BetterPhoto Q&A
Category: Flash Photography

Alicia A. Bruce

Using a Flash Indoors

No matter what, whenever I try to shoot indoors with a flash, the picture looks bad. The subject is too bright and the background is too dark, even if I back up and then zoom in. I have a Canon Powershot a95. I used to have a Sony Cybershot, but I still had the same problem, so I'm almost positive it's me doing something wrong. Does anybody have any suggestions?

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February 12, 2005

Justin Keery

Built-in flashes on small cameras are like this. Try "night scene" mode, which will expose the background more (especially nice if there are candles or whatever), and reduce the flash power a bit.

Also experiment with using reflective foil or something to bounce the flash off a wall/ceiling instead of direct ... but with a low-powered flash this may only work in a small room.

Also try just switching off the flash altogether and holding the camera very steady! Digital cameras generally do quite well in low light, and you can improve the picture later on the computer.

But if you need good flash photos, you really have to bounce the flash. This means you need a camera with a "shoe" to add a flash gun, and a flash gun that has a tiltable bounce head.

A used Canon G2 would probably cost less than $200 and take awesome pictures at 4 megapixels, and you can attach a flash.

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February 13, 2005

Ashby A. B.

I had the same problem the other night while trying to do a mini-photo shoot for a friend. All white walls, flash attachment on the EOS Elan 7E, Canon 240EZ flash...and I got grainy dark and yellow photos. (Please see attached photo.) I was very frustrated when I got the photos back. Should I have taken the flash off the camera? I did have the flash tilted at a 45 degree angle. Maybe the room was too big because after we moved to the stairwell, the photos were better. Thanks!

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February 16, 2005

Ashby A. B.

OK...had a little trouble trying to upload the photo...I'll try again.

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February 16, 2005

Ashby A. B.

They say the third time is a charm, right???

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February 16, 2005

Amy M. Parish

I read somewhere that you can cut out a small piece of vellum and put in in front of your on camera flash to diffuse the flash intensity. I haven't tried it, maybe I will sometime just to see if it works. If you have the option of adding an external flash with a swivel head, do so, and bounce it off the ceiling or any side wall as long as it is white.

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February 16, 2005

Chris Norwood

I have also heard of similar things to what Amy has said. I have heard that just putting your finger over a portion of the flash works well.

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February 16, 2005

Ashby A. B.

I guess my problem is the exact opposite. Not enough intensity, but I have washed out a face or two with a flash. I tried to upload a photo as an example and couldn't figure out how to do so.

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February 17, 2005

Andrew Laverghetta

Do you remember what your aperture was for these pictures? Did you just use the reading the camera was giving for a DIRECT flash? Since you're bouncing you probably need to open up the aperture about a stop or until the picture is to your liking since bouncing the flash will reduce the amount of light reaching the subject. Hope this helps!

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February 17, 2005

Andrew Laverghetta

I have a picture that I took by bouncing my on-camera flash to the aluminum back that many drinking fountains have that are built into the wall on my free gallery. I believe the aperture the camera told me to use for a direct flash was something like 1/90 @ f4.5 but I had to open it to something like 1/90 @ f3.5. I tilted the camera down and stuck a white 3x5 notecard between the flash and the camera to bounce the light. Here's the link, it's somewhat down the page...

http://www.betterphoto.com/gallery/free/gallery.php?memberID=85601

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February 17, 2005

Ashby A. B.

Thanks Andrew - I will take your advice and use it the next time I shoot indoors. I think sometimes I'm so taken by what I see in the viewfinder, I don't realize that the look of that image will probably change once it's on film. Thanks for writing!

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February 18, 2005

Andrew Laverghetta

No problem Ashby! Have a good day :)

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February 18, 2005

Ken Henry

It's a piece of cake. Film or digital cameras with direct flash.

1. I set my camera to exposure priority.
2. I set my speed from 1/2 to 1/15sec. mostly I use 1/4sec. And learn to hold the camera steady, you can do it. Don't worry, flash makes a sharp picture.

But, the background may not be as sharp. The slower speed will record some background plus it'll receive some flash fill.

3. I set my flash to -1 flash exposure compensation. IT'S IN THE MANUAL.
4. And for sharper photos(and backgrounds) I use the quick and fast Automatic Monopod 3245 by Bogan.
5. For more background light I use a Morris Midi Slave 360 degree on a lightweight 6' light stand behind the subject. This backlight also creates a nice halo or rim effect on the subject and to seperate the subject from the background.
6. Need more light on a larger background? Add another slave flash.

One more, I use scotch tape on my flash. It has a matte finish for softer light.

Photography Mythology: Skillful photographers do not practice.

Ken

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February 27, 2005

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