[ChrisTrevino]

1st time shooting a dim light situation with Bounce Flash.

This was at a social party with a bar for around 200 people.

Camera Mounted Flash was fired straight up at the 12+ foot ceiling at 1/8th power.

This was my 1st time shooting such an event and actually putting bounce flash to use. As I have a few more shoots like this to do this year I'm looking for any critique you can give me. What could I do better?

At the beginning of the night I had an Omnibounce on. I took it off long before these shots. I was wondering if I could get more fill on the faces if I kept it on and zoomed it to 85mm or something so it would still bounce off the ceiling and the omni would fill the face.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

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Last edited by ChrisTrevino; 07-08-2013 at 05:55 AM.

[RM Barker]

I am impressed at how well the ceiling bounce seems to have worked; as a bonus it seems to really flatter hair highlights. With the equipment I have, I would certainly try side-mounting my flash to bounce off the ceiling but use the K-5's internal flash, maybe at -2 or so, just to get rid of some of the not so un-attractive shadows under the eyes and noses. I can't help thinking, though, that the guests in your photos would be pretty pleased!

[MSL]

I agree with Bob - these are pretty good as is. I'd be tempted to see if lowering the highlights would get rid of the odd glare here and there. I use FastStone which has this as slider in the adjust lighting, but there may be better ways to accomplish this in other programs.

Looks like everyone is enjoying their red Solo cups, so I'd say the party was a success and the photography has ably conveyed this. Cheers

[ChrisTrevino]

Thanks guys. I had been meaning to get a flash bracket to side mount for a while. I just never seem to have the money or there's something more important I need to pay for at the time.

The ceiling in that building is only around 12 feet high so the bounce was working out well. The only time it didn't really work out great was if I was too close to the walls which were also light and would bounce more light. I was on average about 6 feet from my subjects so it wasn't hard to throw light on them. I did have issues shooting the DJ though, I wanted to catch more of the Ambient Light and just use flash for fill. THe flash was too powerful and he was in a corner which had 2 walls bouncing the light. I even tried at 1/10th to 1 second exposures with both 1st and 2nd curtain flash. Neither seemed to work how I wanted it too.

As for the fill I'm wondering if pulling out the built in Bounce Card on the flash would have been sufficient since I don't have a bracket at the time? If not I'm ok with Hand Holding the flash I guess so I could use both. With so many point and shoot cameras and other entry level DSLR users there using their pop up flash I'd have to use triggers though.

Thanks again guys, I'm glad they turned out well. This was probably the final year they are going to have the party as 1 of the organizers is moving upstate. I'm glad I was able to capture good images for them as memories.