flash or natural light photography?

jonneymendoza · 13 Mar 2012 at 16:25

O LOL! so i have done the right approach then?

D.P. · 13 Mar 2012 at 16:25

jonneymendoza said:
Cool so its not toooo obvious? i used a bounce card btw and aimed m flash at the ceiling

I do the same and get the same kind of results.

jonneymendoza · 13 Mar 2012 at 16:26

D.P. said:
Skin tones show reflections and specular highlights giving that plasticy look, flash is caught in the eyes, some of the shadows are not very soft, the main light source would naturally be the door behind but this is being over powered.

So if i tone down the power of my flash, that would have helped on this image?

D.P. · 13 Mar 2012 at 16:29

jonneymendoza said:
O LOL! so i have done the right approach then?

You did the standard approach, bounce the flash and/or diffuse is. This works infinitely better that a direct flash but I still don't like the look it gives.

I am not criticizing the photo. I wouldn't know how to do any better, except if possible I would ask people to move outside or somewhere with a nicer background.

But bouncing a flash off the ceiling or wall is about the limits of my flash creativity.

Rojin · 13 Mar 2012 at 16:30

jonneymendoza said:
So if i tone down the power of my flash, that would have helped on this image?

What I've dabbled with in the past, is using manual mode to expose for ambient and get the shutter speed I want. Then use flash compensation to balance things out.

jonneymendoza · 13 Mar 2012 at 16:32

Rojin said:
What I've dabbled with in the past, is using manual mode to expose for ambient and get the shutter speed I want. Then use flash compensation to balance things out.

Thats how i do it mate. shoot in manual when my flash is on. 1/60 is my shutter speed and usualy f2.8 wide open as my apparture

D.P. · 13 Mar 2012 at 16:32

jonneymendoza said:
So if i tone down the power of my flash, that would have helped on this image?

I think it is always a good idea to have the flash balanced with whatever natural light is available. Sometimes this means using a full powdered flash,s sometimes only a very slight fill is needed.

I would have tried to use the natural light coming through the door as a natural fill light for starters, just turn everyone around and shoot the other way.

D.P. · 13 Mar 2012 at 16:35

jonneymendoza said:
Thats how i do it mate. shoot in manual when my flash is on. 1/60 is my shutter speed and usualy f2.8 wide open as my apparture

I think Rojin means is to take meter readings off the background/ambient and set a manual exposure that will properly expose the back ground, then find the expose that will properly expose the subject. The flash should then be set to balance out that difference.

When done well this technique can give very good effects.

Rojin · 13 Mar 2012 at 16:40

D.P. said:
I think Rojin means is to take meter readings off the background/ambient and set a manual exposure that will properly expose the back ground, then find the expose that will properly expose the subject. The flash should then be set to balance out that difference.

When done well this technique can give very good effects.

Yes exactly. I could never quite dial out the shadow under the chin though... I need to get reflective floors or something

D.P. · 13 Mar 2012 at 16:42

Rojin said:
Yes exactly. I could never quite dial out the shadow under the chin though... I need to get reflective floors or something

The aluminum car wind shield frost protectors come to mind!

In studios they often get the subject to hold some white polystyrene on their lap etc. to light under the chin.

Rojin · 13 Mar 2012 at 16:45

I did buy a reflector. That was a stupid idea with a 3 year old!!!

xaldub · 13 Mar 2012 at 18:28

I love using off camera flash ... can be fun, but can take a lot of trial & error plus experience to get it right. Wish I had the skill of Joe McNally, being able to use dozens of small flashes ..... then again he has a team of people helping him.

jonneymendoza · 13 Mar 2012 at 18:45

another bounce flash example:

sweet 16 bday party 110 by jonneymendoza, on Flickr

sweet 16 bday party 026 by jonneymendoza, on Flickr

D.P. · 13 Mar 2012 at 18:57

I don't want to criticize, sound condescending or rude but I think you could improve the above photos a lot with better compositions. E.g., with the children they are very small in the frame with lots of background distractions, and in general children look better if you got down at the same level as them. Ashallow DoF may help reduce the background.

Similar in the second set, (on topic, there is a shadow on the wall behind the older boy that looks like it comes from the flash....), the bookshelf to the left is very distracting and you have cut off the older boys arm just to include the background which I don't think works here. You have to be careful cropping through a persons joints, e.g. cropping between joints is typically fine but if you cut someones arm off at the elbow/knee/wrist or in this case fingers leads to an odd look. This is a psychological phenomenon.

Feel free to disregard these comments, I'm no expert on portraiture.

An Exception · 13 Mar 2012 at 19:02

Bounced flash...

Rojin · 13 Mar 2012 at 19:39

Nice shot, about as obvious as a flash shot can be though

Rojin · 13 Mar 2012 at 19:42

D.P. said:
I don't want to criticize, sound condescending or rude but I think you could improve the above photos a lot with better compositions. E.g., with the children they are very small in the frame with lots of background distractions, and in general children look better if you got down at the same level as them. Ashallow DoF may help reduce the background.

Similar in the second set, (on topic, there is a shadow on the wall behind the older boy that looks like it comes from the flash....), the bookshelf to the left is very distracting and you have cut off the older boys arm just to include the background which I don't think works here. You have to be careful cropping through a persons joints, e.g. cropping between joints is typically fine but if you cut someones arm off at the elbow/knee/wrist or in this case fingers leads to an odd look. This is a psychological phenomenon.

Feel free to disregard these comments, I'm no expert on portraiture.

Cutting someone's arm off at the knee is certainly an odd look!

jonneymendoza · 13 Mar 2012 at 19:46

D.P. said:
I don't want to criticize, sound condescending or rude but I think you could improve the above photos a lot with better compositions. E.g., with the children they are very small in the frame with lots of background distractions, and in general children look better if you got down at the same level as them. Ashallow DoF may help reduce the background.

Similar in the second set, (on topic, there is a shadow on the wall behind the older boy that looks like it comes from the flash....), the bookshelf to the left is very distracting and you have cut off the older boys arm just to include the background which I don't think works here. You have to be careful cropping through a persons joints, e.g. cropping between joints is typically fine but if you cut someones arm off at the elbow/knee/wrist or in this case fingers leads to an odd look. This is a psychological phenomenon.

Feel free to disregard these comments, I'm no expert on portraiture.

Mate the more criticism i get the better i become

So in this case THANKS i love your comments and you make great points mate and next time will work on those points by not cropping too much, thinking of the background/composition and going low for shots of kids.

Thanks mate. Anyways what about my flash technique? is it very obvious i used flash? if so how can improve that department and make my subjects look more natural when using a flash?

edit: definetly gunna buy a wide angle 24L as my next lens

let my feed help compose a picture!

Clown · 13 Mar 2012 at 21:29

D.P. said:
Basically, if you can tell a flash was used then I don't like the photo.

Some pictures can only be done with flash so I don't agree with this. I've just entered the strobist world so I'm going to enjoy learning using off-camera flash. I want to master that. And then when I master natural light, I will be a god.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/clwn/sets/72157629492026353/

Still learning.

Nexus · 13 Mar 2012 at 21:58

As a Photographer, light is the main tool you work with.

I don't have a preference for natural light or flash, you just use whatever you need to get the job done and achieve the look you want.