Fill Flash Help.

4labs

Looks like the baby will be here a little early so I decided to take out the flash and Lightsphere diffuser that I never use out. These shots were taken with my flash off camera and bounced off a white ceiling. The flash had that Gary Fong light sphere thingy on it. Woudl love opinion son how I did. I know my focus was a little low, more on the nose and not the eyes so besides that any opinions? I'd love to have this down for when the baby arives. Thnnxs in advance.

XO-Studios

4labs wrote:

Looks like the baby will be here a little early so I decided to take out the flash and Lightsphere diffuser that I never use out. These shots were taken with my flash off camera and bounced off a white ceiling. The flash had that Gary Fong light sphere thingy on it. Woudl love opinion son how I did. I know my focus was a little low, more on the nose and not the eyes so besides that any opinions? I'd love to have this down for when the baby arives. Thnnxs in advance.

the lighting worked out good, however consider this. Why not mount the flash in the hotshoe and mount the Lightsphere. Less to deal with, and easier to handle, having just recently been there/done that (5/29) you will be busy as is.

FWIW,

XO,

wxwax

Eric, I think the lighting on the first one is excellent. It looks really good.

To my eye, on my tiny laptop screen, the second one looks a little hot. The difference, no doubt, between a dark coat and a light one. Other than changing the dogs, did you do anything else different between the two shots?

bfjr

Evening Eric
If you didn't tell me you used flash I won't know!!
So this is a good flash job, no excellent

jogle

The Pictures of the dogs are great but please be very careful about using a flash around a newborn baby.

From what I understand, the pigments that protect their eyes are not developed at birth and direct flashes can cause damage to their retinas.

I'm not sure about flashes bounced off the roof or a wall but you might want to practice with your fast lenses and natural light to be on the safe side.

4labs

jogle wrote:

The Pictures of the dogs are great but please be very careful about using a flash around a newborn baby.

From what I understand, the pigments that protect their eyes are not developed at birth and direct flashes can cause damage to their retinas.

I'm not sure about flashes bounced off the roof or a wall but you might want to practice with your fast lenses and natural light to be on the safe side.

Well I am glad you told me! Thnxs so much.. Luckily I have an 85m 1.4 which shoudl do teh trick wihout a flash..


Sid.. I think it might be yoru screen as from here the second one doesn't look hot. Both were same exact settings exept I was lower to the ground for the second as I like to get eye level when taking pics of the pups.

Thnxs Ben I rarely use a flash but I have seen so much
great work on Dgrin with a flash I thought I'd give it a go..

XO-Studios

4labs wrote:

Sid.. I think it might be yoru screen as from here the second one doesn't look hot. Both were same exact settings exept I was lower to the ground for the second as I like to get eye level when taking pics of the pups.

I am with Sid, the second one is definitely hot, use the eyedropper and you will see plenty of 255,255,255. When I shoot with my Lightsphere, it is notorious for needing adjustment up/down as much as a full stop in flashpower.

XO,

4labs

Now this is a mystery

XO-Studios wrote:

I am with Sid, the second one is definitely hot, use the eyedropper and you will see plenty of 255,255,255. When I shoot with my Lightsphere, it is notorious for needing adjustment up/down as much as a full stop in flashpower.

XO,

I have covered every inch with the eye dropper and did not get one 255 except for the white spot in his eye? Is it possible that the file changes when downloaded?

XO-Studios

4labs wrote:

I have covered every inch with the eye dropper and did not get one 255 except for the white spot in his eye? Is it possible that the file changes when downloaded?

I stand corrected, right above the dogs R eye (viewer left) there are a couple of spots 253,251,253. I got complacent and eyeballed it rather than actually measure it.

What I have found however, is that with my D70/SB-800/Lightsphere-II combination, shooting a brown, and a yellow lab for instance, I have to adjust flash power to get better results. the D70/SB-800 combo w/o lightsphere is flawless in almost any combination and light.

XO,

Shay Stephens

Bah Humbug!
I have heard this type of thing before. Forgive me, but I usually like to question the hyper-safety recommendations I hear so I did a search and found the following:

I'm camera crazy. Should I worry about the flash hurting my new baby's eyes?

June 16, 2002
By: Stephen J. Krebs, M.D.
Carlisle Pediatric Associates Enjoy your baby and take your pictures. They will be cherished by your family as your baby grows up and by her as she sees what she looked like as a baby.
There should be virtually no harm in the camera flashes. There is felt to be no harm in examining baby’s eyes with the bright eye scopes used by baby doctors and eye doctors. There is potential harm (in theory only) to the eyes when babies are placed in intense light therapy (phototherapy) for jaundice if their eyes are uncovered for prolonged periods of this light exposure. This is based on damage to the retina, the back of the eye, noted in newborn piglets studied with using phototherapy. This, of course, is much stronger and longer light exposure than many, many camera flashes and still is only a risk in theory, not proven in human babies.
Looking into bright lights for extended periods can also damage the retina. Therefore, don’t look directly at a solar eclipse when observing one. But, this again is prolonged and intensive light exposure. The camera flashes even of a self-proclaimed camera addict are safe for your baby.


http://www.carlislermc.com/community/questions.asp

And consider this from my own personal experience. My Sunpak 555 flash with a guide number of 150 at full power just barely approaches the brightness of sunlight at close distances for the fraction of a second it is on. If you can take a baby outside in the sun, then surely a flash is going to do no more harm than a nice stroll on a sunny day

jogle wrote:

The Pictures of the dogs are great but please be very careful about using a flash around a newborn baby.

From what I understand, the pigments that protect their eyes are not developed at birth and direct flashes can cause damage to their retinas.

I'm not sure about flashes bounced off the roof or a wall but you might want to practice with your fast lenses and natural light to be on the safe side.

4labs

Shay,
Thnxs so much for taking the time. There are enough things I need to worry about, this is just one less..

Eric