As we discussed at the end of #4, the lessons were getting kinda dry. Time for a cool project don't you say?

This one, while uber cool, is also a little difficult, and you may find yourself asking quite a few questions.. which is TOTALLY OKAY!  And it will probably require a little more experimentation than your usual stuff, but hey..if you wanted to stay in the same place in your photography, why the heck are you reading this right now ? Right?  It could not simply be Moose and I's charm that keeps you here.. (but if it is, you can tell us that too...cause we need the ego boost).

**I will preface this assignment with something I've said twenty times..but still important.**

Gtrman is not a pro.. many here have forgotten much more than I will ever know. These lessons are simply my way of trying to give back to a forum that has helped me so much in my life.  There are probably MUCH better ways to do what I am about to show you today...

I'm simply sharing what works for me.

Lets get ON with it shall we?

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Mambo #5. How to take an outdoor portrait with a flash, without it looking like Poo.

Goals:a)  To take a successful portrait with a good balance of background, and subject.
          b)  To understand Flash Exposure Compensation (FEC) (thats the thing you are missing right now if your images look like poo).

Materials: Camera with either an a) Hot shoe mounted flash b) built in flash or c) external flash.

Time:   Give yourself some time and patience for this one..around 45 mins and a patient subject. (hint..feed them food and drinks).

Assignment:   Submit your masterpiece portrait to this forum, in all it's heavenly glory.

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Introduction:

Basically,  what we are trying to do here, is try and get a decent outdoor portrait using flash, while somehow keeping the background looking nice.

(not too bright, not too dark....juuuuuuuuuuust right).

We have all done it... We finally start to figure out what all the damn buttons do on the old DLSR.  We then attach a flash, and back to Kindergarten we go.  Our ego's go in the toilet, and you start wanting to use your camera as a goldfish bowl.

Why doesn't it just leave the background alone, and light up my subject perfectly... WHY??? WHYYYYYYYYYYY?

Well..it does I suppose, but you have communicate with her.  ....flatter her a bit...tell your flash that it does not look fat in those pants.  Most of all, you have to LEARN how it works..and get to know its little quirks.

(Photography is SOOOO like marriage)...

This week, we are going to learn a few things to get started, and this time, I hope the pro's really chip in here and share some of their images and techniques... I, like you..am still feeling my way around the flash.. But we all gotta start somewhere...

Do remember to bring your manual along as different models will have different instructions on how to achieve the same result. Nikon owners, if one of you could help me out with the Nikon users, I can do my best with the Canon users. (also known as the PWCAN group).....

...(people who can't afford nikon)......

 
And of course Moose, will help solve all of the worlds problems with the brush of a keystroke... Don't forget to hug a Moose next time you see one.

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15 Steps To Non-*** Created Images.

This week I will use an image I shot this week.  No, I do not usually spend my weeks photographing women like this.. haha. Your model can be anyone really, and if you are usually like me, alone... sniff... you can setup your camera on a tripod, and use yourself as your model. I will refer to this image in the instructions so you can hopefully understand how I got to the point you see in the image. I realize she is in a bikini, and if I appear sexist, I apologize...Women, you are welcome to balance the issue with a shot of a guy.

(just not in a bikini please...because....ummm...ahhh... ick).  (not that there is anything wrong with that..(seinfeld)).

1. To match the effect in this image, wait till the sun has just set.

2. Set Camera to  P mode.  (WHAT??? P mode?..we don't DO P MODE??) Relax..you'll see why in a second.

3. Set Camera to ISO 400. (this is not a law, but a suggestion..as it will be rather dark, you need that extra speed).

4. Take a photograph of your scene as you see it WITHOUT THE MODEL OR FLASH. (leave it turned off).

5. Stand back and admire the beautiful sunset you just captured...The histogram should look good, and you may make adjustments as needed if it     is too dark or too light for you. (review previous lessons on how to make those adjustments).

6. HERE IS THE COOL PART... Look at the settings your camera came up with in P Mode for that great shot you just took.  (In my case, it came     up with 1/100 of a second, at f/ 7.1. Yours may be different according to lighting  conditions).

7. NOW TURN YOUR CAMERA TO M (Manual) mode, and set the camera with the settings you just got in Step #6.

8. Write a note to MPIX if you are stuck at this point, we can walk you through..If you got it, move to step 9.

9. Sit down and relax...great job. Get ready for Part 2.

10.  What you just did, was ensure that the settings you just used to get that amazing sunset picture, WILL NOT CHANGE, when we add the                subject and Flash work. In other words... The background will now STAY PUT!, while you go about making changes to your subject and flash.

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PART 2

This is the part that gets hard to teach, as I have no idea what equipment you are using. So this week, if you are having trouble getting the desired effect, you need to tell us what gear you are using.  PLEASE don't give up. Each camera/flash pairing will have different instructions...

We can work through this...just don't give up.

