Attention all flash experts, I need advise!

[Boscopix]

Alrighty,
I need help...flash help that is Last night I attempted to do some night shots with my sb-800 and I have absolutely no idea what I am doing with a flash! The look I was going for was really dark contrast pictures, where the flash lights up all the right areas (also wanted to do a cool silhouette with him and the bike) Didn't happen...

First of all, I found it was really hard to focus correctly at night with it being so dark. (maybe next time I will bring a light as well) ...other than that, I asking for any flash advise if you kind-of understand the look I was going for.

Thanks in advance!
Tonya

Here they are...

[RoyL]

The first image looks like it needs some fill flash from the front. Then you can make adjustments afterwards to get the look you are after. Use the onboard flash stopped down by 1 stop and try to diffuse the flash with tissue. You may have to play with the flash until you get it right. I am right in gathering that the main light source is from the back or over the top.

The second image is harder because you want to keep the dark shadows but lighten them just slightly so that detail becomes apparent. I would stop down the flash as much as I could and see what that does.

[candleman]

u shooting manual mode?

the basic rule is..
shutterspeed controls the ambient, aperture controls the flash.

off camera flash can be a challenge... i'm only a few weeks in but slowly getting the hang of it, but i'm far from expert
u got a d80?
dont forget that you can use the in camera flash exposure compensation to adjust flash too.

typically i work with closed down apertures and slow shutterspeeds in the dark, this helps get over the difficult to focus hangover, and also allows a bit of room for easy adjustment if i dont like what the flash is looking like.

the flashlight idea is a good one.
check out my fiftytwo on flickr.. all (3) have been offcamera works so far.

[Samanax]

Are you using any kind of light modifier for your flash? For your second shot you could limit the amount of spill by using a snoot, grid snoot or a gobo.

Not quite sure what you're trying to do with the first shot.

Exactly what was the setup for each picture? And what were you trying to accomplish? Please be as specific as possible.

Have you been to the Strobist web site yet? Be sure to visit the Strobist Flickr photostream too. The pictures include the strobist info and that info might help you to produce the kind of shot you're going for.

[Boscopix]

Hey Candleman!
I actually have a Fuji S3...but I am not so sure what this is (camera flash exposure compensation...) I know I will get the hang of it too...just so much to learn with flash I feel like...

And Samanex...I will defintely read up on the strobist website, looks very helpful. I think practice practic pracice is what I need!

RoyL: I actually had the same thought this afternoon, that on the first one, a fill flash would be needed in the front to make the shot more of what I was looking for. I just have the one flash though, so maybe a different light I just had the flash directly behind him trying to create a sillhouette, but with just that, that whole thing came out too dark..

[candleman]

Originally Posted by Boscopix

Hey Candleman!
I actually have a Fuji S3...but I am not so sure what this is (camera flash exposure compensation...) I know I will get the hang of it too...just so much to learn with flash I feel like...
..

Tonya, Kudo's to you for mixing equipment. i didnt knkw an s3 could run a NIkon flash

anyway, flash exposure compensation is real easy.
think of ordinary exposure compensation when in Aperture priority.. you dial in a positive or negative "EV" number and it changes the exposure by that amount right?

same with the flash. (do you understand TTL? )
anyway, you simply dial in a compensation number, (the d80 has a rnge from +1 to -3, default is "0" obviously.
lets say we dial in +1, the flash will fire at a power 1 stop greater power.
dial in -3 and it will fire a far softer flash, at a value 3 stops less than 18% grey.

thats how using in camera flash you can fill shadows on the face caused in direct sunlight.
if the flash is too bright, just dial it back, if it doesnt make enough impaxct to lift shadows, just bump it up a bit. easy

[Samanax]

Originally Posted by candleman

Tonya, Kudo's to you for mixing equipment. i didnt knkw an s3 could run a NIkon flash

The S3 Pro even uses Nikkor F mount lenses. I read somewhere that the older Fuji DSLRs are based on Nikon DSLRs (not sure about the newer S5 Pro body).

[Boscopix]

Hey guys!
Yea, little seems to be known about the Fuji S3 I say this because everytime I research it online to see what works best with it...nada! Anyhoo though, yes, it takes Nikin lenses and Flash...and I guess anything Nikon makes Haha...well, since Fuji just made the camera, and nothing to go with it!

Anyhow, Jared! Thanks for explaing that to me in english I can actually understand I had no idea I could use it that way. Sometimes when I read stuff about flash, it might as well be in Japanese! Speaking of, this whole TTL thing...not really sure if I get that either. But to be honest...my questions could go on for days about flash...so if you have other things to do, I understand, haha!

Thanks again guys, I can't wait to get home from work and play some more now!

Cheers,
Tonya

[mdruziak]

When you visit The Strobist blog, check out his DVD set. This set is great an it should answer all of your flash questions.

Some of the things you will learn is how to control the exposure of the background (1st photo) and how to use light modifiers (2nd photo).

For creative stuff like this, the only way I know how to use the flash is in Manual mode.

[oldwolf]

For the first picture all you need to do is increase the shutter speed (make it stay open longer) and increase the f/stop (make the aperture smaller) to compensate for the shutter speed.

Since I don't see any exif data, let's say the first picture was taken at 1/250 and f/5.6. I'd probably try 1/100 and f/11ish. There's no method to my madness. Just numbers I'd give a try. I'm roughly doubling the amount of time the shutter stays open and just increasing the f/stop so that the subject doesn't get exposed by the longer shutter speed.

Increasing the shutter speed will try to blow out the background.