mikedent Loc: Florida

Nice flower shot! Sorry, I thought the exposure info comes out when pictures are downloaded? If not, I will add them in the future, thanks for telling me. (Re camera settings: I'm pretty sure I was in aperture mode, I don't like auto for most shots).

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

mikedent, yep, on download the info is there if the EXIF is opened. At times I am surprised at how complicated the NIKON/CANON Complexity Conservative Religious complicate a simple cake receipt. That complexity of flash meters, incident light meter, gas powered generator for studio lights native men to carry hundreds of pounds of photo equipment, two body guards, English movie wool tropic jacket, and your pith helmet securely held while whipping them ... All that to simply take a flower photo in the local park !!!

Remember KIS and enjoy photography.... the Nikon/Canon blind crowd are unable to consider that the photo game is all about controlling the photons reaching the camera sensor and where that light comes from... all that is needed 10th grade physics .. if one flunked it would still be enough... by simple reasoning and the use of Google and reading. Yes, Conservative Capitalism requires the purchase of Big buck equipment not needed and often incorrectly used.

Too many use UHH to inject an opinion ... often incorrect and borrowed ... rather than using sound information:
http://photography.tutsplus.com/articles/using-high-speed-sync-flash-for-great-flower-photos--photo-8773

OOOps forgot to mention that flash and fast shutter eliminates any problem with the wind as long as it is not over 100 mile per hour with faster gusts...

"Play with movement. Finally, a flash unit lets you control the effect of movement in your floral images. Unless you are indoors or in a conservatory, chances are your floral subjects are moving. You can opt to freeze their movement by adding light and working with a faster shutter speed – 1/1000 of a second can stop movement even a strong wind."
http://www.adorama.com/alc/0013667/article/What-Everybody-Ought-to-Know-About-Flash-for-Fantastic-Flower-Photography

mikedent Loc: Florida

All this new info makes my head spin-I need to stop working and spend time learning all these new ideas!

Blenheim Orange Loc: Michigan

I agree with "keep it simple." However, the articles you linked to talk about high speed sync, rear curtain sync, remote flash, multiple flash, backlighting, etc. That is hardly "keeping it simple" for the newbie. As the OP said "all this new info makes my head spin."

The OP is asking how to include the background in a high contrast scene, which is why I referred him to that other thread. You told him how to exclude the background.

Flash and fast shutter will not "eliminate any problem with the wind." In the work I do, the subject is often blown by the wind right out of the frame, or blown in and out of focus, especially with the work I have been doing the last few days, shooting prairie species blossoms on long stalks out in windy areas.

I agree with you that the marketers from the camera companies drive much of the discussion in photography discussions, that "Capitalism requires the purchase of Big buck equipment not needed and often incorrectly used," and that this is a problem. But I don't think anyone on this thread was recommending that the OP go out and buy a bunch of expensive gear, nor lug a bunch of junk around.

I have no idea what Canon/Nikon versus Sony has to do with this discussion.

I suppose it could be said that all that is needed is 10th grade physics to understand how an airplane works. I don't think that would be sufficient to qualify anyone as a pilot, however.

I don't know what to make of your "to simply take a flower photo in the local park" remark. After 40 years, I still find photographing plants to be challenging and I am always learning and improving.

Mike

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

If you don't care about detail in the shadows and only care about the subject, switch to manual and shoot it as a full sun lit scene. If the shadow detail is important, using a shade or translucent shade as someone has previously suggested is one of the best ways to go. A translucent shade will defuse the direct sunlight acting like a soft box light. This reduces your highlights while defusing some of the direct sunlight into the shadows. Sometimes you are able to use fill flash or reflected light to fill in the shadows. But one should avoid adding that fill light on the subject which is in the sunlight and/or to the foreground since it is more likely to increase your contrast, not decrease it.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

Blenheim Orange, you and I agree, the basics in the referenced articles are fine, but they do get muddled into front/back curtains and most cameras now use leaf or electronic shutters rather than focal-plane. (tho the FP language is often used to talk about sync setting)

My comments about old Britt movies was meant to be tongue in cheek about how complicated some people get when .... well I have taken photos in Walmart when they sell flowers and have some displayed without plastic comer... isolate the flower from the store...

Indeed to have high contrast background would require the taking of two photos and use of layers... the story is not the trash can or junk in the background... the story is the flower as wdross said above.

