Event Photography with a 580 EX II

funkytaco

Hi all! First post!

I'm just looking for recommendations on my setup.


So I recently did a club shoot using my Canon 30D and a Speedlite 580 EX II (default auto E-TTL mode) with a f/3.5? (not sure on loan) 28-135mm Canon USM. The venue has probably 30 foot tall ceilings, and also a nook where I shoot against a backdrop.

I recently shot there and switched between manual, Av, and maybe even Tv mode (not sure). I did not like my photos at all. I had no diffusor (the event coordinator said he was going to bring one, but didn't - still my fault for not bringing mine), so I used the little built-in bounce card.

I mostly shot at a 45 degree tilt to the flash with the white bounce card.

I also noticed this on the canon site:
Do not use the P-mode or Tv mode, since these set aperture automatically, and the flash has no way of knowing what aperture the camera is using.


The photos all have good light for the top 1/2 of the exposure. I feel like I really need the diffusor, but I'm not too sure. Some came out fine. :dunno

Also:

Can I just force my speedlite 580 EX II to shoot at full power in a manual mode? I'm looking through the Canon site now for the PDF manual. If this is not recommended, I'd like to hear your opinion as well. I'm fairly new to shooting with a Speedlite, and have been using it in the default auto E-TTL mode.

pathfinder

Start with the link at the top of this forum http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=70330 - there is a lot of basic information about the EOS flash system. Understanding the design goals of the EOS flash system will help make sense of the controls of the flash and the camera.

If you have a good exposure for the top portion of your image, and the lower half is dark, and the separation line is a arc convex up, I suspect you are getting shadowing from your lens hood.

A short answer is shoot with the camera in Manual mode at a shutter speed near 1/160th, with the flash in ETTL mode. Choose an ISO appropriate for an ambient light exposure, at the chosen aperture and shutter speed, if you can.

You can force your flash to shoot full blast by shifting the flash to manual mode ( not ETTL ) but why would you want to? There are good reasons to shoot manual mode flash, but that won't get rid of the shadow you asked about. Learn to use ETTL flash, with the camera in manual mode. You will find it delightful I am certain.

funkytaco

pathfinder, thanks for your reply.

I'll try 1/160 and adjust ISO accordingly. That sounds like a good rule, like my one for studio (iso 100, f/8, 1/250, adjust f-stop and speed accordingly).

I'm going to play with some homemade cardboard/velcro bouncers between now and my next shoot. Thanks. I'll figuire out the shadow problem - probably just me being dumb with my bounce angle/too close for the angle.

AlbertZeroK

I have shot with the in flash bounce card on the 580exII. It works well pulled out and with the flash tilted at 45 degrees. As for the lens hood, with the 28-135 is not that significant. Now if you were shooting with a 70-200, I know I have problems with my lens hood at the ST-E2 not being able to illuminate center AF Points. But then again, nothing suprises me.

jeffreaux2

Here is my explanation of the technique I often employ...

http://www.dgrin.com/showpost.php?p=992414&postcount=13

Scott_Quier

Here's my take on it ...

http://www.dgrin.com/showpost.php?p=1283887&postcount=2