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How to prepare: Shooting in harsh sunlight (no shade) with ND filter and speedlight

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Cameranoobie said:
fotowbert said:
Cameranoobie said:
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Did you really mean what you said in this last sentence because these two items are not related. You most certainly can shoot normal sync flash off camera with the D5500 when using the appropriate triggers.

The subject in rumple's image is 3 dimensional looking because of the shadows present. Rumple had the key speedlight off-camera and only used the on-camera speedlight to fill the shadows a bit. Without these shadows the subject takes on the typical appearance of strong on-camera fill flash shots, that your subject is a propped up cardboard cutout.

IMO with only one speedlight you need to option of moving it off-camera when the existing ambient lighting isn't providing the necessary 3 dimensional shadowing on your subject. This may well be most any time direct sunlight isn't falling on the front of your subject.
  • John
--
"[If you don't sweat the details] the magic doesn't work." Brooks, F. P., The Mythical Man-Month, Addison-Wesley, 1975, page 8.
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Thanks. How do I choose wirelessly with speedlights? Do I need to rebuy tgat wireless transmitter that I returned last week?

So basically what you are saying is, that I need one more speedlight, wireless transmitter and a stand for that light off camera?
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Yes, you will need that kind of stuff if you want to add the benefits off-camera flash will bring to your outdoor portraiture lighting. That's really a topic for another thread.

The intent of my reply was to say that contrary to what you posted your D5500 lack of HSS doesn't prevent you from using off-camera flash. IMO you shouldn't limit yourself to only on-camera flash if you're serious about outdoor portraiture.
  • John
--
"[If you don't sweat the details] the magic doesn't work." Brooks, F. P., The Mythical Man-Month, Addison-Wesley, 1975, page 8.
 
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fotowbert said:
Yes, you will need that kind of stuff if you want to add the benefits off-camera flash will bring to your outdoor portraiture lighting. That's really a topic for another thread.

The intent of my reply was to say that contrary to what you posted your D5500 lack of HSS doesn't prevent you from using off-camera flash. IMO you shouldn't limit yourself to only on-camera flash if you're serious about outdoor portraiture.
  • John
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So I did a test in TTL mode on my flash and my speedlight does not show the flash power on the screen after taking a shot. So I have no way of finding out the flash power when in Ttl mode for me to cover that same setting into M mode.
 
This is what I need - it will give out the exact flash power when takong a shot in TTL and copy that flash power setting into M mode.

Only thing is you cant attach a flash or speedlight on top. :(
 
Cameranoobie said:
So I did a test in TTL mode on my flash and my speedlight does not show the flash power on the screen after taking a shot. So I have no way of finding out the flash power when in Ttl mode for me to cover that same setting into M mode.
Click to expand...
That's been typical of TTL speedlight operation since the beginning. The power level expended during any TTL shot isn't reported. It didn't need to be since a new power level would be determined for the next shot. All you are likely to get is an indication of insufficient power available to achieve correct exposure.

A TCM (TTL Convert to Manual) feature is showing up on some flash gear (new Godox XPro transmitter has it) which apparently locks in the TTL determined power level and then let you treat it as a manual power setting. I don't know exactly how this works or if an actual power level fraction is displayed.

One way to get up close and personal with your power levels is with a flash meter. :-)
  • John
--
"[If you don't sweat the details] the magic doesn't work." Brooks, F. P., The Mythical Man-Month, Addison-Wesley, 1975, page 8.
 
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fotowbert said:
Cameranoobie said:
So I did a test in TTL mode on my flash and my speedlight does not show the flash power on the screen after taking a shot. So I have no way of finding out the flash power when in Ttl mode for me to cover that same setting into M mode.
Click to expand...
That's been typical of TTL speedlight operation since the beginning. The power level expended during any TTL shot isn't reported. ...

A TCM (TTL Convert to Manual) feature is showing up on some flash gear (new Godox XPro transmitter has it) which apparently locks in the TTL determined power level and then let you treat it as a manual power setting. I don't know exactly how this works or if an actual power level fraction is displayed.
Click to expand...
Actually, this TTL locking feature isn't specific to Godox; the Nissin Air10s system call it "TTL Memory"; the Profoto Air system call it "Hybrid TTL"; and Cactus's V6II system calls it "Flash Power Lock".

