Balancing light in digital photography

If you have a flash that can be detached from the camera then you could use bounce flash to produce a more even light, or maybe just aim your flash higher so the nearby subjects are illuminated by the feathered edge of the light. You can of course compensate in Photoshop after the fact.

RReznikoff wrote:

I’m new to digital photography and found a problem I could use some help with. I photographed a table of 8 people in a restaurant. I used a flash. The result was the people up close were too bright and those at the end of the table were too dark. Would there have been a way to compensate for this in taking the picture?

Bounce flash, as John Forrest mentions. A slave flash aimed at the back wall. Or take the shot using ambient light.
—

Mike Russell
www.curvemeister.com
www.geigy.2y.net

"RReznikoff" wrote:

Would there have been a way to compensate for this
in taking the picture?

Yes.

The Doormouse

—
The Doormouse cannot be reached by e-mail without her permission.

RReznikoff wrote:

I’m new to digital photography and found a problem I could use some help with. I photographed a table of 8 people in a restaurant. I used a flash. The result was the people up close were too bright and those at the end of the table were too dark. Would there have been a way to compensate for this in taking the picture?

Since you didn’t mention what kind of camera you use, it’s uncertain if bounced flash would really be an option in your case. Your camera must have a way to connect an external flash. What has not been mentioned, is that increasing the ISO speed will reduce the need for flash as well. Depending on how well the restaurant is lit, you may be able to shoot at 800 ISO without any flash at all. Even if you do need flash, your camera will use a lower flash output and use more ambient light. Sure, you’ll get more noice in the picture at higher ISO speed, but the result will probably be more pleasing nevertheless.

—
Johan W. Elzenga johan<<at>>johanfoto.nl Editor / Photographer http://www.johanfoto.nl/

"RReznikoff" wrote in message

I’m new to digital photography and found a problem I could use some help with. I photographed a table of 8 people in a restaurant. I used a

flash.

The result was the people up close were too bright and those at the end of the table were too dark. Would there have been a way to compensate for

this

in taking the picture?

This is a very common flash problem. The usual solutions are:
1. Bounce flash
2. Off camera flash
3. Slow sync
4. Faster ISO

It is rather pot luck which (if any) of these solutions will work for you. Of course, you should always use off camera flash if at all possible. Using slow sync will allow more of the background to be correctly exposed. A faster ISO will tend to reduce the strength of the flash (but still may result in overexposed foreground). Bounce flash is not real useful within a room with high ceilings.

The only benefit with a digital camera is that you get instantaneous results such that you may be able to correct the exposure. Don’t rely on Photoshop (or any other image program) to solve these problems.

Jim

"Jim" wrote in
news:76sSc.5453$:

"RReznikoff" wrote in message

I’m new to digital photography and found a problem I could use some help with. I photographed a table of 8 people in a restaurant. I used a

flash.

The result was the people up close were too bright and
those at the end of the table were too dark. Would there have been a way to compensate for

this

in taking the picture?

This is a very common flash problem. The usual solutions are: 1. Bounce flash
2. Off camera flash
3. Slow sync
4. Faster ISO

It is rather pot luck which (if any) of these solutions
will work for you. Of course, you should always use off
camera flash if at all possible. Using slow sync will
allow more of the background to be correctly exposed. A faster ISO will tend to reduce the strength of the flash (but still may result in overexposed foreground). Bounce flash is not real useful within a room with high ceilings.
The only benefit with a digital camera is that you get
instantaneous results such that you may be able to correct the exposure. Don’t rely on Photoshop (or any other image program) to solve these problems.

Jim

Does slow-sync delay the flash or the shutter?

—
—————
"Teach a child to read and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test."

OceanView wrote:

It is rather pot luck which (if any) of these solutions
will work for you. Of course, you should always use off
camera flash if at all possible. Using slow sync will
allow more of the background to be correctly exposed. A faster ISO will tend to reduce the strength of the flash (but still may result in overexposed foreground). Bounce flash is not real useful within a room with high ceilings.
The only benefit with a digital camera is that you get
instantaneous results such that you may be able to correct the exposure. Don’t rely on Photoshop (or any other image program) to solve these problems.

Jim

Does slow-sync delay the flash or the shutter?

Neither. Slow-sync is the combination of a flash with a long (slow) shutter speed.

—
Johan W. Elzenga johan<<at>>johanfoto.nl Editor / Photographer http://www.johanfoto.nl/

Read the m-a-n-u-a-l

it will have a section on f-l-a-s-h

look for fill-in flash (or something along those lines) (maybe even slo-sync flash)

there are trade offs too (isn’t it always the case?)

fill-in flash will probably require a steadier support for the digicam to balance things in the pic

bounce flash may be obtained by blu-tak (or a piece of gum if u r in a rush) and white card to direct light from flash towards the ceiling (roughly, say 45 degrees?)

separate off camera flash = ok if u have lots of time, patient party goers and oodles of dosh

nothing IMHO replaces experience and you seem on the right track by asking the right question

i hope this helps

the Arty one

"RReznikoff" wrote in message

I’m new to digital photography and found a problem I could use some help with. I photographed a table of 8 people in a restaurant. I used a

flash.

The result was the people up close were too bright and those at the end of the table were too dark. Would there have been a way to compensate for

this

in taking the picture?

