How to shoot birthday cake in darkness?

[Daneinbalto]

I have attached a shot done with a dSLR and -1-2/3 EV compensation. If I don't compensate, the candles blow out not only their own pixels but also the nearby ones, making the cake look like a volcano. Is this amount of compensation also what you would have used? How much do you correct color balance? (if you compensate fully it will look unnatural). Any other tips for shooting this situation?

Any chance of taking a similar shot handheld on 400 ISO film? (Portra NC with a RF and 50 mm f/2). If so, should I compensate by as much (-1-2/3 EV)?.

The attached dSLR photo was taken at f/2.8, 1/80, ISO 3200. RAW to JPG in Canon DPP with no color correction.

 

[Al Kaplan]

The brightness range is too great. Try using a reflecter to put some light into the shadows. A white card might do it, or cover the card with straightened out crumpled aluminum foil if you need more fill light.

 

[Roger Hicks]

As Al says, use some fill -- even a small flash with a handkerchief over it. It's the only hope.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Daneinbalto]

The reflector is a neat idea! And the muffled flash

 

[Al Kaplan]

The flash will work nicely with B&W but you'll have to filter it to match the color of candle light with color film. Most electronic flash is in the 5500 to 6000 degree Kelivin range. Candle light is even warmer than tungsten, probably about 2500 or lower. You'll need to cover the flash with an 85 A, B or C filter. They should all be "close enough". Vivitar supplied them for several of their flashes.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Candle-light is about 1750K but I'm not sure you need to match to it. A very weak fill light may well make the candles look warmer by contrast. The only hope is to try it!

Cheers,

R.

 

[Tuolumne]

Seems like alot of trouble for what sounds like a snapshot. I would expose for the face and let the highlights go their own way. Works in many of my birthday cake snaps.

 

[FrankS]

http://digital-photography-school.com/14-tips-for-great-candlelight-photography

with 400 speed film, i use 1/15 sec at f2

 

[sepiareverb]

I find a shotgun works pretty well in the dark.

 

[Sparrow]

http://digital-photography-school.com/14-tips-for-great-candlelight-photography

with 400 speed film, i use 1/15 sec at f2

my list says +10 stops, that would be 1/30 at f2 ... so that's in the range

 

[sojournerphoto]

I would shoot in manual mode, bounce the flash of something big and white like the ceiling or a wall and (ideally) filter the flash with a half cto gel. Then you could leave the cake neutral to very slightly warm and let the candle flames be warm in shade, which is what we expect.

If you do it with digital you could dial it in in a few shots - first without flash set the manual exposure to get the flames right and then add enough flash to fill the blackness. Harder with film, unless you use a mnual flash setting.

Mike


edied to add - Strobist is a good resource for falsh use.

 

[Daneinbalto]

Added my best try in the original post

Added my best try in the original post

I now managed to upload my best attempt in the original post

 

[Tuolumne]

I now managed to upload my best attempt in the original post

Very nice. So, what's the problem?

/T

 

[Sparrow]

I now managed to upload my best attempt in the original post

bit of work on that and it'll be fine

 

[40oz]

Very nice. So, what's the problem?

/T

I agree. I think it looks very good as is. If you told me that is what you intended I wouldn't argue 🙂