MontanaTrace

I shoot photos for my real estate listings. Many are in rooms with windows that create backlighting issues. I use a midsized Olympus 560Z. It has a backlighting set up. I set the guide to back light, pop the little flash. The meter reads the room and the light from the windows. The flash fills the room. End results are pretty good.

My problem is when I'm in large rooms. The flash doesn't reach far enough.

I like my Olympus but want more flash. I see two possibilities. Buy the similar Canon that has a hot shoe or buy a remote flash that triggers by the light of the camera's built in flash. I'm looking at upgrading anyway, to enjoy the 50mm zoom and more pixels.

What do I buy? I like the Olympus backlighting technology. I also like the Nikon. $429 COSTCO. Canon with a hot shoe and then buy a bigger flash. Love how the screen moves around. All are about the same price. Compact and big zoom. Backlighting is everyday. i need to make sure I don't take a step backwards. The Olympus is very good.

Armadillo Loc: Ventura, CA

Trace,
Before you go into expending a lot of hard earned money you should understand what is currently going on with your Oly camera for indoor shots. When you set up for “Backlit” subjects the camera measures the exposure for the bright light, then sets the exposure to under expose the scene, when you press the shutter the flash fires and “fills in” the room. Olympus had this feature in their OM-4 series film cameras and controlled the flash through the lens (ETTL). Olympus may do this by controlling the flash illumination power, Canon and Nikon may do this by instant Aperture adjustments; so you really have to look closely at what you want to achieve and how it can be performed.

One alternative is to shoot the room from an angle that does not include a naked window. Another alternative is to purchase a set of studio strobes to create the fill in light, set the camera for under exposing the window, and allow the strobes to expose the room. A finale alternative is to set the camera up for High Dynamic Range (HDR) exposures. HDR requires a minimum of three exposures with the following parameters:
1 exposure at +1Ev, 1 exposure at 0Ev, and 1 exposure at -1Ev. (The over and under exposures must have the same range numerically. It is important to have the mid exposure at 0Ev. The camera will capture three images at the pre-set exposure values.

With Post Processing software (PP) you will need the HDR application, this will open all three images, set them as Layers, and allow you to adjust the exposure ranges from all three image files and merge them into one final product. You are in effect lowering the over exposed window light, and boosting the indoor ambient light. Different camera manufacturers vary the number of images they will capture for HDR processing, and some will allow you to set the number of images, from 3 to 7, or more. The technical term for this function is called Exposure Compensation with Bracketed Images.

Personally, for large empty rooms I use HDR, for medium sized rooms I use an external flash on a flash bracket set to ETTL, and for smaller rooms I use the camera onboard flash set to Program and allow the camera to control the exposure.

The key is to study, carefully, your overall requirements and then purchase the equipment that will allow you to accomplish the tasks. Most, modern, DSLR cameras have the ability to capture HDR bracketed images, and most current digital editing software has the ability to PP for HDR merging.

Good luck,

Michael G

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

Welcome to UHH.

Your situation is exactly what HDR technology is all about correcting. Expose for the exterior lighting, expose for the interior lighting, and expose for the shadows. Then combine all 3 shots into one image using HDR software. No flash needed in most cases unless you want to use one remotely to light up particularly dark areas like closets or stairwells.

snydersnapshots Loc: Houston, Texas

Trace,

An excellent source of information about lighting and off-camera flash is David Hobby's "Strobist" blog. Specifically, check out his Lighting 101 and Lighting 102 archives. Essentially, they're a full course in lighting and the price is right: free. Excellent information. (www.strobist.blogspot.com)

If you're considering going Nikon, another good source of info is Joe McNally--he uses Nikon exclusively and has several books about the Creative Lighting System. Excellent information there as well.

Speaking of Nikon, if you're interested in using off-camera flash, I would suggest using the D7000 series or above. The low-end camera bodies (D3000 series and D5000 series) require additional equipment (either a flash that has commander mode or a dedicated infra-red commander to fire the off-camera flash units). The flash on the D7000 series, D300 series, and above has the commander mode built in and can be used to trigger the off-camera flashes. If budget is a concern (face it: apart from Congress, who ISN'T concerned about budget these days?) You might look at a used D300 or D300S or D7000 from Adorama or B&H Photo. If you haven't dealt with them, they are very reputable outlets and give accurate ratings on their used equipment. I've bought used from them in the past and been very pleased.

BTW... Are you from Montana? If so, where are you located? My parents lived in Whitefish for 20 years and have been in Great Falls the last 8.

MontanaTrace

Thank you for your in depth response. I want the views out the windows to have adequate exposure and at the same time, show the room. The room with the views seen from the room is a selling point.

I became an Olympus fan when I discovered the Off The Film Metering System of the OM-4. I used this with a CromoPro to create title slides.

Later, I discovered the back lighting features of the 560Z. The layering approach, incorporated in bracketing and utilization of software for assembly is one I have been too lazy to try. Others tell me it's worth the effort.

My biggest issue is the short range of the on board fill flash. Am I forced to take the extra steps with PP software or can I upgrade my camera and/or add-on flash equipment to expand fill flash lighting in larger rooms?

How is the back lighting control with the comparable small Canon and Nikon? I have a hunch, I'm going to have to work a little harder and use PP software.

Wahawk Loc: NE IA

The Canon SX50 has a very nice "in-camera" HDR setting. Really need to use a tripod when using this since it takes 3 images at different settings and combines them 'in-camera'. The camera also has a hot-shoe for using an aux flash with more power than the built-in flash. There are also several inexpensive flash units that work with SX50 that allow the flash to be tilted and/or swiveled for bounce lighting which makes for more even light over the entire room.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

I teach architectural and real estate photography. If you want great results, you have to select your time of day to minimize window light infiltration, use multiple exposures that you combine in Photoshop to create a convincing light (outside light will have a different color temperature than inside light and that will be different from flash, and consider light painting, where you use a flash to hightlight a particular area, take a shot, then move on to another area, take a shot, etc until you have the entire room covered.

It's covered here:

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2008/08/one-light-real-estate-photography.html

You will probably need to upgrade your gear to something that lends itself better to what it is I think you are trying to do.

MontanaTrace

THAT is the answer I was looking for. Thank you.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

You might want to look at LR/Enfuse - it is a great plugin for Lightroom that does exposure blending without modifying the contrast/color saturation/microcontrast so that you will end up with very natural looking images. How you handling lighting, however, will make the difference between a snaphot and a good shot.

MontanaTrace

I have been in Whitefish for seventeen years. Love it.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

You might want to look at the work one of my mentorees has beend doing lately with the techniques I have shown him.

http://ronnachtwey.com/

In particular, look at his home interiors and exteriors

pithydoug Loc: Catskill Mountains, NY

WOW!

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

He is good, and he is thankful for the help I have given him over the past year. I've help him specifically with the blending of exposures, and introduced him to the idea of light painting and frequency separation to eliminate color inconsistencies without affecting fine details.

pithydoug Loc: Catskill Mountains, NY

My local camera club is doing a session on "light painting." Off to the drawing board so I can get a vague idea what it entails...

Apparently he is a very good student which makes you a super teacher. :)

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

He is also a great photographer - he just needed to learn some new tricks - most of what I helped him with was in how to analyze his images, then find the correct technique to create his vision using post processing. Been doing photography since 1967, and in spite of it all, I managed to learn a few things along the way. Now I am just sharing.