I have a Canon A70 camera. Is there any way to attach an external flash? The manual lists the following interface:
Universal Serial Bus (mini-B,PTP [Picture Transfer Protocol]) Audio/Video output (NTSC or PAL selectable, monaural audio) If not, a higher ISO sounds like the best solution. The maximum ISO shown in the specs is 400. I’ll have to try that both with and without the flash.

"Johan W. Elzenga" wrote in message

RReznikoff wrote:

I’m new to digital photography and found a problem I could use some help with. I photographed a table of 8 people in a restaurant. I used a

flash.

The result was the people up close were too bright and those at the end

of

the table were too dark. Would there have been a way to compensate for

this

in taking the picture?

Since you didn’t mention what kind of camera you use, it’s uncertain if bounced flash would really be an option in your case. Your camera must have a way to connect an external flash. What has not been mentioned, is that increasing the ISO speed will reduce the need for flash as well. Depending on how well the restaurant is lit, you may be able to shoot at 800 ISO without any flash at all. Even if you do need flash, your camera will use a lower flash output and use more ambient light. Sure, you’ll get more noice in the picture at higher ISO speed, but the result will probably be more pleasing nevertheless.

—
Johan W. Elzenga johan<<at>>johanfoto.nl Editor / Photographer http://www.johanfoto.nl/

RReznikoff wrote:

I have a Canon A70 camera. Is there any way to attach an external flash? The manual lists the following interface:
Universal Serial Bus (mini-B,PTP [Picture Transfer Protocol]) Audio/Video output (NTSC or PAL selectable, monaural audio) If not, a higher ISO sounds like the best solution. The maximum ISO shown in the specs is 400. I’ll have to try that both with and without the flash.

Higher ISO, and lots of retakes, may get you some excellent shots. As someone mentioned, a reflective card or mirror may be used to angle your built-in flash toward the ceiling. One great thing about digital is you can experiment at no cost.

Another option is a slave flash. If you have an old flash unit lying around, consider a Wein peanut slave adapter for around $25 including shipping from B&H. Leave it high in a corner, angled upward at the middle of theceiling, and voila – instant diffuse flash lighting that is very similar to ambient light. Some people tape a strip of color negative film over the camera flash, effectively using is as a trigger only for the slave flash.

If you are handy with a soldering iron, and confident about not getting shocked, you can adapt a disposable camera flash plus a slave unit and get a very small slave flash that fits in your camera bag.
—

Mike Russell
www.curvemeister.com
www.geigy.2y.net

Huh! Someone! Huh! <sulks?>

the Arty one

"Mike Russell" wrote in message

RReznikoff wrote:

I have a Canon A70 camera. Is there any way to attach an external flash? The manual lists the following interface:
Universal Serial Bus (mini-B,PTP [Picture Transfer Protocol]) Audio/Video output (NTSC or PAL selectable, monaural audio) If not, a higher ISO sounds like the best solution. The maximum ISO shown in the specs is 400. I’ll have to try that both with and without the flash.

Higher ISO, and lots of retakes, may get you some excellent shots. As someone mentioned, a reflective card or mirror may be used to angle your built-in flash toward the ceiling. One great thing about digital is you

can

experiment at no cost.

Another option is a slave flash. If you have an old flash unit lying around, consider a Wein peanut slave adapter for around $25 including shipping from B&H. Leave it high in a corner, angled upward at the middle of theceiling, and voila – instant diffuse flash lighting that is very similar to ambient light. Some people tape a strip of color negative film over the camera flash, effectively using is as a trigger only for the

slave

flash.

If you are handy with a soldering iron, and confident about not getting shocked, you can adapt a disposable camera flash plus a slave unit and get

a

very small slave flash that fits in your camera bag.
—

Mike Russell
www.curvemeister.com
www.geigy.2y.net

"OceanView" wrote in message

Does slow-sync delay the flash or the shutter?

The shutter.

—
—————
"Teach a child to read and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test."-George W Bush, Townsend, Tenn., Feb. 21, 2001

In article , says
….

I’m new to digital photography and found a problem I could use some help with. I photographed a table of 8 people in a restaurant. I used a flash. The result was the people up close were too bright and those at the end of the table were too dark. Would there have been a way to compensate for this in taking the picture?

The best solution is to light the scene effectively, using how ever many flash units you need to give you even lighting front to rear. This is usually much more difficult with less sophisticated cameras (digital, or film), and takes time and equipment. Because of that, it is not a solution for spontaneous snap-shots of a group. Being able to bounce the flash onto a white ceiling will help, but you will still get falloff toward the rear, or burnout in the front.

If you have the image and want to correct it, you can create masks that graduate to cover the differences in the light, and work with Adjustment Layers>Curves, or Levels to improve the image – knowing that this will only " improve" not cure the problem.

Hunt

In article , says
….

I’m new to digital photography and found a problem I could use some help with. I photographed a table of 8 people in a restaurant. I used a flash. The result was the people up close were too bright and those at the end of the table were too dark. Would there have been a way to compensate for this in taking the picture?

An addendum to my last post – in CS your first step should be to try the Highlight&Shadow Adjustment, then work with graduated masks and Adjustment Layers.

Hunt