Portable Flash Question

[AmyE]

Hi Everyone,

I have a question - I have hired a 1200 W portable flash (range is from 200W - 1200W) and have just taken it out on a shoot but am a bit perplexed about the outcome.........

Scenario: It was quite a bright day - My ISO was 400 - The flash was set at 200W and every shot I have had the subject well lit but the background was very dark - What am I doing wrong to even out the lighting.......... I changed my shutter speed right down to 1/60th but it still doesnt give me those crystal clear shots - if there is movement.

If I push my flash higher to 400W or 800W I start to get over exposed on the foreground and lighter background

I am only new to this but want to create nice even lighting - so that both the foreground and background is evenly lit - not one bright and the other dark.

Thanks so much

[i speak in math]

Originally Posted by AmyE

Hi Everyone,

I have a question - I have hired a 1200 W portable flash (range is from 200W - 1200W) and have just taken it out on a shoot but am a bit perplexed about the outcome.........

Scenario: It was quite a bright day - My ISO was 400 - The flash was set at 200W and every shot I have had the subject well lit but the background was very dark - What am I doing wrong to even out the lighting.......... I changed my shutter speed right down to 1/60th but it still doesnt give me those crystal clear shots - if there is movement.

If I push my flash higher to 400W or 800W I start to get over exposed on the foreground and lighter background

I am only new to this but want to create nice even lighting - so that both the foreground and background is evenly lit - not one bright and the other dark.

Thanks so much

edit: As always, an example with the EXIF intact would be helpful in diagnosing the problem

edit2: this should really be in the lighting section.

Well...we know your ISO, and shutter speed but you haven't told us the aperture. Sunny 16 says that your should be at ISO 100, 1/100 and f/16. If you went to ISO 400, thats 2 stops. If you went to 1/60, thats 2/3 stop. Lets put that into the aperture. f16+ 2 stops = f/32. Hard to believe the background would be dark unless you were above f/32.

I would start at your sync speed (around 1/200) and ISO 100. Then adjust the aperture to give you the background you want. Next introduce the flash. Start at low power. If you can't even see it, bump the flash power up until its just a little too bright.

To adjust the flash/ambient relationship, stop down the aperture while you lower the shutter speed. The aperture controls the amount of flash and ambient let in. If you close up the aperture less light from both will get in. But you want the background to remain exposed as before, so lower the shutter speed by the same amount. Shutter speed has no effect on flash, only ambient.

[OsmosisStudios]

Shutter speed controls ambient, aperture controls flash. Maybe provide examples of what youre not happy with along with EXIF data.

[Ari77]

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

Shutter speed controls ambient, aperture controls flash.

Ahhhhh thankyou soo much. This just clicked as soon as I read it.

[zona5101]

i stumbled on this the other day...pretty fundemental but a nice intro to balancing flash and daylight outdoors...
On-location Flash — AdoramaTV from Adorama Learning Center

[i speak in math]

Originally Posted by Ari77

Ahhhhh thankyou soo much. This just clicked as soon as I read it.

careful though, thats not technically correct. As I said above, aperture also effects ambient.

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by i speak in math

careful though, thats not technically correct. As I said above, aperture also effects ambient.

Yes, but when working with flash it's trivial.

[Ari77]

zona5101 - that clip is fantastic! Thanks for sharing it. I was having a few issues with that!
Ari

[BigFuzzy]

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

Shutter speed controls ambient, aperture controls flash. Maybe provide examples of what youre not happy with along with EXIF data.

Exactly what I was going to type. +1

That's the most basic and useful rule for flash photography shutter speed=ambient aperture=flash... if you can get that, all lighting is more easily understood.

[airbrushjohn]

Originally Posted by AmyE

Hi Everyone,

I have a question - I have hired a 1200 W portable flash (range is from 200W - 1200W) and have just taken it out on a shoot but am a bit perplexed about the outcome.........

Scenario: It was quite a bright day - My ISO was 400 - The flash was set at 200W and every shot I have had the subject well lit but the background was very dark - What am I doing wrong to even out the lighting.......... I changed my shutter speed right down to 1/60th but it still doesnt give me those crystal clear shots - if there is movement.

If I push my flash higher to 400W or 800W I start to get over exposed on the foreground and lighter background

I am only new to this but want to create nice even lighting - so that both the foreground and background is evenly lit - not one bright and the other dark.

Thanks so much

what was your aperture, because what you are describing you should have been blown out! all white photo!