GESO - Balancing flash with available light

[Bob W]

That's quite instructive. In the 3rd picture, though, you write "Flash
adjusts output to keep the foreground subject correctly light". The
flash doesn't need to adjust the output - for the same distance and
aperture the flash output should remain constant, and TTL isn't
needed.

Bob

> -----Original Message-----
> From: pdml-bounces at pdml.net [mailto:pdml-bounces at pdml.net] On 
> Behalf Of George Sinos
> Sent: 01 June 2008 17:14
> To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List
> Subject: GESO - Balancing flash with available light
> 
> Balancing flash with available light.
> 
> This is a gallery of a few shots put together for a class drill.
The
> idea is to light the foreground subject with the flash and the
> background with available light.  The lightness/darkness of the
> background is controlled by changing the shutter speed. The aperture
> is held constant for all photos. The P-TTL flash keeps the subject
lit
> at the desired level.
> 
> For the Pentax folks here's a little additional info.
> 
> The Flash is a 540 set in the wireless mode.  It's set to +1/2 stop
> flash exposure compensation.  It's zoomed in as far as possible to
> narrow help keep light from spilling onto the background.  There are
> only seven images in the gallery, but I did a lot of experimenting
and
> fired the shutter just short of 100 times.  The flash is very close
to
> the subject so it probably didn't need to use much energy.  Even
when
> I was experimenting with very small apertures requiring noticeably
> more powerful flashes the flash recycled almost immediately.  The AA
> alkaline batteries seemed to work OK for this application.
> 
> The lens is the DA* 50-135mm f/2.8.  The focus point is the black
> queen in the back row.
> 
> The camera is the K20d, flash set to wireless control mode.  Manual
> mode for this series.  Though I had set the white balance to
daylight,
> it didn't make any difference.  I had custom setting at "WB auto
when
> flash attached."  I've since set it to "unchanged" so it will use
the
> WB as set on the camera.  No matter, I was shooting raw files.
> 
> Here's the link
> 
> <http://Georges.smugmug.com/gallery/5066768_nv8WE/1/304882093_iUGLx>
> 
> Oh, the opening image documenting the setup was shot with a Canon
G9.
> 
> This was time well spent, if only to learn about the custom settings
> on the camera and flash that interact.  I've only had the K20 and
540
> for a short time.
> 
> GS
> <http://www.georgesphotos.net>
> 
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