Fill flash pop vs PP pop

rutt

This question arises from Shay's knowledgeable post about fill flash on a Whipping Post thread: http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=20607

Here the fill flash has created an effect that looks pretty unrealistic. Shay gives some advise about how to meter the flash. I'd like more details about that. It seems to me that good fill flash balance is very important. Looking at this shot, I think it will be harder to make it look natural in PP than it would have been to add that "pop" in PP. So, it seems to me that learning to use the fill flash conservatively is important because it's easier to recover from too little than from too much. It's not that different from some of Dan Margulis' comments about raw conversion in his new LAB book. It's gotten so easy to do certain things in post that the real goal of the upstream technique is to keep from making mistakes which limit us during our PP workflow.

Andy

rutt wrote:

This question arises from Shay's knowledgeable post about fill flash on a Whipping Post thread: http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=20607

Here the fill flash has created an effect that looks pretty unrealistic. Shay gives some advise about how to meter the flash. I'd like more details about that. It seems to me that good fill flash balance is very important. Looking at this shot, I think it will be harder to make it look natural in PP than it would have been to add that "pop" in PP. So, it seems to me that learning to use the fill flash conservatively is important because it's easier to recover from too little than from too much. It's not that different from some of Dan Margulis' comments about raw conversion in his new LAB book. It's gotten so easy to do certain things in post that the real goal of the upstream technique is to keep from making mistakes which limit us during our PP workflow.

i've always done fill flash by feel. i usually start with -1.7 fec if the subject has a side angle to the sun, and if i'm close. if i'm further away, i'll start with -1. i'll take a quick look at the screen, and adjust accordingly. if the subject is backlit, i'm going to throw yet more light on the subject.

the best way to learn this, imo, is to take a willing subject, and go out on a sunny afternoon. practice some shots in open light, and in filtered (say, under the trees) light. once you do this, you'll have the beginnings of understanding, to know, how much fill to throw at the subject.

as far as "at shoot" or "in post" i think you know where i stand

USAIR

Fill Flash Cheat Sheet

Fred