Flash background question

[candidrachel]

Urgh I hate it when I read something on the internet or books and then can't remember where I read it.

Ok, I "think" this is right. You know when you take a photo of a person and the person is exposed correctly and the background is black? Is that because the shutter speed is too fast? So what I need to do is underexpose the shot by say 1 or 2 stops, slow down the shutter speed and then use flash (probably dialling down a bit too) to capture enough ambient light so that said person plus background is properly exposed?

Does that make sense. I've been rumaging through my books at home to try and find the info but can't find it

[candleman]

That's basically right.

underexpose the ambient by a stop or so, then use some fill flash dialled down to a negative FEC

Try both Spot and Patern, I think you willl find Paterm metering is the most consistant... that's what I use the majority of the fime for my fill flash work anyway.

[archersdad]

Yep; shutter speed controls the ambient and aperture controls the flash (for the most part )

[OsmosisStudios]

The trick is to set your lights to the power appropriate for your subject and not for the overall scene.