Thanks for all the help to all, also to the one not quoted below
🙂!
@ Olsen and sevo:
I normally don't use flash, but for a small planned project I will photograph the indoors of some old buildings. Normally there will be no persons present. I also for want to document the outside of some of these buildings in the same photo, and thus want to be able to "balance" light outdoor with flash indoor.
I expect to have some time for each shoot for set up etc, and no persons present in the picture, so the issue about time lag for preflash for TTL is not a problem.
But even then, your proposals on going manual seems the best option.
For most of these buildings the option to use ceiling as reflector will not do because of old timber or similar construction, so my initial idea was to use one or more flashes with diffusers or reflectors.
I assume that the setup with Vivitar 283 or similar triggered with old fashioned slaves only involves slaves to trigger the flash, and that both (all) flashes are adjusted manually?
Btw; are there any old flashes with in-built slaves? From my old analog photo days I still have two Cobra Flasmates. These are basically small non-adjustable flashes with built in slave triggers to use as fill-in. IPerhaps I can use these. Hmm, looks like some experimenting is due.
@ Ronald M.
Im not using PS, only LR 3.3. I have good intentions to try the Zero Noise SW/technique. Please note that I dont know your proposal, nor the ZeroNoise, and that I dont want to start a discussion on these in this thread:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?topic=17775.0
I agree with this.
I shoot a lot with flash. The trick to make it look more natural is to use several flashes and slaves that triggers them. With my Canon 1Ds III I use three 550EX placed around the room and a ST-E2 Speedlight Transmitter on the camera.
But I get the same effect using two 20 years old Vivitar 283 triggered with old fashioned slaves and a small/cheap flash (Unimat B24TAC - bought on a fleemarket) on the M9.
For both cameras I use most often 'manual'. I try out different settings which I check on the lcd before starting the serious shooting. That simple. The excellent Leica glass comes to it's righ with flash photography. The high contrast comes to it's right. Most Leica shooters prefer hand held natural light settings. But they should try to develop techniques that makes their flash photography look more natural, - and proffessional. The trick is to use several flashes and slaves.
Try having one or several flashes pointing towards the camera and/or reflected in the ceiling.
TTL flash was nice with film, but it does not work with digital - and has no real substitute. Pre-flash (which is what "digital TTL" really is) is the technology that made that most point-and-shoot shots miss the decisive moment. It will nail the exposure and can be extended to complex multi-flash set-ups, but these are about the only positive things to be said about it. It is a pretty safe bet if you are into collecting grimaces, but apart from that, digital TTL is only good for dead or otherwise inanimate subjects.
Your digital flash pictures will improve considerably if you get a "digital incompatible" cheap outdated flash, disable auto ISO on the camera and shoot the flash on manual or external sensor automatic.
Vivitar 283 set to underexpose, tell it 4.0 and shoot at 8 on camera.
Put it on a tripod and make two exposures, one for shadow, one for highlight. Combine in PS with a luminosity mask.
Very good tutorial on TheLightsRight.com Digital darkroom tab, pick blended exposure.
Photomerge in CS. You need not make it look like a cartoon, but you can make it look very natural.
Reflector card, white.
