Sunset/people exposure

BBones

Ok been trying to play around with this one. Trying to figure out how to take pictures of people properly exposed while backlit by a good sunset. I have a 1D Mark 2N and a 580ex flash

SimpsonBrothers

flash on ttl
camera on manual
properly expose background
shoot.

BBones

Ttl? Or ettl?

Swore I have tried that before and no success

SimpsonBrothers

sorry, ettl.
if you don't like it switch to manual, never fail.

BBones

Thanks, I'll give that a go again and see

SimpsonBrothers

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2011/01/on-assignment-stephanie-yezek.html

heatherfeather

The issue you are having is that the Ettl will see all the bright light from the sunset and turn the flash down.

Here is what you do in P mode: meter for the sky, hit the * button. That will lock in that exposure to your camera. Turn the flash exposure compensation to +2 or so to let the flash know that you are shooting a bright scene. Focus on your subject and click.

In manual, just meter for the sky, choose your exposure and then set the FEC to +2 or so. Experiment on how much FEC you want for the scene. This is the method I use with a lot of regularity. It works for any situation where the background is several stops brighter than your subject...

pathfinder

I would suggest setting your flash in ETTL, with your camera in Manual mode. Try to under expose the background 1/2 stop or more, by cutting down your shutter speed, and use our flash exposure to light the subject. This will give a nice deep saturation to the sky behind your subjects. You MAY need to turn on High Speed Synch if the sun is still real bright to allow you a high enough shutter speed ( which the flash will otherwise limit to 1/250th or so even in Manual Mode )

The most complete links on the web for EOS flash system usage are found here - http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/ and http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/index2.html and http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/index3.html

If you read and learn these, you will know far more than most folks about how to drive the EOS flash system.

Half way down the page in the second link, is an explanation of P mode, which is designed to allow hand holding your camera - eg: a shutter speed restricted between 1/60th and your camera's basic flash synch speed, typically about 1/200th or so for most Canon bodies. This shutter speed limitation may be a serious disadvantage in bright light situations...

Dan7312

The light at sunset is a tad orangey. Try using a CTO (1/2 or 1/4) gel on the flash to match the ambient light color. I'm waiting for a chance to try this myself... it's one of the hints in Syl Arena's Speedliters Handbook.

BBones wrote: »

Ok been trying to play around with this one. Trying to figure out how to take pictures of people properly exposed while backlit by a good sunset. I have a 1D Mark 2N and a 580ex flash

Qarik

Depends on if you are shooting with or with out flash. If no flash 1st of all stop down your aperture to f/8 or so. If you don't then the strong back light will just wash everything out no matter what your settings. Then spot meter on the face.

If shooting with a flash...ttl is okay but make sure you have high speed sync on. You will need to over power the sun..agian spot meter on the face.