11. You can now turn on your flash unit, (in my case a Canon 580ex), and place your subject 4-8 feet in front of you.

12. Take a shot, and see how it looks. Don't start flipping dials, switches around just yet. Your flash may be smarter than you, and it may already       know what you are trying to do. If it is perfect, YOU ARE DONE (and pretty damn lucky).  If it still looks like *** (too dark or bright), then we       have to use this awesome thing called "Flash Exposure Compensation."

13. Using the manual that came with your Flash,  or your camera manual...(you know...that book you use to wipe up after your dog), find out how to       use the "FLASH EXPOSURE COMPENSATION" function.  I will call it FEC from now on, because I hate typing that all out.

***SIDE BAR*******

In english, this feature will reduce or add to the power of your flash... if your subject is blown out...reduce the FEC. If your subject is not bright enough, INCREASE your FEC.  The reason you do it this way is pretty logical. You want to brighten or darken your SUBJECT, not the ENTIRE IMAGE. This feature ONLY AFFECTS THE FLASH, NOT YOUR EXPOSURE.  

Let me put it a third way, (because sometimes 2 is never enough).. By making this adjustment, your background will still look sweet, while your subject will be "repaired" using the FEC settings.

(Please read this side bar until you get it). Or ask for help until you do.

****end of SIDE BAR******

14. Adjust the FEC until you have an image you feel good about. It does not have to be PERFECT as you will for sure do some post processing on       it. Make sure you have no BLOWN OUT HIGHLIGHTS (pure white).

15. Stop and take note of the settings on your camera and FEC and WRITE IT DOWN ! Next time you are out, you can start with these settings           and adjust from there.

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There you gang...get out there and shoot and see what you come up with. Please remember this is a starting point for conversations and new techniques....this assignment will get REALLY good once people start posting their tips on how THEY do it.


Have fun
Gtrman

 

I took these photos on Saturday. They just happen to fit the assignment. I used a studio strobe for my flash, so FEC was not a possiblity for me. I had to adjust flash output manually. These photos were done in the middle of the afternoon, so harsh lighting was a problem. I put my subject in dense shade under a tree so the lighting on her would be softer. I metered the background (in bright sunlight) and set an exposure to under expose by one stop so there would not be such a big difference between my background and my subject (actually my subjects left side, not illuminated so much by my flash). I placed my strobe about 30 degrees to the subjects right so that her right side would be brighter than her left side (I believe this looks more natrual and I like the look).

Sorry about the photos being posted twice. I promise I only posted each photo once! 

Without flash:

" mce_src="">

With flash:

" mce_src="">

I spent almost the entire day reading though the first 4 lessons, and I think I have the understanding just not the brain power to get it done all together.  So I thought I could try this one.

 I printed the directions out and here is what I came up with.  P mode, ISO 400, Camera came up with F9 and SS 1/ 60.  With the flash off I came up with an exposure I thought looked the best and then got my model and turned the flash on.  I set the FEC to -0.1 and came up with this.  Have I done anything wrong and should the background have been brighter?  It was overcast and just had started to rain.  NO color is the sky at all.  Do I need to post the picture of just the background too?

Moose:  Thanks for all your help lately!  I got brave enough to post!  What do you think... How did I do this time?

I think you did an Excellent Job! You want to er on the side of a too dark background rather then too lite (IMO) it adds more drama to the shot.

I  would say..perfect

Moose:

I think you did an Excellent Job! You want to er on the side of a too dark background rather then too lite (IMO) it adds more drama to the shot.

I  would say..perfect

Thank you so much!  I have learned so so much from you!  And that was really good to hear!  I work so hard to get my pictures to look like I know what I'm doing!

SAWWWWEEET...nice job !

Id say she nailed it hey Moosey?

This is not an easy technique to digest...the key word this week will be BALANCE...not butta..

You want have Balance between your subject and background.

Go you..!

Gtrman

gtrman:

...the key word this week will be BALANCE...not butta..

Right gtrman... This was one point I wanted to make this week. Most of the time in shooting Portraits you want to go for the Butta, to make the subject stand out from an uninteresting Background. But when you have a beautiful sunset as a  Background you want that to be an integral part of the image...No maybe not razor sharp...But I wouldn't go for as much Butta and that is why you may want to stick to apertures around f8 or so

Thanks guys!  Is this kinda how I should go about starting every shoot?  Moose you told me to zoom in on my subject a meter that way but that was for a studio type picture.  I shoot a lot of kids and 95% of what I do is outside.  Which way is best.  I try to do everything in manual, but sometimes kids are too fast for me to focus, so I put it on AP.  Should I not be doing that?

TheAgirls:

Thanks guys!  Is this kinda how I should go about starting every shoot?  Moose you told me to zoom in on my subject a meter that way but that was for a studio type picture.  I shoot a lot of kids and 95% of what I do is outside.  Which way is best.  I try to do everything in manual, but sometimes kids are too fast for me to focus, so I put it on AP.  Should I not be doing that?

