Fill Flash Cheat Sheet MENTAL BLOCK MENTAL BLOCK MENTAL BLOCK Pick Your Effect

PP09.FillFlash.lo 7/7/03 4:04 PM Page 1

Fill Flash cheat sheet MENTAL BLOCK MENTAL BLOCK MENTAL BLOCK Pick your effect. Punch in the numbers. It’s as simple as that. by Dan Richards NO. 1 NO. 2 NO. 3

All these images were made with a Canon nce upon a time, balanced fill TTL flash unit. But lots of people still I have to set the camera to auto- Pictures made with fill flash are There’s only one right exposure EOS 10D digital SLR, 16–35mm f/2.8L O flash (flash that blends in natu- seem to be just as confused as in the old matic to use auto-TTL fill flash. single exposures. combination for fill flash. Canon zoom, and a single Canon Speedlite rally with ambient light) was a gruesome days. (Those 200-page manuals may No! The best way to use auto-TTL fill Wrong! Every flash picture is a simulta- Bunk! You can use a variety of different 550EX with no attachments, except when affair, involving tape measures and have something to do with it.) flash is with the camera on manual expo- neous double exposure. The filmstrips flash/ambient combinations to get just noted. You can expect very similar results Guide Numbers and aperture juggling If you’re one of them, first get over sure. You’ll soon see why. (left) split the component parts of a fill- the effect you want. We show you sev- when using color slide film. Color print and tide tables and...you don’t want to the three Mental Blocks listed next flash shot. You can adjust the ambient eral common combinations of flash/ shooters may see less variation in their pic- know the rest. Now, it’s simply a matter door, and follow along to beautiful flash (background) and flash (foreground) ambient exposures. Mix and match ’em! tures, but all the principles stated here of setting a control on your accessory pictures. brightness as you choose. Think of it as apply to print film as well. two dials. Ambient exposure

FOLLOW THESE 1. With camera on manual exposure, 2. With ﬂash on TTL auto, dial or press in meter the background of the scene. Use an exposure-compensation value to get THREE STEPS: this meter reading, or over/underexpose an effect you like, as shown. to get another effect you like, as shown. 3. Shoot away! Try other settings, too. -2 EV +11⁄3 EV normal Flash exposure The perfect balance isn’t so perfect Make backlight look like backlight

-2 EV +1⁄3 EV normal Less ﬁlling, looks great

normal 2 ambient + ⁄3 EV ambient normal flash -1 flash A 1:1 balance between flash and ambient (the balanced-fill set- Increasing the background exposure often makes fill-flash ting you get with many cameras on full auto) is nice in its own shots look more natural, because our eyes expect backlight to way, but it looks somewhat artificial. be much brighter than the subject. Normal ambient Twilight at 10 a.m. Make flash look like no flash

-11⁄3 EV ﬂash

We used good old center- weighted metering on the back- Mind your sync speed!! ground to set a manual expo- Your SLR is limited in the top speed sure of 1/200 sec and f/8 (at it can use with flash (usually 1/125 to ISO 100). With the flash on 1/250 sec, depending on model). Most auto, we dialed the flash down current SLRs will automatically limit you to -11⁄3 EV. That’s all there is to to top sync speed, even in manual expo- 2 it. The result is a classic -1 EV + ⁄3 EV sure. If you’re using an older camera, ambient ambient flash/ambient balance. Tip: check the top sync speed and be sure to Don’t fixate on f-stops and shut- stay at that speed, or under it, when set- normal -2 EV ter speeds. Just think of flash ting your ambient exposure. flash flash and ambient exposures in terms Underexposing the background with a standard flash exposure With flash exposure dialed way down, and a slightly overexposed of exposure compensation— exaggerates the effect of the flash. You may want to use it for background, the effect is close to no flash. But rest assured, how much they deviate from the the look (this is big in fashion photography). our model would be a silhouette without that little pop of flash! “normal” meter reading. PP09.FillFlash.lo 7/7/03 4:04 PM Page 1