The reason I use references is to say, hay, I am not the only one using flash for flowers during the day light hours. I am use to skim reading and so sort out the complicated that does not apply. I have learned to be a minimalist.... started with a German folding 35mm in the 60s went bit more complicated with a camera similar to the ultimate Pentax K1000 where every thing was manual with a needle lightmeter in the eyeview. Then messed up with the complicated Minolta 7000i which took over the thinking. I saved the lenses and when Sony Alphas came along, wow manual worked again.

However, when I saw a Sony HX50v Refurb for $180 out of impulse (one of those 2 hour Newegg sales) I bought it and was amazed at its abilities. Since then it is on my belt there to take photos that happen ... sweet simple 30x optical and 20mpix, very good IQ.

"But I don't think anyone on this thread was recommending that the OP go out and buy a bunch of expensive gear, nor lug a bunch of junk around."
No not in this thread, rather it is too often a trend in UHH.
"I have no idea what Canon/Nikon versus Sony has to do with this discussion." No, agree... here again the Canon/Nikon people extremist tend to have narrow view of the camera world of excellent cameras. Me, I have Sony because my Minolta old glass fitted the Alpha Sonys. But as I said there are many great small 24/7 cameras out there.. eg mine the HX50 and Canon SX50 also $180 Refurb. Hard to go wrong with either. Do the compete with full frame, of course not, but not bad either.

Yes, you are right he wants, "I'd like to get the whole area properly exposed and presentable." Indeed difficult with this particular photo, but adjusting the image brightness helps,but compromises the subject foliage.

Perhaps slightly off of KIS is to have a slave flash to better illuminate the background with flash along with the front flash still using highspeed shutter and low ISO and small opening lens larger f# for good DOF.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

The answer is always the same no matter what you are shooting; you control the light and the exposure.

Your flower is in full sun. Is that what you want?

If not, then shade it somehow.

If it is; then do you want the flower exposed properly while the background goes black?

If yes, then meter for the flower and let the rest fall into darkness.


If not, then let the flower blow out white while the background is properly exposed.

Your choice.

Blenheim Orange Loc: Michigan

That all sounds good. Thanks.

Mike

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

Here is my take(for whatever it's worth). When you have a very bright object in front of a dark background, you sorta have 3 choices. Expose for the bright object and let the background do what it will do. Use averaging metering and get the background right and blow out the main subject. Use some kind of fill flash and spot metering to get the best result, perhaps not exactly what you want, but the "best"result. The same thing happens with heavily back lit scenes

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

Oh..I didn't see where you said you wanted to get the whole scene exposed together.

Ok...that's simpler.

You need to get the harsh sun off of the flower/plant.


Block the sun in some way; use a scrim, hold up a shade...do something.

You are just trying to get the flower and everything else in the same light.



PS: Flowers and things are USUALLY better looking when photographed in the shade.

mikedent Loc: Florida

Yes, that's what I've been reading. My arms weren't long enough to reach out and provide shade! It seems the "best" results would be to do as well as able in camera, then do PP to get the "look" I want. I just try to avoid extra work if I can. I just need more free time....

Ansel Rosewater

Here’s another iteration using Photoshop.

I used the burn tool at 16% and “washed” over the leaves, gradually darkening them to bring out the leaf texture that was bleached out by the original bright sunlight.

I also made some adjustments using the contrast tool and lightened the background slightly by increasing-slightly- the overall brightness.

brokeweb Loc: Philadelphia

If you are losing detail on your subject....erhh ah, you could use a fill flash. OR you could use your adjustment in light-room. Also thee is a neat little gadget that you can attach to your hot-shoe that contains two LED lights that are on bendable arms. They will probably cost you under 10$. Although they are a little cold, if you are shooting in RAW, you will be able to recover warmth.

Indi Loc: L. I., NY, Palm Beach Cty when it's cold.

Do you have a name or a source for this attachment/accessory?

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

I like to use my TTL flash off camera and clamped to a stake that I made to be a stand alone monopod flash stand. Camera set on Manual, a high shutter speed, f4 or so, and ISO 400. My D7000 can sync at high shutter speeds to make the background go dark. And try to place the flash off to either side to give a raking late afternoon kind of light and also not light the background. Did a few Closeupswith the flash to the side and slightly behind for an interesting backlighting effect on some small bloomed out flower remnants in my yard. Came out pretty well. Lots of glow through the foliage.