That was for a very specific instance and if you did that in this case, your would not get the results you want.

Remember in this case, we want the camera to expose the BACKGROUND correctly. The Camera is going to do the Background, The Flash is going to Take care of the subject. So in this instance, we want to meter the background, not the subject

Moose:

Remember in this case, we want the camera to expose the BACKGROUND correctly. The Camera is going to do the Background, The Flash is going to Take care of the subject. So in this instance, we want to meter the background, not the subject

Sorry!  Thank you!

 okay...I am so the girl in the back of the class totally slouching down, barely raising her hand in hope the teach dont see.

I have never taken my 580EX off ettl... I havent even tried to learn to operate it when ettl works why learn anything else...

I know...I know...I am so limited in my little box of complacency but I do wanna get out of that box. So I will definitely be following this and participating.
 

TheAgirls:

Moose:

Remember in this case, we want the camera to expose the BACKGROUND correctly. The Camera is going to do the Background, The Flash is going to Take care of the subject. So in this instance, we want to meter the background, not the subject

\

Sorry!  Thank you!

Oh no...we need a lesson on metering  

dolly:

 okay...I am so the girl in the back of the class totally slouching down, barely raising her hand in hope the teach dont see.

I have never taken my 580EX off ettl... I havent even tried to learn to operate it when ettl works why learn anything else...

I know...I know...I am so limited in my little box of complacency but I do wanna get out of that box. So I will definitely be following this and participating.
 

But in this exercise, you ARE using E-TTL or I-TTL in the case of NIKON. This is NOT manual flash adjustments. You are only going to adjust FEC. if necessary but that is not the same as Manual Flash 

Just a question... Can I take the reading of the background with the flash off, press the exposure lock button on my camera, instead of changing the mode to M, and turn the flash on, recompose and take the shot??

dolly:

Oh no...we need a lesson on metering  

Dolly! LOL, Read the assignment again.. Read the part about setting it in P mode and just use those settings without your flash and your model... You want me to get out the ruler? LMAO 

Cibamaca:

Just a question... Can I take the reading of the background with the flash off, press the exposure lock button on my camera, instead of changing the mode to M, and turn the flash on, recompose and take the shot??

No you can't on a Canon, Even if you hold the Exposure Lock Button, once you turn the flash on It overrides the lock and will change the exposure, in fact that button then becomes an FEL Flash Exposure Lock .

Changing to manual will actually be much easier because you could never keep your finger on that Exposure lock button for a bunch of shots with the same background light 

dolly:

Oh no...we need a lesson on metering  

no, no the camera is carrying that load for you. P, Av, or Tv. (you can, if you insist, use manual metering but...)

this one is about making sure the "load"(exposure) is in the right place.

Moose:

No you can't on a Canon, Even if you hold the Exposure Lock Button, once you turn the flash on It overrides the lock and will change the exposure, in fact that button then becomes an FEL Flash Exposure Lock .

Thank you for the answer I forgot about that.

Moose:

Changing to manual will actually be much easier because you could never keep your finger on that Exposure lock button for a bunch of shots with the same background light 

Makes more sense. Thank you again.

How about using slow sync flash mode? How is this different?

This is frustrating  . . . I've read it four times and I still don't get it.

WHY would you want to ruin picture of beautiful sunset with people?

-ps- I'd just add that one should watch the shutter speed, if it goes over 1/200 (1/250), you need to either lower the iso or "close the lens" - use smaller aperture. Because 1/200 on rebel cameras and 1/250 on higher is maximum speed where your shutter and flash can synchronize.

nauzer67:

How about using slow sync flash mode? How is this different?

The problem is

• Most Camera's that we are talking about here do not have this mode (Yes I guess AS200 do) it is more of a P & S function then what Most DSLR's have
• The Shutter speed will be slow and while the subject will not be subject to motion blur because the flash will freeze them the background can be blurred and if we are shooting a Pretty Sunset...we don't want no blurring
  

Can I just say something here.

gtrman gave a very simple way for the majority of people here to get a good shot and everyone is trying to over complicate it before they have even fired one shot. And THAT is what makes people never get one of these shots. They start turning a hundred dials and then nothing works at all. Yes there are many ways to accomplish this and this is NOT even how I do it. But it is  a simple way that people who have never gotten one Fill flash shot to come out, can. So Please just TRY it and then you can go do any other method you want (If I just sounded like a Butthead... that was my intention)

Moose:

dolly:

Oh no...we need a lesson on metering  

 

Dolly! LOL, Read the assignment again.. Read the part about setting it in P mode and just use those settings without your flash and your model... You want me to get out the ruler? LMAO 

Okay you got me, I skipped through a lot of the last part...I will go back and read again Mr. Moose sir...