Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
12-21-2014, 06:18 AM   #1
New Member




Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 1
Histogram for flash photos

Hi all, first post - please let me know if I'm in the right place! I got a new flash for my K5 the Promaster 4500 EDF which I find works well enough in manual mode. I know that the histogram is not the be all end all for correct exposure. What I am finding is that the histogram on my flash photos shows high contrast - ie high points at each end without clipping but with much lower values along the central section. This is in RGB and in simple grey. This is also with a bounce flash but without any fill (sometimes I have to twist the flash around backwards to be able to tilt backwards to compensate for my angle (taking photos of baby on floor) I am flashing off of a stippled 8 foot ceiling. Does this mean I need to drop the flash power down to 1/8 and adjust the exposure with the shutter and aperture. If so - does this mean the flash is not as useful as I thought for helping get nice images in low light? I wonder if this is a big challenge for the photographer. Thanks in advance. I will be available to respond to questions.

12-21-2014, 06:35 AM   #2
Veteran Member
Docrwm's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Somewhere in the Southern US
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 12,285
Welcome aboard. Right place, might have gotten more attention in the Flashes section, but I'll let one of our strobists answer your question.
12-21-2014, 08:19 AM   #3
Veteran Member




Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Ontario
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 3,332
How do the photos look? Samples including exif might help.
12-21-2014, 12:12 PM   #4
Otis Memorial Pentaxian
Otis FanOtis FanOtis FanOtis FanOtis FanOtis Fan
Loyal Site Supporter
clackers's Avatar

Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Melbourne
Photos: Albums
Posts: 16,394
A Stofen or Fong modifier will raise the central values in the histogram, but may not be the look you're after (unidirectional bounce flash, particularly off a side wall and using a flag - simulates a window light source).


Last edited by clackers; 12-21-2014 at 01:14 PM.
12-21-2014, 01:02 PM   #5
Veteran Member
amoringello's Avatar

Join Date: May 2008
Location: Virginia, USA
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 1,562
The histogram will have a different shape for every image. Hard to say if it is "good" or not.

An example image would be helpful, but it sounds like you're shooting in a dark area with the background some distance away from your subject. In such a case the histogram is "expected" to look like that. The background is going to be dark and on the low end. Your subjects are going to be near the high end.

You can do various things to balance the ambient light to your subject in order to give a flatter histogram and probably a more pleasing image that does not look like it was shot with flash... but depending on the location and ability to light potentially large areas, you may be limited.
As a start, raise the ISO, and/or extend your shutter speed.


Personally, I say forget the histogram even exists. People put way too much importance and reliance upon it than it is worth.
It is slightly useful with JPG (histogram is based on the jpeg processing).
Histogram is all but useless if you are shooting RAW.
It is often a waste of time, as too often it is not close to a true indication of your image.
Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
camera, contrast, exposure, flash, histogram, histogram for flash, mean, photography, photos
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Ever wanted to quickly see the histogram for an image on the web? interested_observer Photographic Industry and Professionals 3 12-31-2012 08:22 PM
Need advice on flash kit for prom photos klh Flashes, Lighting, and Studio 6 04-30-2011 04:33 AM
K7 - colour settings for accurate RAW histogram? cezarL Pentax DSLR Discussion 17 03-18-2010 04:57 PM
Other flash units for trailing curtain sync photos Garlic Capital Newby Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 5 06-08-2009 06:13 PM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 04:43 PM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top