fill flash how to

[Michael I.]

how do I fill flash with a completly manual flash\camera?

 

[VinceC]

Manual flash can be tough. You've got to use your distance settings to balance the light, which restricts you.

Basically, if the sunlight setting calls for f/22 at 60th of a second (roughly right for 100 speed film) then you want to hold the flash as such a distance that its scales say somewhere between f/11 and f/16 worth of light are hitting the subject. The ideal for fill is one and a half stop below the ambient highlights. Makes it look quite natural. Putting the flash on a longish cord can help quite a lot, because you can then adjust the distance by how far away you hold the flash.

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

If you are serious about doing fill flash on a regular basis, invest in a good hand held flash meter. It will eliminate guess work and give you peace of mind knowing that your photos will be properly exposed (proper meaning the way you like them).

Vince's advice it pretty much spot on.

Now, if some one would just invent a composition meter I could improve my photos.

wayne

I happen to use a Minolta IVf, which I have found to be a good meter. There are others out there of course.

 

[Solinar]

This LINK may be a useful start.

Don't forget that you can set the actual exposure to as much as 3 stops of above the amount of flash illumination reaching your subject, if for example you only wish to brighten the eyes.

 

[Nick R.]

It also depends on what type of manual camera you have. For a leaf type shutter, the concept is relatively simple: set your aperture for flash exposure and your shutter for ambient (at whatever ratio you prefer). For focal plane shutters, which typically sync at some max. fixed speed, you set shutter and aperture for ambient and adjust the flash itself for fill. Some flashes are adjustable or you have to use the distance method as Vince says.