HELP!! Flash / Shutter Speed Settings: I have been struggling with this for a while now so i ask for help from you all. Is there a special formula or a technique used to determine what...

jfantasma

I have been struggling with this for a while now so i ask for help from you all.

Is there a special formula or a technique used to determine what shutter speed to use when using a flash indoors? I am using a Olympus E-520 and a FL 36 flash. I struggle with this even when trying to photograph the kids playing in the living room. I usually bounce the flash off the ceiling or a wall but they still either come out with the kids skin blown out or everything is too dark. I have played around with different setting and i also know that i should try to stay no more than ten feet than my subject. I have played around with the zoom on my external flash and the flash intensity in both the flash and camera. I feel like there is just something I am missing here. Any and all help is appreciated.

Bret Loc: Dayton Ohio

Perhaps a photo would help with the exposure data.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

jfantasma wrote:

I have been struggling with this for a while now s... (show quote)

Max sync speed on your camera is 1/180. Set that shutter speed there. Your flash guide number at ISO 100 is 65' at 24mm or 118' T 42mm. Set focal length; divide distance to subject for aperture, e.g., at 42mm and subject 10 feet away (118 ÷ 10 = 11.8) set aperture at 12 (or 11).

jfantasma

The only internet have right now is through my phone so I cannot upload any photos. If you would imagine though that you take a picture and half of the persons head and face come out decent nut everything behind them comes out dark. I have tried from about 6 feet with flash at full power bouncing the flash off the ceiling at 1/30 and still have this problem. I am wondering if it is just the incandescent light is not enough on top of the flash??

jfantasma

Thanks I will try this. Guess this is an art by itself and is going to take some practice. Although I can set my flash to super FP mode and can shoot at speeds up to 1\2000.

Mogul wrote:

quote=jfantasma I have been struggling with this ... (show quote)

saxkiwi Loc: New Zealand

jfantasma wrote:

I have been struggling with this for a while now s... (show quote)

Is your flash TTL? {through the lens} if non TTL then you'll have to set the right aperture and the right shutter speed according to your cameras flash sync speed. If its TTL then it should expose correctly by throwing the right amount of light from camera to subject. It sounds like you are either over exposing or under exposing your subjects. Are you using your aperture from wide open to small aperture? Keep it to around f/5.6 to f/8 and your camera prob should be around 1/125th to 1/250th shutter sync for flash. If its non TTL then bouncing off a ceiling can cause a few problems like you are experiencing. Does the flash have different power ratios like full/half quarter power etc? If its on full power then you could end up with over exposed shots cause the flash doesn't now how much light to throw on the subject according to the cameras set up...

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

jfantasma wrote:

Thanks I will try this. Guess this is an art by itself and is going to take some practice. Although I can set my flash to super FP mode and can shoot at speeds up to 1\2000.

At f/2.8 and ISO 400

jfantasma

Yes it is TTL. It is an Olympus FL 36 hotshoe/wireless flash. At 1\30 of a second my subject will come out ok bit the background will be severely under exposed. And if I try to correct it I get a lot of noise even at ISO 100 I really wish I could upload a photo right now so you can see what I am talking about.

saxkiwi wrote:

quote=jfantasma I have been struggling with this ... (show quote)

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

jfantasma wrote:

... If you would imagine though that you take a picture and half of the persons head and face come out decent nut everything behind them comes out dark.

The problem is this: ambient light mix.

Your flash is supplying 100% of the light...so there is no background light in the shot.

Shutter speed controls background light....the slower the shutter speed...the more the background light enters the shot.

When using flash, you are really making 2 exposures...one of the flash part, and one of the ambient light part.....

Make sense?

Is your flash TTL?

jfantasma

Thanks, this does make a lot of sense and yes it's a TTL flash. It has TTL mode and I can set it to manual too.

das Loc: Holywell North Wales

Using ttl auto mode .In TTl Auto the flash intensity mode is controlled automatically according to the camera settings

Set camera shooting mode to "P" (program auto)

Press the Mode button of the electronic flash repeatedly to set flash control mode to TTL AUto

Press camera shutter button halfway ,shooting info will be displayed on control panel .If the subject is not within the light control range, adjust the distance to subject

Light control range will vary according to settings I.E iso aperture and focal length of lens
Press shutter fully when flash activation has been performed correctly ,the AUTO Check lamp will blink for about 5 sec after shutter is released

Your flash and camera are fully compatable and will give you the facility to use flash of camera and be controlled using cameras wireless RC flash system if required

billybaseball Loc: Bel Air MD

jfantasma wrote:

The only internet have right now is through my phone so I cannot upload any photos. If you would imagine though that you take a picture and half of the persons head and face come out decent nut everything behind them comes out dark. I have tried from about 6 feet with flash at full power bouncing the flash off the ceiling at 1/30 and still have this problem. I am wondering if it is just the incandescent light is not enough on top of the flash??

I have an sb-700 and it has a bounce card. I'll shoot with the flash pointed up and the bounce card up and that illuminates the background.

billybaseball Loc: Bel Air MD

jfantasma wrote:

Yes it is TTL. It is an Olympus FL 36 hotshoe/wireless flash. At 1\30 of a second my subject will come out ok bit the background will be severely under exposed. And if I try to correct it I get a lot of noise even at ISO 100 I really wish I could upload a photo right now so you can see what I am talking about.

saxkiwi wrote:

quote=jfantasma I have been struggling with this ... (show quote)

Yes it is TTL. It is an Olympus FL 36 hotshoe/wire... (show quote)

Shoot in manual and expose for the background and then lower the power on your flash to illuminate the subjects properly. My flash goes down to 1/128th power so I have a lot of range.

butterflygirl77nc Loc: North Carolina

rpavich wrote:

quote=jfantasma ... If you would imagine though t... (show quote)

Agreed! Maybe you could find more ambient light, depending on how old the kids are, a slow shutter won't work because they will blur so you need to find more light, up your ISO and try to get the smallest fstop you can without losing detail.

jfantasma

This all makes a whole lot of sense now. After reviewing all of your help and applying these new techniques I have learned that in this crappy rental house we live in, the lighting just sucks LOL. O well I will just continue snapping away anyway at least i will have the photos for the family. Maybe not studio quality but they will be there. Or I can just set up permanent reflectors in the house LOL. I really appreciate all of your help, at least now i understand my flash and how it is "supposed" to work lol. Much appreciated everyone!!

If anyone has more tricks feel free to post them i will sure try them.