Help with lighting

[Alexandra Hall]

How could I have made the lighting in this shot better with the equipment and settings I was using? I just feel like the lighting is flat. This was my first time using flash in a low light situation.

SB700 bounced off ceiling
Nikon D3000

Exif


Exposure

0.02 sec (1/50)

Aperture

f/1.8

Focal Length

50 mm

ISO Speed

400

Exposure Bias
0 EV

Flash

On, Return detected

[Rentham]

Originally Posted by Alexandra Hall

SB700 bounced off ceiling

Try bouncing off a wall, or a corner where two walls and the ceiling meet. Gives more directional lighting.

[zona5101]

i wouldn't call the lighting flat. look the the shadows in his shirt and on her cheekline. It looks a bit undersposed but that is maybe 1/4 to 1/2 stop in post....and I'd warm it up a tad if I could without changing the white dress too much.

[sk66]

There are so many variables it's very hard to say what you did do and what to change....

But from what I can see I would guess you were in manual mode with the flash set for TTL. The ceiling looks quite high and it looks like you were pretty close to them (unless this is a significant crop).

From that short of a range the light from the flash would need to be sent almost vertical. If it was sent out at a 45* from short range most of the light would end up behind them. Sent at 45* from further would have created more directional lighting as would bouncing behind you from close range (with ceiling wall close enough behind you). But I don't think you were really that close to any other surfaces to bounce from. (You can always move.....)

Another thing you could have done was use a higher SS, up to sync speed (1/200). This would cause the camera to capture less ambient light and require more light from the flash for proper exposure. this would create greater difference between the ambient and flash levels and create more dynamic lighting. In this case it would cause the BG to go darker and the flash lighting to be a bit "stronger"....you would have to balance exposure time against flash "harshness".

Also proper exposure/levels adjustment in post helps quite a bit.