, I took a test shot totally unplanned of my cat. Lo and behold, it worked. I got so excited, I forgot to try the manual setting, but I had the flash pointed at the ceiling with an index card and rubber band.

I cropped to remove the stuff on the rug, but it still looks good.

My flash on the camera was set to -.3 eV so I think I should have left it at 0, but the flash was already on the camera by then. I guess I could've cranked up the eV on the flash.

Cool.

 
I don't know if you can do it with the SB-600 (I know you can't with the SB-400), but with my new SB-900 I've been enjoying rotating the flash head horizontally when there is a white wall nearby to bounce the flash off the wall. This is almost like having an off-board flash!

--
Kyoto, Japan
http://www.kotodama.net
 
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