A strobe question: What do I do to improve this shot?

What can I do to improve the crap lighting in this shot?

http://picasaweb.google.com/AlDykes/...61024660034098

I'm under no illusion that a single stobe can light the entire room.

I'm using a Canon G9 and a 420EX strobe. The camera is in full auto
mode and the strobe indicates that it is in E-TTL" mode. I don't have
any sort of a difuser on the flash. The EXIF info says the shot was
1/60 and f2.8 at ISO200


Diffuser? Bounce lighting? off-camera flash cable? Override auto
speed setting to something like ISO400?

All of the above?

I suspect the answer is a diffuser of some sort, I'd like pointers to
an example of an appropriate model.

Thanks.







--
Al Dykes
News is something someone wants to suppress, everything else is advertising.
- Lord Northcliffe, publisher of the Daily Mail

"Al Dykes" wrote in message
...


What can I do to improve the crap lighting in this shot?

http://picasaweb.google.com/AlDykes/...61024660034098

I'm under no illusion that a single stobe can light the entire room.

I'm using a Canon G9 and a 420EX strobe. The camera is in full auto
mode and the strobe indicates that it is in E-TTL" mode. I don't have
any sort of a difuser on the flash. The EXIF info says the shot was
1/60 and f2.8 at ISO200


Diffuser? Bounce lighting? off-camera flash cable? Override auto
speed setting to something like ISO400?

All of the above?

I suspect the answer is a diffuser of some sort, I'd like pointers to
an example of an appropriate model.


One way (and I'm sure that there are many others, is to use a white PostIt
Note. With your flash pointed forward, attach the Post-It note to the top of
the flash with the note hanging out into the space above and forward of the
flash like a visor. Then point your upwards at about 70-90 up from the
direction that the camera is pointed. Most of the flash will be directed
towards the ceiling, some of the flash will be directed forward. This method
doesn't send flash in directions that won't help you in a big room, such as
behind you. A buslness card and some tape will do the same thing.

Is smaller rooms, diffusers which send some light in all directions will
also work pretty well. For a 420ex, an alcohol bottle, cut in half, will fit
nicely. Make sure to heat the cut bottle and bend the narrow sides in a
little bit to allow the bottle to fit a bit more snugly.

Or blow some cash on bouncers/diffusers that will do the same thing for more
money: Stofen Omnibounce, Gary Fong diffuser, Lumiquest Pocket Bouncer, and
others.

Eric Miller
www.dyesscreek.com

In article , (Al Dykes) wrote:


What can I do to improve the crap lighting in this shot?

http://picasaweb.google.com/AlDykes/...61024660034098

I'm under no illusion that a single stobe can light the entire room.

I'm using a Canon G9 and a 420EX strobe. The camera is in full auto
mode and the strobe indicates that it is in E-TTL" mode. I don't have
any sort of a difuser on the flash. The EXIF info says the shot was
1/60 and f2.8 at ISO200


Diffuser? Bounce lighting? off-camera flash cable? Override auto
speed setting to something like ISO400?

All of the above?

I suspect the answer is a diffuser of some sort, I'd like pointers to
an example of an appropriate model.


A strobe is an additional flash. You said it when you said strobe. Thats
what you need. additional light sources, and directing some of the light
to the ceiling is usefull.

You could attach strobes to different parts of your body. Some people in large rooms set
up strobes in different areas, but that could be a problem if your moving around. We also
used to hold tha flash at arms length for more perspective.

greg

In article , (GregS) wrote:
In article , (Al Dykes) wrote:


What can I do to improve the crap lighting in this shot?

http://picasaweb.google.com/AlDykes/...61024660034098

I'm under no illusion that a single stobe can light the entire room.

I'm using a Canon G9 and a 420EX strobe. The camera is in full auto
mode and the strobe indicates that it is in E-TTL" mode. I don't have
any sort of a difuser on the flash. The EXIF info says the shot was
1/60 and f2.8 at ISO200


Diffuser? Bounce lighting? off-camera flash cable? Override auto
speed setting to something like ISO400?

All of the above?

I suspect the answer is a diffuser of some sort, I'd like pointers to
an example of an appropriate model.


A strobe is an additional flash. You said it when you said strobe. Thats
what you need. additional light sources, and directing some of the light
to the ceiling is usefull.

You could attach strobes to different parts of your body. Some people in large
rooms set
up strobes in different areas, but that could be a problem if your moving
around. We also
used to hold tha flash at arms length for more perspective.


Setting to minimum flash length will make better use of the existing room
light.

greg

On Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:46:36 -0400, Al Dykes wrote:

What can I do to improve the crap lighting in this shot?

http://picasaweb.google.com/AlDykes/EventPics/
photo#5236561024660034098

I'm under no illusion that a single stobe can light the entire room.

I'm using a Canon G9 and a 420EX strobe. The camera is in full auto mode
and the strobe indicates that it is in E-TTL" mode. I don't have any
sort of a difuser on the flash. The EXIF info says the shot was 1/60
and f2.8 at ISO200


Diffuser? Bounce lighting? off-camera flash cable? Override auto
speed setting to something like ISO400?

All of the above?