Fill Flash cheat sheet MENTAL BLOCK MENTAL BLOCK MENTAL BLOCK Pick your effect. Punch in the numbers. It’s as simple as that. by Dan Richards NO. 1 NO. 2 NO. 3

-2 EV +1⁄3 EV normal Less ﬁlling, looks great

-11⁄3 EV ﬂash

Fill Flash Getting a good bounce: indoor fill flash When is full power not USE THIS FLASH TO GET THIS When shooting indoors, don’t limit +2⁄3 EV exposure of the background win- COMPENSATION: FILL RATIO: TO GET THIS EFFECT: cheat sheet 1 full power? yourself to direct fill flash. Try these dow, and - ⁄3 EV flash. -2 EV and under 1:4 Verging on unnoticeable flash; moody portraits techniques. All photos were taken with Don’t get confused. Most accessory flashes have a manual “full power” set- 2 1 ting that is exactly what it sounds like: It -1 ⁄3 to -1 ⁄3 EV about 1:3 “Classic” ratio for natural-looking portraits Ceiling bounce with panel whomps out every bit of charge in one almighty flash blast. This is very differ- -1 EV 1:2 Fill when more detail or “flashy” look is desired ent from the setting called “1:1” or “100 percent fill” or “full fill.” This is the 0 EV (normal) 1:1 Obvious flashed look; use with underexposed back- Direct flash with diffuser Side-wall bounce automatic setting that cuts off the flash ground for “paparazzi” or night-at-day effects when it reaches normal flash exposure. In other words, it’s zero flash-exposure +1 EV 2:1 Harsh, burned-out faces; portraits of your enemies compensation. FAQs Who is about one-third the strength of the sur- (flash-associated questions) PHIL rounding light. Trouble is, your system RATIO, and why is he flash unit isn’t adjustable by ratio; it’s set Q. OK, now can I use autoexposure? such a big shot? in exposure-compensation levels. (And 1:3 works out to something like -1.732 A. Sure. The best way is to meter the Fill ratio is a traditional way of expressing EV. Eek!) background and use AE lock. This, of the balance between fill flash and ambi- Don’t sweat it. Use the table shown to course, won’t save you any time. ent light. A 1:3 fill ratio (considered the pick the effect you want, and dial in that If you just frame and shoot the scene on “classic” ratio) means that the fill light is level of compensation. autoexposure, remember that the TTL Flash bounced on the ceiling provides nice soft lighting, but our model’s eyes are dull system will take both subject and back- without catchlights. Effect of the flash ground into account to adjust the expo- catchlight panel (shown) was negligible. sure. You’ll get a fine exposure—but it HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED: may not be exactly the exposure you want. Accessories such as the Lumiquest Without flash A white wall makes an instant softbox. That’s why we like to use manual meter- (shown) soften shadows and tone down Some hot spots and window reflections Accessory flash units with exposure compensation usually have menu buttons and ing to set it and forget it. hot spots, but the effect is almost the behind, but they’re not all that bad, and Consider a TTL connector cord: it the catchlights and modeling on the face an LCD readout to let you dial in flash same as bare flash. lets you point the flash any which Can I use these techniques with are quite nice. adjustments, though some have slider Q. way and still have full automation. a built-in flash? Side-wall/ceiling bounce Ceiling-corner bounce switches or the like. A. Yes, if your camera has flash-exposure compensation. Many cameras don’t.

Front-wall bounce Q. Now wait a second. If you A built-in increase or decrease the background slave trigger exposure, aren’t you changing the ﬁll lets you use ﬂash ratio? wireless TTL control. A.Well, yes, but if you start trying to cal- culate the ratios, you will go mad, and we will not be held responsible. Using exposure-compensation level is just so much easier.

