# on camera flash (fill flash)



## paigew (Jul 1, 2012)

please post your best examples of a portrait where you used (on camera) flash as fill light. I can't seem to get it how I like it and would like to see some good examples if you don't mind. And please share what settings your camera and flash were on. When I tried I used (as recommended to me) the ttl setting on my speedlight and did not like the way that everything was lit up rather than just a 'touch' of light.


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## Robin Usagani (Jul 1, 2012)




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## Robin Usagani (Jul 1, 2012)

Camera was on manual and flash was bounced ETTL.


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## paigew (Jul 1, 2012)

yes that looks great! But what if you can't bounce (outside)


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## Robin Usagani (Jul 1, 2012)

If you cant bounce.. then really think about the sun placement and background.  Look at this one.. no flash.  But I picked a very dark background.







If you do use a fill in flash (on camera), make sure  your exposure is almost correct.  Meaning your subject is not overly underexposed without the flash.


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## paigew (Jul 1, 2012)

Schwettylens said:


> If you cant bounce.. then really think about the sun placement and background.  Look at this one.. no flash.  But I picked a very dark background.
> 
> 
> If you do use a fill in flash (on camera), make sure  your exposure is almost correct.  Meaning your subject is not overly underexposed without the flash.



yes, see I love the way that looks with no flash. I never use my flash because I can't get it to look natural. It is possible that I am underexposing my subjects though when I use flash. I will have to try properly exposing them and see if I like that. What I really don't like is how it illuminated everything around (grasses ect.)


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## Robin Usagani (Jul 1, 2012)

paigew said:


> Schwettylens said:
> 
> 
> > If you cant bounce.. then really think about the sun placement and background.  Look at this one.. no flash.  But I picked a very dark background.
> ...



That means your exposure (before the flash) is too low.  You want it to look pretty good already without the flash.  Then when the flash fires, it just fill in a little of the darker shadows.  

This one for example, the subject is very underexposed without the flash.  But I used off camera flash.  It will look similar if you put it on camera but the light is more flat.


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## KmH (Jul 1, 2012)

Visit http://neilvn.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/ for on camera flash techniques and you might want to get his inexpensive books:

On-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography 

Off-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Photographers


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## SCraig (Jul 1, 2012)

I don't shoot people very often so I'm not very good at it, however these are a couple from the Tennessee Renaissance Festivel this year:


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## paigew (Jul 1, 2012)

okay thanks guys! I was underexposing the photos, that must be my problem  I will try again soon! Thanks for the links kmh I will check them out!!


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## kundalini (Jul 1, 2012)

I'm not exactly sure if this is helping with your delima, but these are some test shot taken while I was trying to understand underexposing the background while using flash for my subject, Winston.  My starting point was to get the background to an OOF that was to my liking.


This is how the camera wanted to meter Winston.







But I wanted to under expose (darken) the background.  This is how I set the background exposure to my liking.  But as you can obviously see, Winston is quite under exposed as well.






Add flash to brighten Winston while leaving the background under exposed.







You can adjust the flash output up or down to taste.  By this time I was tired and wanted to get inside, but the process and concept hasn't left me.  Practice on things like this when you're by yourself on subjects that want moan.  Then when you go live, the time spent going through these excercises will be hard wired and you just get on with it.


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## rambler (Jul 17, 2013)

To darken the background, Kundalini, closes the aperture.(maybe to f/16), but then Foster will be underexposed, so fill him in with flash.  In Manual setting you can  underexpose by the units on the dial ( note what happens to the shutter speed, it slows)

Notice in the underexposed Foster ( I actually like the look) where the shadow falls on the face.  So, hold the flash off to your right and that shadow should be gone, "filled" in by the flash.  Think of the flash as being the sun.  At what angle do you want it to hit your underexposed subject?  

Experiment with underexposing the entire frame, even try darkening it so much you can hardly see your main subject  Then use your flash to lighten it.  The background will probably stay dark because the flash will not reach it.


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