Shooting with flash

[Fess67]

HI,

When I use flash I find my pictures are way over exposed. I am turning the flash output down by 2/3 and the in camera compensation is at -2. Apeture set to f4

Having to compensate down this much tells me I am doing something wrong. I see all the press guys shoot with flash all the time.

I thought the flash worked out the required level and fired at that rather than blasting out a big flash?

Any tips on taking pictures with flash.

Using a Canon 50D with speedlight 430EX II and 24-105L USM shooting indoors with low light.

Thanks

[pafindr]

Hey Fess
Try going with a higher shutter speed.

[Fess67]

Thanks for the response. Shooting at 250 which is the max it will let me go to.

I did change to f22 and that helped, especially when I bounced the flash off the ceiling but - and I suppose here is the crux of my question - I am unable to determine my likely exposure as the display in the viewfinder is showing under exposed and the result is very over exposed. I am basically guessing and I don't really want to be doing that.

[another view]

Can you post an example? I hate to sound like a broken record with that, but I can think of situations where this might "normally" happen. What you're describing shouldn't happen unless something strange is going on, but without an example I'm just grasping at straws.

I will say that I'm a Nikon guy so personally I can only give a little bit of advice - flash systems work differently among the different brands.

[pafindr]

How high is your ISO?
Like AV said it's easier if you let us see what the picture looks like.
Plus give us all the settings
Shutter speed, f stop, ISO etc.

[SmartWombat]

Also, what mode are you in, Av, Tv, P ?
The camera behaves differently in different modes.
Which is why I usually go to manual mode and make some test shots.

With the 1D bodies there is a separate flash exposure indicator scale next to the under/over exposure scale - so it makes it much easier ot balance natural light and the flash.

[Ultra Magnus]

Don't know Canon equipment, but are you sure the flash isn't accidentally set on manual, at full power?

BM

[Fess67]

Thanks for all the input guys. I will try to get a few examples together. I have a few ideas to look at from what you have all said already

[Alison]

Put the flash in TTL (Through The Lens). Then the flash will adjust to what it sees fit.

If you have the flash in manual it's best to have the camera in manual too.
If you reduce the power of the flash the batteries will last longer. Mind you reducing the power also reduces the amount of lighting it gives out too.

Have your ISO set to 100.

Adjust the shutter is for the ambient light (the light in the room).
If the bg is too dark bring the shutter down. 1/30 gives a nice ambience.
This is ideal for clubbing and wedding receptions. A word of warning though it will give you some motion blur, if the subjects are moving. However, this can look quite cool at times.

Adjust the aperture for lighting the subject.
You are saying the subject is too bright, then lower the aperture from f/4 to f/5.6. Still too bright? Then lower it some more. Keep going until it's right.
It also depends how close you are to your subject as to what your aperture would be. f/4 close up is too bright. f/8.0 might be ideal for close ups.

In a fast moving situation TTL is ideal. However you may not get the desired results.

For TTL I usually use P mode, ISO 400, f/4.0 or 5.6. The shutter will remain at 1/60.

Something else to remember flash is pretty much useless over 10 feet so you might as well just use your setting if you are that far away to get the best results you can.

[another view]

Something else to remember flash is pretty much useless over 10 feet so you might as well just use your setting if you are that far away to get the best results you can.

Kind of what I was thinking - assuming that the flash is in a TTL mode which would be the first step. If so, maybe the flash is totally overexposing the foreground, while trying (and failing) to light the subject. Again, totally a guess - a picture is worth a thousand words!

[gryphonslair99]

Excellent resource for shooting with EOS flash.
http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/

[Fess67]

Thanks for that link gryphon. Will have a read.

Here are a couple of recent shots. You can see from the one of my wife how flat and over exposed it is. The cat is not too bad.

[vmlopes]

If shooting on ETTL, I usually meter one stop under the ambient light, then let the flash sort out the foreground, pretty mush do similar if shooting off camera also, but manually adjust the flash power and aperture to suit.

[Fess67]

I think it will just be a case of practice for me. I think I am guilty of always trying to use ISO 100 and compensating with lower shutter speeds instead of upping the ISO. maybe that's why it is so wrong.

As I said before practice practice practice.

[JamesV]

As I said before practice practice practice.

That is the best part about digital, no money lost trying to figure it out making it even more stressful.

Good luck.

James

[Fess67]

True. I am returning to photography after a 20+ year break. I remember developing my own B & W prints and always had that anticipation of what might come out. Taking some time to get to grips with the new way of doing things.

Think I will have to make good friends with a post processor type at some stage as I just do not have the skill in that area and it seems to be a staple now.

Loving taking pics again although I will have to be careful, I was asked the other night 'how serious do you want to go with this', after another purchase I guess the passion is still there - hope to improve the skill

Actually I am shocked at how may I get out of focus - a sign of the times because I am being lazy - IS takes care of it all and I am finding out it does not, still have to think!!!

[Franglais]

I think it will just be a case of practice for me. I think I am guilty of always trying to use ISO 100 and compensating with lower shutter speeds instead of upping the ISO. maybe that's why it is so wrong.

As I said before practice practice practice.

This is my Nikon logic but I guess Canon is similar.

Yes I use the lowest ISO that the camera can produce when I am in perfect conditions and I want the best that the camera can produce (studio, landscape on a tripod). The rest of the time I use up to 800 ISO with hardly any loss in quality.

The camera is set up so that as you increase the ISO the automatic shutter speed and aperture settings gradually allow room lighting to catch up with flash exposure. In a normally lit room with flash at 100 ISO it's like you're shooting your subject in a cavern and shining a flashlight in their faces. At 800 ISO you have the subject normally lit with the room behind looking almost normal (reddish or greenish depending on the light balance but the cavern effect is gone).

Try setting camera and flash back to full automatic and 800 ISO. If you don't like it then try to figure out why and change the settings carefully.

[freygr]

Thanks for that link gryphon. Will have a read.

Here are a couple of recent shots. You can see from the one of my wife how flat and over exposed it is. The cat is not too bad.

First shot of your wife looks like you did not need flash, the cat looks just fine to me. Depending on your flash you should use the KISS principal, set to TTL and bounce the flash or use a soft box (diffuser) to soften the flash. If the flash is a manual then you have to adjust the ISO and F stop to get the best result for each and very photo.