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05-06-2012, 09:52 AM   #16
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QuoteOriginally posted by D0n Quote
I'd set my camera to manual...
I'd take a meter reading with the camera to get a base exposure for the whole scene to start with...(or use sunny sixteen rule to ball park it)
then I'd take my handheld meter and incident meter read for the highlights and shadows areas of the image...(this might entail taking an incident readin with the dome in the sunny area of the face witht he dome pointed at the sun for highlights and then having the meter dome in the shade, like under the chin, shaded from the sun, pointing at the camera, for the shadows). then after seeing how many stops difference there is between highlight and shadow I'd DECIDE if I want to use my flash as MAIN or FILL.... this tells me how much power to use... if main then the flash has to overpower the highlight readings I measured... if fill, then the flash must be at least half the highlight readings...
I'd set my flash up to manual as well and ball park the position then move the flash closer or further or asjust the flash power settings until I achieved the ball park figure I think I need. then I do an incident reading from in front of the subject (the subjects face for a portrait) to read the combined highlight and shadows...

take a test shot.... then make any final adjustents to my flash.

I do this very quickly it takes less than a minute to do with experience and practice.
remember you have two light sources, the ambient and the artificial... so you need to position your subject and flash to get the most out of each source...

with practice, you can shortcut this process down to three simple steps...

1, take an incident reading in front of your subjects face..... and set your exposure on camera in manual...
2. move your flash into position with flash set to half power and take a second incident meter reading... meter for the highlights..
3. test shot, then adjust your flash and take another incident reading.... check your highlights and adjust your camera and or flash settings....

hope that helps.

Don,

This helps a lot. How do you quickly calculate the difference in stops, given the meter gives reading of f-stops, full stops....Do you literally just take half the reading of the highlight? If the highlight is f16, and shadow area is f6.3, how would you calculate/ballpark this ?

thanks!

05-06-2012, 10:05 AM   #17
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(without actually pulling out a calculator)
05-06-2012, 10:08 AM   #18
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QuoteOriginally posted by D4rknezz Quote
Don,

This helps a lot. How do you quickly calculate the difference in stops, given the meter gives reading of f-stops, full stops....Do you literally just take half the reading of the highlight? If the highlight is f16, and shadow area is f6.3, how would you calculate/ballpark this ?

thanks!
remember every full aperture stop, halves or doubles the light reaching the sensor, so f16 and f6.3 is a HUGE contrast ratio..solid blacks really if you aren't blowing the highlights...

well it is possible to calculate your flash exposure using guide numbers..no meter required.. but I suck at math. I know from experience that my flash unit at half power needs to be really close to the subject to shoot through a white umbrella and balance with full sun... so I'd get it in there within three feet of the bride, then meter for the highlights... then check the contrast as I mentioned earlier...

and my flash meter will measure tenth stops easily, so if the subject is critical, I take the time to do it right... non critical, just eyeball it...

but shooting everything on manual is repeatable and controllable, but not as fast as using auto features.. so if timing is everything, then set your camera to manual and set your flash to tt-l (full auto ) and use a dedicated ttl cord and your flash exposure comp to dial in on a nice flash fill exposure...

I say learn in manual, then you'll have a better understanding of what your equipment is doing on auto and you'll trouble shoot everything faster when it really matters..

Last edited by D0n; 05-06-2012 at 10:15 AM.
05-06-2012, 10:27 AM   #19
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Thanks This has been a lot of help - it gives me a good idea of the direction I need to take my learning to


05-06-2012, 09:01 PM   #20
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Super basic fill flash - Tv at 180, exp comp 0 to +0.5, pop-up flash to -1.5 or -1. Adjust as needed.
05-07-2012, 07:38 AM   #21
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QuoteOriginally posted by Nick Siebers Quote
Super basic fill flash - Tv at 180, exp comp 0 to +0.5, pop-up flash to -1.5 or -1. Adjust as needed.
the auto feature work.. but be careful... wedding dresses are white, tuxes are black, and if your shooing outdoors in mottled shade..with backlighting... you are taking a risk that the cameras metering might be fooled and the lcd is too small to see iff there's any blown highlights....

this is why I prefer manual for the original subject matter outlined in the original question.
look carefully at that tree rupert posted... that is exactly where I would not use auto anything... personally.
05-07-2012, 05:13 PM   #22
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QuoteOriginally posted by D0n Quote
the auto feature work.. but be careful... wedding dresses are white, tuxes are black, and if your shooing outdoors in mottled shade..with backlighting... you are taking a risk that the cameras metering might be fooled and the lcd is too small to see iff there's any blown highlights....

this is why I prefer manual for the original subject matter outlined in the original question.
look carefully at that tree rupert posted... that is exactly where I would not use auto anything... personally.
Yeah, I guess I should have qualified that as a starting point, I wouldn't rely on it for professional work. And especially not for weddings. (shudder). :-)

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