Food flash question

[mcpaul]

Okay, I know some of you will think this is a strange question. However, . . . when on holiday we often take photos of the meals we have. I usually use flash as without the colours are usually rather strange due to the lighing in restaurants (and I am really not that good at colour correction afterwards)

But using flash, often the food is bleached out and the colours insipid. I have used a Canon S-50 or my main Canon 300D in the past. Neither has control to cut the built-in flash output.

I now have a 400D which can do this; is this the answer? If so, by how much? Any other tips or techniques please? We are off on holiday again later this month, so I will be able to try things out!

[Photo-John]

I take a lot of food pictures, too. I can't help it. I love food and like to have memories of good meals - those I buy and those I make. So I understand

I like mixed light for food photos. Try using the flash on auto with the camera set on the Tv exposure mode and a shutter speed slow enough to allow some ambient fill. The warm, tungstem light makes food look tasty and the flash will fill the shadows a bit and make the colors pop.

And don't forget that one of the main benefits of digital photography is the instant feedback and ability to tune-up your exposure and reshoot. If you don't like a photo, change your settintgs and try it again. If the flash is too hot, use the flash exposure compensation to turn it down and shoot again. Make everyone wait to eat until you get a photo you're happy with! And use the histogram on your camera. The histogram display is the best exposure tool ever invented. It will tell you pretty much everything you need to know. Don't trust the LCD image. It's never accurate. But if you learn to read the histogram, you can be confident you've got the exposure you need.

[mcpaul]

I take a lot of food pictures, too. I can't help it. I love food and like to have memories of good meals - those I buy and those I make. So I understand

I like mixed light for food photos. Try using the flash on auto with the camera set on the Tv exposure mode and a shutter speed slow enough to allow some ambient fill. The warm, tungstem light makes food look tasty and the flash will fill the shadows a bit and make the colors pop.

And don't forget that one of the main benefits of digital photography is the instant feedback and ability to tune-up your exposure and reshoot. If you don't like a photo, change your settintgs and try it again. If the flash is too hot, use the flash exposure compensation to turn it down and shoot again. Make everyone wait to eat until you get a photo you're happy with! And use the histogram on your camera. The histogram display is the best exposure tool ever invented. It will tell you pretty much everything you need to know. Don't trust the LCD image. It's never accurate. But if you learn to read the histogram, you can be confident you've got the exposure you need.

Thanks, John - really good tips. Lots of practice coming up!!!

[Sushigaijin]

here's a down and dirty trick - put a napkin in front of the flash. Warms the light, and diffuses.