Indoors Flash photography

[Yisehaq]

Dear all,
Last week, my office conducted a three day workshop. Lucky for me, the organizer forgot to contract a photographer. I took this opportunity and changed it to flash photography session from which I have uploaded some samples below.

My main aim is to receive your kind comments of the flash technique rather than other aspects of photography. But of course, I am ready to accept any additional comments.

Few points on the situation
This was in a hall at a resort hotel. As you can see from the pictures, the walls had big windows, which were an additional challenge to my poor flash photography skills. To make matters worse, on the other side, there were a white flip chart and a big white board for the LCD projector which drove my light meter crazy. while shooting the presenters. The wall was pink and the ceiling was white from which I tried to bounce the light for some shots.

The metering techniques I used was, measuring on something from the lighter part of the hall, especially the windows. I used a +1 compensation on my flash for the foreground which are mainly dark skinned subjects.

Exif
Tv 40 -60
Av 4.5 -5.6
ISO 800

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[Marko]

I think you did a good job here overall Yisehaq! Keep in mind some of these rooms are big, the ambient light was not coming through the windows equally and you only used on camera portable flash.

Your metering logic is different from mine though. If the people are the subject then I'd meter the people...

Shot 1 looks fine but might have benefited from another 1/2 to 1 stop of exposure and we can see your reflection in the window. Using the white card on flash might have helped here (and upping the power if need be). Having the flash not reflect off the window should be a consideration in cases like these imo, just something to be aware of.

Shot 2 again might have benefited from another 1/2 to 1 stop of exposure. People at back right look quite dark.

Shot 3 looks decent but a full stop more exposure would have helped the background people. (Your flash handled the foreground person decently)

shot 4 look good to me and has the most perfect exposure of the lot. Shot 4 looks extremely natural and is my favorite way to shoot with flash as a general rule (so that you don't really see the flash too much)

Shot 5 looks good to me.

Hope that helps!
Marko

[asnow]

I know almost absolutely nothing about flash photography. I didn't even own a flash until yesterday, when I purchased the new Canon 320ex. (I didn't even use the on camera flash, I just turned it off)

Thus, a couple of questions for Marko on your comments.

1. For shot 1, you suggested another 1/2 to 1 stop of exposure. Wouldn't that have washed out the backgroung (window) even more. I would have thought that you would lower the exposure some to get the background exposed properly and then up the flash power accordingly to expose the people correctly.

2. Shot 2. I guess somewhat of a similar scenario as 1.

3. Shots 2 and 3. Are these rooms too big to use only one flash.

[Yisehaq]

Thanks Marko,
Some of the queries I have are mentioned by asnow. So, I will not repeat that.

Your metering logic is different from mine though. If the people are the subject then I'd meter the people...

Yes, I do that too but when there is a back light and a flash envolved does this work? I almost exclusively use Manual Mode. If there is a back light envolved, I try as much as possible to measure for that and compensate for the foreground the difference in exposure. Say in this case, the logic I followed was as follows. I measured for the windows I had to narrow down the aperture not to blow out the window. But narrowing down will darken the forground subject and therefore I added +1 on the flash.

Does it make any sense at all?

[JonnyHotshoe]

Thanks Marko,
Yes, I do that too but when there is a back light and a flash envolved does this work? I almost exclusively use Manual Mode. If there is a back light envolved, I try as much as possible to measure for that and compensate for the foreground the difference in exposure. Say in this case, the logic I followed was as follows. I measured for the windows I had to narrow down the aperture not to blow out the window. But narrowing down will darken the forground subject and therefore I added +1 on the flash.

Does it make any sense at all?

Yes. Yes. Yes. At least that's how I do it. Meter for the background and set flash(bounced off ceiling) to get the proper exposure on your subjects.

[Marko]

Thanks Marko,
Some of the queries I have are mentioned by asnow. So, I will not repeat that.

Yes, I do that too but when there is a back light and a flash envolved does this work? I almost exclusively use Manual Mode. If there is a back light envolved, I try as much as possible to measure for that and compensate for the foreground the difference in exposure. Say in this case, the logic I followed was as follows. I measured for the windows I had to narrow down the aperture not to blow out the window. But narrowing down will darken the forground subject and therefore I added +1 on the flash.

