Fill Flash - Attaching a White Card to Top of 430EX

[andrewbdub]

I've often seen photographers shooting OUTDOORS with a piece of white card stuck to the top of their flash, and the flash angled up a bit. Am I correct in assuming that they are using fill flash? Is this a good quick-fix technique? What's the best angle for the flash?

I have a 430 EX and 30D. Do I shoot in AV mode to emulate this? Any need to adjust exposure compensation on the flash?

Also, any tips on doing the same thing INDOORS (assuming I don't have a nice ceiling to bounce off). I've read that I should:

• set an aperture for desired DOF,
• a shutter speed between 1/60-1/250th,
• set + 1/3 to 2/3 flash exposure compensation,
• shoot 400 ISO to allow for faster flash recycling

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
--
andrew
http://www.pbase.com/abott/root

 

[Isabel Cutler62850]

It's best to use manual settings on the camera.

When you use AV mode you may wind up with shutter speeds that are too slow.

There's an excellent book on working with flash that you should read. It opened my eyes after using flashes unsuccessfully:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?shs=Lumiquest+Flash&ci=3734&sb=ps&pn=1&sq=desc&InitialSearch=yes&O=RootPage.jsp&A=search&Q=*&bhs=t

The Canon flash is ultrasmart and you will love it.

Remember to consider your ambient light and whether or not you want detail in the background. If you're indoors and the room is rather dark if you choose a shutter speed that is too fast you background will go black.

It doesn't hurt to leave the flash off and take a reading of the exposure in the camera with the settings you'd like to use, then add the flash.

The use of a diffuser like the Stofen Omnibounce or Gary Fong's unwieldy but really helpful Lightsphere will make a difference in toning done the harshness of flash. Best to bounce the flash and not use it directly forward.

I have a gallery of experiments with my 580ex here:
http://www.pbase.com/isabel95/580ex

Isabel

Isabel

--

'Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a significant crop' Ansel Adams
http://www.pbase.com/isabel95
http://www.pbase.com/digipets (not only for pet digital photography!)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digicamvideo/

 

[andrewbdub]

Thanks for the advice Isabel. Anybody else out there care to put in their two cents worth?
--
andrew
http://www.pbase.com/abott/root

 

[John W.]

I have found this article quite helpfull.
http://www.popphoto.com/howto/706/fill-flash-cheat-sheet.html
--
John W
The only normal people are the ones you don't know very well....!!!

 

[antidote]

I've often seen photographers shooting OUTDOORS with a piece of white
card stuck to the top of their flash, and the flash angled up a bit.
Am I correct in assuming that they are using fill flash? Is this a
good quick-fix technique? What's the best angle for the flash?

Wasting batteries. I don't know why people are afraid to use flash (direct) when using fill flash (outdoors). If you use it correctly with the right FEC....the light is/can be very pleasing. No 'harsh deer caught in head light look'. Use AV mode and dial down your FEC -2/3 up to -2 if necessary. Watch your shutter speed (depending on your ambient light). If too fast, dial down your ISO and if necessary switch your ext flash to Hi-sync.

By using a card-board/card outdoors....you are wasting a lot of light unnecessarily.

But I can occasionally see the advantage in using a card/a betterbounce card/joe demb flip-it in an outdoor setting. This situation is usually at dusk or night outdoor setting. Av mode is almost too difficult to use in this scenario. So switch to M mode and in this situation...by all means...you don't want the full blown light from your direct flash to light up your subject, so bouncing some light to your subject with a card may be useful.

I have a 430 EX and 30D. Do I shoot in AV mode to emulate this? Any
need to adjust exposure compensation on the flash?

As above.

Also, any tips on doing the same thing INDOORS (assuming I don't have
a nice ceiling to bounce off). I've read that I should:

• set an aperture for desired DOF,
• a shutter speed between 1/60-1/250th,
• set + 1/3 to 2/3 flash exposure compensation,
• shoot 400 ISO to allow for faster flash recycling

Bounce, bounce, bounce. The only time you can't bounce is when the room has BLACK walls and ceiling. Shoot RAW and bounce off anything you can. Correct the WB in post processing. Ceilings are not the only thing you can bounce off. Take advantage of white walls.

Use:

M mode.

Shutter speed based on your ambient lighting....1/10 to 1/125

Aperture would be relative (but in extreme situation...may need to still shoot relatively wide) pending on ambient light.

For boucing...yes, FEC +1/3-2/3. But I have read that iwth the 40d...one does not need to compensate?!

And yes about the ISO.

For more reading check out these sites:

http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/

http://planetneil.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/

These are just guides....with flash photography...you could create whatever light you want to get the desired effect (the beauty of flash photography).

------------
http://www.pbase.com/antidote3

 

[Rob Kircher]

There are many ways to skin this cat but this is how I skinned mine. ;-)

Set camera to AV mode (also works in TV mode)
Set FEC to minus 1 - minus 2/3 to start (adjust up or down as needed)
Point flash straight on using Stofin diffuser.

Trick is to adjust the FEC just enough to balance the light and remove shadows w/o making the subject look flashed.

--



Rob Kircher
My Stuff: http://www.pbase.com/rkircher

 

[aVolanche]

Someone said to use M and I disagree -for OUTDOORS with normal ambient light.I use Av and turn down the FEC(on flash- if you have a 430EX/580EX,etc.(in-camera lower FEC if your flash can't do it).You must play around with the FEC(-1/2 to -2,or so).

The camera will measure the ambient outdoor light and expose the background properly for that,while the flash will "fill-in" shadows on the subject.The Canon system is very smart in doing this.

Indoors,M and bounce(bouce off walls,ceiling,into corners-try different techniques).I like the small white card while using bounce just to give a little direct light and add catch-lights in the eyes.I tried the other(Stofen,Fong,better bounce card,etc) and find bounce+white card works as well and is easy.On the 580EX,the card is built-in.

The "better bounce card" is handy to be able to change from horizontal to vertical camera position(and it's cheap-diy-and easy to carry).

 

[EliezerDinur]

This is my DIY reflcter. Simply a piece of bubble wrap folded and taped to make an envelope and a piece of alumunum foil lining the back surface. It both bounces light from the ceiling and gives direct lighting, much like a bare-bulb flash.

 

[Gary209489]

Where exactly is that aluminum foil?

 

[EliezerDinur]

Where exactly is that aluminum foil?