Problems with Flash

[Soppy]

I have a Pentax K100D and my subjects can't seem to keep their eyes open due to the brightness of the built in flash (mainly me as I was recently photographed with the camera as well as anyone it a fairly dark area). I need some help with how I could solve this problem without spending a lot of money ($100 or less). Thanks in advance.

 

[davebmck]

You need to post this in the beginner forum. You will get plenty of help there.

 

[ScottS]

Only thing I can suggest is to have the people close their eyes, count to three, have them open their eyes and quickly take the picture...

 

[joey-cakes]

only photograph blind subjects

 

[eravedesigns]

Tell everyone you will count to 3 but shoot the picture on 2 when they don't expect it.

 

[Tiberius47]

But then they will all have their mouths in an O shape from saying "Two."

 

[rmh159]

You can always turn down the flash with flash compensation (assuming your camera has that as a feature). You'd have to adjust other settings to maintain exposure but that might help.

 

[Village Idiot]

The built in flash is probably pre-flashing for red eye reduction. You could probably turn this off. If you're using a flash that just fires once, then they won't even know when you're shooting until after you've taken the pic.

What the red eye thing does is fire a pre flash to cause the person's iris(?) to contract so that the black reflective surface of the eye is smaller and has less area to reflect off of. Using an off camera flash will fix this.

 

[Jeff Canes]

Idiot is likely on the right track, but if that does not work try a flash diffuser, not sure if anyone sales them for popup flashs, but you can make one from a clear 35mm film holder, cut the bottom end off and them split it as need along side, now slide over the flash to use as a diffuser

 

[asfixiate]

I've read that tissue paper could work on the popup flashes as well.

 

[crh428]

I would try to make a diffuser. You could probably make one for less than 5 bucks.

 

[Soppy]

Yea I don't want to buy a new flash because those are expensive. I don't believe my camera has adjustable flash compression and I know it doesn't have red-eye flash.