Mick 53 Loc: Minneapolis

Hello Friends
My question is. When shooting a group or portraits against the lake or sunny sky the faces are always dark and background lake and sky are washed out. I have tried many different settings, I have tried fill flash and I over expose the shot. I always shoot raw and manual settings with a 100 ISO. The aperture is usually 5.6 with exposure compensation setting. In lightroom I can correct it somewhat with highlights bringing back the lake and clouds. The shadow slider lightens up the faces somewhat. My equipment used is my Canon 70 D and using my 24-105 L lens. Thanks in advance

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

That's a tough situation, called back-lighting. HDR is one solution, but the people have to remain motionless. If you want the people exposed correctly, meter for them and adjust the background as best you can. Shooting in raw is a good idea.

https://www.dpmag.com/how-to/shooting/exposure-solutions-balance-backlight/
https://photography.tutsplus.com/articles/mastering-backlighting--photo-9375
http://photodoto.com/backlit-photography/

paulrph1 Loc: Washington, Utah

Meter for the back of the head and set your flash to fill and set it for 1 stop under the back of the head exposure. Now set you camera to manual and it should be the one stop under exposure. All this is done in manual. Camera, Flash. Shoot expose and look and make adjustments as needed.

PhotomanTom

My solution, manual exposure mode. Set exposure in the camera to get properly exposed background. (lake and sky) Use an external flash in manual mode and adjust the power setting on the flash until you get proper exposure for the foreground. (faces) You will need some way to sync the flash with the camera shutter. I use cheap radio triggers to accomplish this.

If you are using the pop up flash on the camera to light the scene, it is likely to weak to properly light the foreground. Sometimes the solution to photography problems is to use the right equipment. The bad part is this involves spending money.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Use Exposure Compensation to get a good exposure for the background. Then set the fill flash for a good exposure of the faces. If need be it should be okay to go to ISO 200 or 400, and even higher if you learn how to deal with it.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

You need to learn your flash. A fill flash does not create this effect if set correctly. Many cameras even have a setting for that (when using the on camera flash).

When you select flash the camera goes down to 1/60s and results in the effect you describe (washing out the background, manual mode).

Tip:
Expose for the background (highlight) using 1/60, 1/125 or 1/250 (if your camera offers these sync speed choices). THEN use your flash in addition (fill). If the subject is still too dark a the cell on the flash can be fooled, set the flash on manual and experiment with 1/4 power, 1/3, 1/2 or full power.

Personally I used to measure:
1 at 1/250 for the background
1 at 1/250 on the subject to get the difference of exposure
Then I was setting my flash to adjust leaving the main subject slightly under exposed (1/2 stop).
I always found the back-lit shots odd when both background and main subject are equal in luminosity.

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

You can also expose a shot for the people then have them get out of the way and shoot the background then put them together in PP.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

An easy way to do this without flash is to use a big reflector with the sun somewhat behind or to the side and direct light back onto the subject.
Could be a large piece of foamcore or something like THIS.


Do you have a speedlight?
The Canon 580 EX II will allow you to use High Speed Sync so you can use shutter speeds higher then 1/200th sec.
This way you can control your ambient light easier.
The drawback is that the flash power is reduced, but that's not normally a problem if you use a wider aperture and have the flash close to the subject, preferably in a softbox or umbrella.


Per QuickGuide to Canon Speedlite 580EX II Modes and Functions:
High-Speed/Shutter Curtain Sync Button:
The High-speed Sync and Shutter Curtain Sync options are available only when the 580EX II is in E-TTL or Manual mode. Press the Sync button until the corresponding icon appears on the display. When no icon is visible the corresponding function is off.
More info in THIS thread.
A great site here: https://fstoppers.com/originals/demystifying-high-speed-sync-68527
and from our FAQ; http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-74372-1.html

HDR and compositing a new background may work but really aren't very practical and unless you're very good at Post Processing, look messy.
Learn to light correctly.

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

But as my therapist is fond of saying "Don't think of it as one of life's difficulties, think of it as 'another f***ing opportunity for growth.'"

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

Ha! Love it.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

Good old fill flash is still the best way to level the contrast in those scenarios! That way you get the appropriate exposure for your background and the correct one for your subject. Life is good!!

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

Not correct, I use HSS many a times in manual mode as well with my 580's!

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

Glad to have a correction!
Is it this sentence?
"The High-speed Sync and Shutter Curtain Sync options are available only when the 580EX II is in E-TTL or Manual mode."
Or that you are using a 580 (non II)?

(I'm a Nikon guy just trying to help)

bkyser Loc: Fly over country in Indiana

I wish I could help specifically with the camera and flash combo you have, but I'm a Nikon guy (don't shoot me)

It's not that difficult to underexpose the background by about a stop, then use the flash with high speed sync (or whatever Canon calls it) set to expose the people properly. Now, if you have a larger group, it would be easier to use multiple flashes. As Goofie suggested, you can use a reflector as well, but won't be able to do it "the easy way"

Watch some youtube videos on "overpowering the sun" You'll find a lot of tips on how to do it, whether you have high speed sync or not. I doubted it, until I saw a few people do shots of single subjects with a slower shutter speed, and they were still able to get the sun overpowered, but they used NO modifiers, and the flash was very close, and full power. I think the girl in the video is probably blind by now, but the results were pretty good for just one flash and no high speed sync.

Actually, this is where having an incident meter, and shooting everything in manual, including the flash, is MUCH easier than letting the camera figure things out for you.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Mick, I'm not gonna try to tell you what to do.
You don't say how big a group is. The bigger the harder.
Yes, you will need to add light.
Do a little homework. Look up all you can find on "balancing light". That's the situation you're in.
You have two different exposures and need to expose for the brighter and fill in the darker one, to balance them. It's pretty basic once you have it down.
You can actually practice in the comfort of your home shooting something, it can be a still life, in front of a widow. When you have it right, the subject has exactly the same amount of light as outside the window. That's balancing the light.
A light meter makes it easier, but you can chimp your way there also. Good luck!
SS