Gazebo photography (same shot, different lighting situations)

[Tanya]

I'm going to be taking some photos of people in a gazebo. During my test photoshoot, I found it hard to get a good shot. My camera (nikon d70s) would read the light OUTSIDE of the gazebo (beautiful blue early evening sky) and thus make everything inside the gazebo (which was shady and darker) too dark.

Do I play with dof? do I pull out the flash even though it is daytime?

[dlscott56]

Perfect time for fill flash.

[pathfinder]

Fill flash in daylight is one of a working pro's real secrets.

There are numerous threads here on dgrin about the use of fill flash.

Search here or via Google for fill flash, and you will find a bunch.

You might even find one written by myself:D

[Tanya]

Great! I will test again before the actual shoot - i'm SOOO happy I got a flash after all!

thank you (now at least I now what terms to search for!)

[pathfinder]

Tanya,

I know nothing about your photographic knowledge or abilities - You are using a D70. I hope you have a Nikon system flash as well ..

My experience is with Canon. That is what I own and shoot with. Nikon has similar abilities, but you'll have to get the specifics from a Nikonian.

Assuming you have a Canon DSLR, and an EOS flash.

Put the flash on the camera hot shoe in ETTL or ETTL II, whichever your equipment suppots will be fine. I am not sure of the Nikonian flash equivalent term.

Put your camera in Manual Mode -

Adjust your aperture and shutter speed for the correct overall exposure of the background by adjusting the meter settings in the viewfinder. If needed, raise your ISO as needed.

Now shoot a few frames - you can adjust the lighting of the folks inside the shaded gazebo, by adjusting your flash to add + Flash Exposure Compensation - You can adjust the flash lighting of the folks inside the gazebo, by adjusting your Flash Exposure Compensation - It will be mentioned in your manual that came with your flash.

It would be a good idea to practice shooting with your flash using Fill Flash, until it is second nature before you try it in front of paying customers who may not understand what you are trying to do.

Here are a few threads about Fill Flash in sunlight


http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=32198

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=66340

http://www.digitalgrin.com/showthread.php?t=61303

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=32198&page=3

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?p=580179 - a quick display of two images - one with fill flash, one without

[Scott_Quier]

Here's another one (link (http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=64619)) - this one started by .... well .... me. Ok, when you done laughing at that, consider that there are some significant contributions by a lot of DGrinners.

[Tanya]

thank you so much for your help :)

My skills - VERY basic - i'm learning.

I have a nikon D70s with the SD800 flash. I should have plenty of time to practice and there are no paying customers thank GOODNESS. I have been playing with my flash to get the hang of it but it's admitedly harder than I first thought it would be ;)