Flash and portraits, diffuser or no diffuser?

[steveatesh]

I had occasion to take some unposed baby shots last night, so on the hoof as the baby played.

I quickly got the camera out and put the flash on the camera, on ttl setting as I just had to pop some shots off, no time for changing manual settings etc. as with posed shots.

I decided to use the built in diffuser to soften the light and took a series of shots from further away and closer to the baby.

Anyway, I'm just wondering if the diffuser is the right Thing to do as certainly the shots from further away were darker than I would have liked (alhough useable).

So, diffuser on or diffuser off in these circumstances - is there a way that gives better results?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

[steveatesh]

Tony1963 said:

My usual method is daylight, no flash.

Sorry should have made it clear, was indoors, insufficient daylight hence the flash.

[steveatesh]

Simpo Two said:

The built-in diffuser isn't so much a diffuser as a 'light spreader' for wide-angle lenses. The bright bit (that makes shadows) is still the same size.

The shots from further away were darker because the exposure was wrong. Light follows the inverse square law, whch means that as the distance increases its power falls off massively. Look at your results then either open the aperture, increase ISO or use flash +EV to compensate.

My general purpose solution with a Speedlight is to bounce it and use the catchlight card to throw some forwards. It's not a perfect studio solution but it gives fast, decent and mobile results.

That's great thanks Simpo, got a lot to learn with there here flashes! I assumed ttl would sort the distance out but apparently not!

[steveatesh]

K12beano said:

Flash

Off camera

On portable stand

Through umbrella


TTL - but never "BL"!


Takes three minutes to set up - if you're slow.

I thought TTL would not work through an umbrella or soft box as it is the red sensor on the front of the flash unit that tells it how much light bounces back from the subject and therefore through an umbrella would defeat that - have I been wrong about that? Is it the camera that picks up the light then tells the flash how much flash is required?

Sorry, forgive my ignorance "BL"?