Q. Some of your -2 EV flash shots Flash-confirmation lamp look lighter than some of your -1 EV tells you that flash puts out flash shots. What gives? Wireless triggers take Firing the flash into the seam of one wall Aiming the flash into a corner where two enough power for exposure. the place of a cord, and ceiling evens out the exposure, walls and ceiling meet makes for some- Keep an eye on this when A. Unless your subject is in absolute sil- giving you even greater tones down the hot spots. Pretty good thing like umbrella lighting: diffused, but using bounce flash, or at houette, increasing the ambient exposure freedom in positioning for a single flash unit, eh? with good modeling and facial highlights. long distances! will also lighten the foreground subject. the flash. Some Minolta Hot spots, yes, but not too bad. (We call it backlight compensation, Bouncing the flash off the wall directly in Maxxums can employ the built-in flash as transmit- remember?) Generally, the more you over- front of the model provides even, soft expose the background, the less fill flash lighting like a front softbox, at the ter with compatible Mi- you can get away with. p expense of window reflections. nolta or Sigma flashes. PP09.REV.FillFlash.lo 7/10/03 11:50 AM Page 1

When is full power not USE THIS FLASH TO GET THIS full power? COMPENSATION: FILL RATIO: TO GET THIS EFFECT: Don’t get confused. Most accessory -2 EV and under 1:4 Verging on unnoticeable flash; moody portraits flashes have a manual “full power” set- 2 1 ting that is exactly what it sounds like: It -1 ⁄3 to -1 ⁄3 EV about 1:3 “Classic” ratio for natural-looking portraits whomps out every bit of charge in one almighty flash blast. This is very differ- -1 EV 1:2 Fill when more detail or “flashy” look is desired ent from the setting called “1:1” or “100 percent fill” or “full fill.” This is the 0 EV (normal) 1:1 Obvious flashed look; use with underexposed back- automatic setting that cuts off the flash ground for “paparazzi” or night-at-day effects when it reaches normal flash exposure. In other words, it’s zero flash-exposure +1 EV 2:1 Harsh, burned-out faces; portraits of your enemies compensation. FAQs Who is about one-third the strength of the sur- (flash-associated questions) PHIL rounding light. Trouble is, your system RATIO, and why is he flash unit isn’t adjustable by ratio; it’s set Q. OK, now can I use autoexposure? such a big shot? in exposure-compensation levels. (And 1:3 works out to something like -1.732 A. Sure. The best way is to meter the Fill ratio is a traditional way of expressing EV. Eek!) background and use AE lock. This, of the balance between fill flash and ambi- Don’t sweat it. Use the table shown to course, won’t save you any time. ent light. A 1:3 fill ratio (considered the pick the effect you want, and dial in that If you just frame and shoot the scene on “classic” ratio) means that the fill light is level of compensation. autoexposure, remember that the TTL system will take both subject and background into account to adjust the exposure. You’ll get a fine exposure—but it HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED: may not be exactly the exposure you want. That’s why we like to use manual metering to set it and forget it. Accessory flash units with exposure compen- Consider a TTL connector cord: it sation usually have menu buttons and an LCD lets you point the flash any which readout to let you dial in flash way and still have full automation. Q. Can I use these techniques with adjustments, though some have slider a built-in flash? switches or the like. A. Yes, if your camera has flash-exposure compensation. Many cameras don’t.

Q. Now wait a second. If you increase or decrease the background Flash-confirma- exposure, aren’t you changing the fill tion lamp tells flash ratio? you that flash puts out enough Well, yes, but if you start trying to cal- power for expo- A. culate the ratios, you will go mad, and we sure. Keep an eye on this when will not be held responsible. Using using bounce exposure-compensation level is just so flash, or at long much easier. distances! Q. Some of your -2 EV flash shots Wireless triggers take look lighter than some of your -1 EV the place of a cord, flash shots. What gives? giving you even greater A built-in slave freedom in positioning trigger lets you the flash. Some Minolta A. Unless your subject is in absolute sil- use wireless TTL Maxxums can employ houette, increasing the ambient exposure control. the built-in flash as will also lighten the foreground subject. transmitter with compat- (We call it backlight compensation, ible Minolta or Sigma remember?) Generally, the more you over- flashes. expose the background, the less fill flash you can get away with. p