| Question Home |
Position:Home>Visual Arts> Having difficulties mixing ambient light and flash?Question: Having difficulties mixing ambient light and flash!? I know I need to use shutter drag, but I'm still having difficulties getting it right!. Any useful tips would be greatly appreciated!.
I have the Canon Rebel XTi and the 580EX II external flash!. I also have color gels and a large 5 in 1 reflector!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Remember that your aperture setting will determine flash exposure and shutter speed will determine "fill" from ambient sources!. Some experimentation is in order here!. First, get your flash exposure the way you want it, ie!. your subject is pleasingly lit!. Ignore the background at this point!. Once you have this accomplished, you have your aperture figured out!. Now, use the camera's meter to determine what non-flash exposure will get the background the way you want it!. This will get your shutter speed right (provided this is not higher than the sync rate (which I believe is 1/250 on the XTi)!. Experiment away using this basic routine and you should start seeing good results!.Www@QuestionHome@Com I'm not sure what you mean by shutter drag, but your problems are most likely from white balance!. Buy your film, or set your digital camera to match for the natural light and then fill in with your flash!. If you're working digital you may find that storing the images in raw format will give you the most ability to edit and correct them later!. If you're working outside I'd ditch the flash and just use the natural light and reflectors!. You can go cheap and use things like white Styrofoam and tine foil!. You can 'splurge' and buy some gold colored foil too - for more of a sunset quality of reflected light (doesn't work for all skin tones) If you're working indoors and need the flash, try and bounce your flash off of a reflector and onto your subjects!. Or buy a flash diffuser - but those can be a little pricey!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Indoors, add a gel to the flash so that it matches your light source and set your camera WB to match the source!. If you are under tungsten light, use the orange gel - usually labeled for tungsten (or incandescent) light balance!. Outdoors, take a reading to get the background exposed the way you like it using manual exposure settings!. Then use your flash in TTL mode (usually the default) and it will fill in the main subject without altering the background!.Www@QuestionHome@Com try and use a flash diffuser it is in principle the same thing as a lamp shade!. If you dont have that try and use some tissue paper it should work fine!.Www@QuestionHome@Com |