On the Godox XPro, you take a shot in TTL and if you like it, you press the TCM button, and all groups that were in TTL change to M mode, and the last power setting used is translated into the equivalent M power ratio. The M power ratio is then displayed on the XPro trigger for the group, and you can keep or adjust it in M mode.
 
fotowbert said:
Cameranoobie said:
So I did a test in TTL mode on my flash and my speedlight does not show the flash power on the screen after taking a shot. So I have no way of finding out the flash power when in Ttl mode for me to cover that same setting into M mode.
Click to expand...
That's been typical of TTL speedlight operation since the beginning. The power level expended during any TTL shot isn't reported. It didn't need to be since a new power level would be determined for the next shot. All you are likely to get is an indication of insufficient power available to achieve correct exposure.

A TCM (TTL Convert to Manual) feature is showing up on some flash gear (new Godox XPro transmitter has it) which apparently locks in the TTL determined power level and then let you treat it as a manual power setting. I don't know exactly how this works or if an actual power level fraction is displayed.

One way to get up close and personal with your power levels is with a flash meter. :-)
  • John
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Quick question.

I understand that if I am taking a portrait shot without wanting to darken the ambient light (in other words not use the ND filter), that while having the camera in auto, I spot meter the brightest part of the subjects face to find the exposure for it.

But say I have my ND filter on and want to darken the ambient light. In this case I need to spot meter the background behind the subject. I always shoot with the sun behind the subject shooting from behind them. So using spot meter, where do I point the camera in auto mode to get the exposure setting? Wouldn't in this I use matrix metering? And in this case again do I point the camera towards the brightest part in the background?
 
I am good up until i set the exposure for the subject.

1) when you set the exposure on the background by adusting the ambient light, is the light meter suppose to be at 0 when taking a shot with the flash off? Even at f2.8, 1/160 and iso100 the light meter is still 3 or 4 bars below 0.

When I take test shots with flash on, on the subject, its tough to see in the sun to see if i got my exposure right....even with pinch and zoom. I feel that what I view on cam may or may not be accurate of the final image.

And lastly it seems when shooting with my 85mm that even with the flash zoomed at 200mm, f2.8, iso100 and my flash at 1/1 full power that I barely have enough light hitting the subject.
 
Cameranoobie said:
Quick question.

I understand that if I am taking a portrait shot without wanting to darken the ambient light (in other words not use the ND filter), that while having the camera in auto, I spot meter the brightest part of the subjects face to find the exposure for it.
Click to expand...
I assume by "the ambient light" you mean the background behind your subject(s).

Your understanding is only correct when the bright spot you spot meter on the subject's face is close in tone to middle gray. This is due to the basic premise of reflected light measurement which is that the tonal value of everything the meter will be pointed at will average to middle gray. With spot metering it is easy to violate this.

When the metered area is lighter or darker than middle gray the proper technique is to apply some exposure compensation. Without any compensation the exposure provided by the meter will render the metered area as middle gray in tone and bias the rest of the image's tones accordingly. Spot metering light Caucasian skin without applying some positive EC will darken the background.
Cameranoobie said:
But say I have my ND filter on and want to darken the ambient light. In this case I need to spot meter the background behind the subject. I always shoot with the sun behind the subject shooting from behind them. So using spot meter, where do I point the camera in auto mode to get the exposure setting?
Click to expand...
Spot meter an area of middle gray tone in the background. Since you have the ND filter mounted the meter will compensate for it and the exposure values will render the area as middle gray, its actual brightness. To make this area darker than actual you need to underexpose it by some manner. Recommended is to transfer the exposure values to manual mode but close the lens aperture 1 stop from the meter reading thus giving the background a 1 stop underexposure for example. Based upon the earlier explanation about proper metering a short-cut to achieve underexposure of the background is to spot meter something lighter than middle gray.
Cameranoobie said:
Wouldn't in this I use matrix metering? And in this case again do I point the camera towards the brightest part in the background?
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I would advise you avoid matrix metering when determining background exposure for this portrait flash work. Matrix will try to outsmart you by taking into account light distribution pattern from all areas of the frame, camera orientation and who knows what else and give you an exposure for what it thinks is the important part of the image.
  • John
--
"[If you don't sweat the details] the magic doesn't work." Brooks, F. P., The Mythical Man-Month, Addison-Wesley, 1975, page 8.
 
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