Yes. And more. Set ISO at least to 400 manually. Since the room
lighting seems to be incandescent, that is, no daylight from windows,
manually set your color balance to tungsten or incandescent. Manually
set your shutter speed lower, probably 1/15 or so, but no slower. It's
difficult to hold a camera steady enough to use slower speeds. This will
increase the ambient light exposure. Test without flash. The room
should be a little underexposed by about 2/3 to 1 stop. Your flash leave
on auto TTL. It will supply enough light to bring foreground to the
proper exposure.

Buy a Sto-Fen Omni-bounce diffuser for your flash. Set the zoom head for
about 35 to 24mm for best results. Tilt the head up 35 to 45 degrees for
best effect. Now, here's the part that's going take a little effort:
You'll need to get an 85B light balancing filter (daylight to tungsten)
to put on the flash. It doesn't have to be optical quality like would be
needed if used on a lens. It just has to be the right color. I use
Roscolux filter material from Rosco Industries to put over lights. If
you can get the light color correction swatchbook--they are usually free,
use the 85B filter in there. It's called Roscosun 3/4 CTO (#3411) or the
stronger Roscosun CTO (#3407), which I prefer. It should fit the flash's
lens perfectly. Put the Sto-Fen diffuser over it.

That should do it. You should get greatly improved, pretty much color
balanced images.

Here's Rosco's web site: http://www.rosco.com/ Or, if you have a
theatrical lighting or motion picture rental/supply house near you, they
usually stock Rosco stuff.

Stef

(Al Dykes) wrote in :



What can I do to improve the crap lighting in this shot?

http://picasaweb.google.com/AlDykes/EventPics/photo#
5236561024660034098

I'm under no illusion that a single stobe can light the entire room.

I'm using a Canon G9 and a 420EX strobe. The camera is in full auto
mode and the strobe indicates that it is in E-TTL" mode. I don't have
any sort of a difuser on the flash. The EXIF info says the shot was
1/60 and f2.8 at ISO200


Diffuser? Bounce lighting? off-camera flash cable? Override auto
speed setting to something like ISO400?

All of the above?

I suspect the answer is a diffuser of some sort, I'd like pointers to
an example of an appropriate model.

A diffuser only helps softening the shadows of things that are close,
unless it directs much of the light to white walls and ceilings behind
and above you. If the wall behind you were white, I would point the
flash behind me. Between the greater apparent width of the light source,
and the further distance of the subjects from the apparent source (the
wall and/or ceiling behind you), the flash would drop off more gradually
as the subjects get further from the camera. This may require a higher
ISO; maybe not.

--


John P Sheehy

(GregS) wrote in
:

A strobe is an additional flash. You said it when you said strobe.
Thats what you need. additional light sources, and directing some of
the light to the ceiling is usefull.

In this shot, the ceiling is included, so bounce-flash forward would result
in the ceiling being the brightest thing in the scene. That's one reason I
suggested "backflash". I've heard all kinds of advice not to use
backflash, but it has usually worked great for me, provided the flash is
stron enough, because you are negating the inverse-square law to a great
degree.


--


John P Sheehy

"Al Dykes" wrote in message
...


What can I do to improve the crap lighting in this shot?

http://picasaweb.google.com/AlDykes/...61024660034098

I'm under no illusion that a single stobe can light the entire room.

I'm using a Canon G9 and a 420EX strobe. The camera is in full auto
mode and the strobe indicates that it is in E-TTL" mode. I don't have
any sort of a difuser on the flash. The EXIF info says the shot was
1/60 and f2.8 at ISO200


Diffuser? Bounce lighting? off-camera flash cable? Override auto
speed setting to something like ISO400?

All of the above?

I suspect the answer is a diffuser of some sort, I'd like pointers to
an example of an appropriate model.

Really bad shot and most likely a result of the full auto mode. See the
bright table lamp? It "grabbed" the ETTL exposure system.

Al Dykes wrote:
What can I do to improve the crap lighting in this shot?
http://picasaweb.google.com/AlDykes/...61024660034098

I'm under no illusion that a single stobe can light the entire room.

I'm using a Canon G9 and a 420EX strobe. The camera is in full auto
mode and the strobe indicates that it is in E-TTL" mode. I don't have
any sort of a difuser on the flash. The EXIF info says the shot was
1/60 and f2.8 at ISO200

Diffuser? Bounce lighting? off-camera flash cable? Override auto
speed setting to something like ISO400?

All of the above?

I suspect the answer is a diffuser of some sort, I'd like pointers to
an example of an appropriate model.

Zoom as wide as possible and set the shutter speed as slow as you can
hand hold without shake: about 1/focal length so for 35mm zoom, 1/35
second works for average people. Faster shutter after coffee! Wider
views gather more light and force you to come closer. If the camera
doesn't turn down the flash power automatically, or not enough, turn it
down manually or put some kleenex or something over it. That's not a
specific formula, just a direction to go: less flash, more ambient
light. Turn up the ISO too if you like the trade-off.


--
Paul Furman
www.edgehill.net
www.baynatives.com

all google groups messages filtered due to spam

Paul Furman wrote in news:692rk.4732$zv7.3709
@flpi143.ffdc.sbc.com:

Zoom as wide as possible and set the shutter speed as slow as you can
hand hold without shake: about 1/focal length so for 35mm zoom, 1/35
second works for average people. Faster shutter after coffee! Wider
views gather more light and force you to come closer.

The needed shutter speed is proportional to the magnification; not the
focal length. The 1/fl rule is popular because it works at (near)
infinity. Getting closer with a wider angle does not reduce the need for
shutter speed.

--


John P Sheehy