Does it make any sense at all?

I understand what you are writing but imo it does not matter what the backlight reading is as much as the skin tone of your subjects in this image, in this case, with the equipment you had, in my opinion. Wow that was lawyer-speakish! lol.

Your camera can only handle so much range (and one portable flash won't light up all the dark parts in that room, so that the whole shot will be evenly lit enough to be within that range, if part of that range includes really bright outdoor light) something has to give.
- so if something has to 'give' it would never be the skin tone of my subjects. I'd let the windows blow out before I'd underexpose the people. So for me, I'd get the best exposure i can for the people.

Lets talk about shot 3.
For shot 3 if I were in your case I'd likely take an incident meter reading from the man in the center looking directly into the camera OR a spotmetered reading from his face from camera position. That's my exposure in manual mode. done. Given that he is the darkest (one of the darkest anyway and in a central position) subject in the shot now, had exposure (incident reading plugged directly in camera, or maybe -1 or so from spotmetered reading) been based on him he would be properly exposed of course as would the majority of now underexposed people. This exposure would surely have blown out the windows even more - no big deal imo - the shot isn't about the windows.

Now use the flash to light your foreground subject and use flash compensation accordingly.

Hope that makes sense and if anyone has additional ways of handling this please feel free to add to this.

Thx - marko

[Iguanasan]

It makes sense to me, however, I have to jump in for my own understanding. You are talking about image number 3 and in that image what you suggest will blow the windows and expose the man in the middle correctly which works perfectly for me but at the same time wouldn't the flash be much stronger on the much closer woman wearing the white shirt? After my recent photo shoot on Monday (just getting use to doing portraits) I will be the first to feel sorry for all those wedding photographers out there who are trying to balance a white dress and a black tux in afternoon sunshine!

For number 3, I would slightly overexpose the lady and slightly underexpose the man while shooting in RAW and then layer in two copies of the image. One processed for the highlights and one processed for the dark areas. Am I making sense? Is there a better way? Assuming of course, that you don't have off camera flash which I currently don't have.

[Yisehaq]

Thanks Marko! I think the situation was a bit complicated in this case with all kinds of ambient light sources. One thing I learned is that I have to select in these light diverse situation which one I should expose right. I used to think I have to avoid blown out areas as much as possible. I think I got it now.

[Marko]

It makes sense to me, however, I have to jump in for my own understanding. You are talking about image number 3 and in that image what you suggest will blow the windows and expose the man in the middle correctly which works perfectly for me but at the same time wouldn't the flash be much stronger on the much closer woman wearing the white shirt? After my recent photo shoot on Monday (just getting use to doing portraits) I will be the first to feel sorry for all those wedding photographers out there who are trying to balance a white dress and a black tux in afternoon sunshine!

For number 3, I would slightly overexpose the lady and slightly underexpose the man while shooting in RAW and then layer in two copies of the image. One processed for the highlights and one processed for the dark areas. Am I making sense? Is there a better way? Assuming of course, that you don't have off camera flash which I currently don't have.

My way is the best way.

Your way will work Iggy....but it's extra work in PP and you may introduce noise.

The beauty of modern TTL flash is that you can easily adjust it separately from from main exposure using flash exposure compensation. In this case, if the resulting exposure made the standing woman too bright the only thing needed would have been MINUS flash compensation on camera.

Thanks Marko! I think the situation was a bit complicated in this case with all kinds of ambient light sources. One thing I learned is that I have to select in these light diverse situation which one I should expose right. I used to think I have to avoid blown out areas as much as possible. I think I got it now.

Glad to help! Sometimes though, the light is the light and the range is the range and there's little to do. OFTEN you cannot avoid blown areas.
ALWAYS meter for the most important subject in the shot in these cases and let the other elements fall where they may....

[Iguanasan]

My way is the best way.

Of course it is!

Your way will work Iggy....but it's extra work in PP and you may introduce noise.

The beauty of modern TTL flash is that you can easily adjust it separately from from main exposure using flash exposure compensation. In this case, if the resulting exposure made the standing woman too bright the only thing needed would have been MINUS flash compensation on camera.

Cool. I definitely need more practice and a real flash :( The one on top of the camera can be handy but just isn't good enough. Thanks for the tips.