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DPChallenge Forums >> Tips, Tricks, and Q&A >> Fill Flash
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 03/23/2009 11:56:39 AM · #1
Can some one explain the work around for the following:

I was trying to use fill flash with a 430 ex yesterday in late afternoon bright sunlight. I wanted to use the flash to fill in the shadows on the subject's face because they had their back to sky, but I didn't want to lose the puffy white clouds and blue sky behind them. So I manually exposed for the sky and then tried adjusting the strength of the flash. However, the shutter speed for the manual exposure 1/2000 sec and the flash sync is max. 1/250 sec.

So, every shot blew out the sky.

I've seen many a shot like this and am wondering what I'm not thinking of. I know I could use a reflector. is there a way to do it with flash?
 03/23/2009 12:28:48 PM · #2
I've heard of High Speed Syncing for flashes but I don't know enough about it but I would think you could look into ND filters, Neutral Density. It lets you take a longer exposure then you would take without it.
 03/23/2009 12:46:21 PM · #3
HSS (high speed sync) is one otpion but I dont like it. It basically turns the flash into a disco strobe and it's hard on the batteries and flash and puts out very little light IMO.

You need to get the shutter speed below 1/250 so you can do that by lowing the ISO as much as possible. Then you can use F22 or some small aperture OR get a ND (neutral density) filter for your lens.

I have a Cokin filter setup with ND filters as my solution to this situation.
 03/23/2009 01:12:56 PM · #4
I just completed a mini course on using a flash unit and I'm still sorting out all the great info. ;)
Have you tried using the exposure compensation on the 40D and using the flash with no compensation?
 03/23/2009 01:44:25 PM · #5
Try starting, as suggested, with your lowest ISO. And shutter at 1/250th. Adjust the aperture to get your flash level the way you want it. (if your flash & camera is set for TTL, you may want to either dial in some compensation, or set the flash to manual, and adjust the output down some if need be).

Now, 1/250th is the fastest you can go. You can bring the sky brighter by slowing the shutter speed to 1/200, 1/100, etc. It won't affect the flash exposure, as that happens within the first 1/250th of the exposure, anyway, and is already over. The remaining time the shutter is open allows more ambient light in.

With a lower ISO, stopped down for the flash, you may find you really do need to open the shutter longer to bring up the background.
 03/23/2009 02:30:54 PM · #6
Originally posted by Prof_Fate:
HSS (high speed sync) is one otpion but I dont like it. It basically turns the flash into a disco strobe and it's hard on the batteries and flash and puts out very little light IMO.

You need to get the shutter speed below 1/250 so you can do that by lowing the ISO as much as possible. Then you can use F22 or some small aperture OR get a ND (neutral density) filter for your lens.

I have a Cokin filter setup with ND filters as my solution to this situation.


Bingo that's what I am having to do.

also on top of a flash you could also use reflectors to get light back on their face.
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