Working with flash

[Robin Usagani]

Lets use the photo I took below. As you can see the background is super bright. What kind of setting shall I do? Shall I use Spot Metering, Evaluative, Partial, or center weighted average? Someone told me to use small aperture to make the background dark and I assume fast shutter (1/200 is the fastest I can go with my flash if Im not mistaken). So my question is, when I look at the metering, I need to purposely underexpose it right? How much? Just by trial and error and experience? Then with the flash it will make my subject bright and the background dark? I need all the help I can get. Thanks!

http://usagani.com/Proofs/Stacy P/content/bin/images/large/_MG_6679.jpg

 

[Dao]

I am not an expert on this, but what I usually do is spot meter the sky and then flash the subject. In the beginning, it is trial and error for me. But now, I only need to take couple shots to determine the flash power (I only have manual power flash at this moment).

 

[Robin Usagani]

Yeah.. that will probably work.. or maybe the bright grass in the back?