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  1. #1
    mooo...wooh hoooh! schrackman's Avatar
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    Practicing with the 550EX

    My co-worker Xerix loves for me to take his pictures so he can email them to his family and friends back in the Philippines. So today I took him to the park after work and practiced on him with my new flash. I don't know if it's me or his little squinty eyes but the catchlights don't seem to be as prominent as I'd like them to be. In any event, tell me what ya think, and how I might be able to improve these.

    Ray
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    Ray O'Canon
    Digital Rebel XTi • Digital Rebel • Canonet GIII QL17 • Agfa Parat-1

    The liberal, socialist politician's nightmare: "What a comfort to the farmer to be allowed to supply his own wants before he should be liable to pay anything, and then only pay on his surplus." - Jefferson to Madison on Taxes,1784

    My Canonet GIII QL-17 photos on flickr.

  2. #2
    nature/wildlife co-moderator paulnj's Avatar
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    add just a little more light ANDA they will still look like you DIDN'T use flash .

    not looking flash shot is GOOD!

    so tell me how you metered the middle shot and your settings

    TRY spot metering his face and using negative comp too ;)
    CAMERA BIRD NERD #1




    BIRD NERD O'CANON

    "Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" - Benjamin Franklin

  3. #3
    Senior Member Charles Hess's Avatar
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    And here you were worried a few days ago about figuring this flash out ... near perfect exposures on each. Notice how the shadows in the first one have lightened and don't detract? Imagine if you hadn't used flash. The catchlights are always an issues with flash units, giving you those small pinpoints of light, so you'll never get them to look like you were using softboxes or large reflectors or natural light, but these are all fine.

  4. #4
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    I think you did great! Exposures look great. I suppose you could try and add a smidge more (+1/3) to the flash if you like, but if you really want those catch lights you could just add a touch more in PS. Brighten up what is there.

    In the first and second one I don't think you'd really need the catch lights anyway. You can kinda see them in the last one.

  5. #5
    mooo...wooh hoooh! schrackman's Avatar
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    Thanks, Paul, Charles and Katt. I'm pretty impressed by the exposure also, as opposed to when I wasn't using a flash. Skin tones appear much more natural now. I will be sure to keep on practicing and post the results. I am really beginning to enjoy this flash.

    Paul, the settings for the middle picture were as follows:

    Shooting Mode: Aperture-Priority AE...1/500, f/9.0
    Metering Mode: Evaluative
    Exposure Compensation: -1/3
    ISO Speed: 400
    Lens: 28.0 - 80.0mm
    Focal Length: 28.0mm
    Flash Type: External E-TTL
    Flash Exposure Compensation: +1/3
    Shutter curtain sync: 1st-curtain sync
    White Balance: Daylight
    AF Mode: AI Focus AF

    Ray

    Ray O'Canon
    Digital Rebel XTi • Digital Rebel • Canonet GIII QL17 • Agfa Parat-1

    The liberal, socialist politician's nightmare: "What a comfort to the farmer to be allowed to supply his own wants before he should be liable to pay anything, and then only pay on his surplus." - Jefferson to Madison on Taxes,1784

    My Canonet GIII QL-17 photos on flickr.

  6. #6
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    While this doesn't really relate to flash, the first photo could benefit from some light blockage. Still use the flash but see if you can hold up a large piece of cardboard to get right of the light patch on his face.
    I like whatcha did with the second one--seems well lit, especially considering where you're situated in relation to the sun.
    I'm by far no flash expert, but how would the third shot looked if you cranked up the flash a coupla levels? I'm thinkin if you then adjusted the exposure that you could then get a less-blown-out background

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