Fill Flash Cheat Sheet MENTAL BLOCK MENTAL BLOCK MENTAL BLOCK Pick Your Effect
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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 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 3 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.