Basic pop up flash question...

[weepete]

Ok guys, so I have been reading up on flash photography and techniques. A lot of it is about off camera flash, but at the moment I'm limited to using my pop up flash as I'm skint. I'll get one eventually (there's a few quid each week going into an ocf fund on my mantlepeice now!).

So, I've found the settings in my camera for manually controlling the flash power etc and have taken a few test shots experimenting to expose for ambient light in the background which are ok as long as I'm shooting still objects. I've heard a lot of webistes say not to worry as the flash will freeze motion, but a lot of my pics seem to still contain a bit of motion blur, and for me are not acceptably sharp (in comparison with other shots with the same lenses).


So can you tell what I'm doing wrong or how to shoot sharp photos with a slower shutter speed and pop up flash while still exposing for ambient light or am I just getting ahead of myself and trying to do someting my current kit can't do?

 

[weepete]

I should add that stills are fine, its more shooting people that this issue appears.

 

[SCraig]

When you turn the flash on most cameras automatically reduce shutter speed to 1/60 second if you are not using manual or shutter priority mode on your camera. Try using shutter priority with a shutter speed of about 1/250 or 1/320 second and see if that helps.

Edit ... Forgot to mention that a flash WILL stop motion, however if there is enough ambient light you will still get some exposure from that. Normally that is where motion blur in flash photography comes from.

 

[tirediron]

Exactly what Scott said. Remember that when using flash there are two exposures; the actual flash exposure, and an ambient exposure as well. Aperture controls the flash exposure, shutter-speed controls the ambient. What you are getting is "ambient bleed-through", so you need to boost your shutter speed as high as you can get it.

 

[weepete]

Thanks SCraig,

for the most part I'm shooting in manual, flash at 1/32 power to try and balance the ambient light with the pop up flash, metering the background and underexposing by 2 stops, iso is usually 400, f4. Lighting in in my house with the usual overhead bulb. If I increase shutter speed that much will it not affect the ambient light creating a steep drop off?

 

[weepete]

Thanks tirediron, but what I'm confused about is if I boost the shutter speed I get a very dark background with a severe drop off, so I'm then not exposing for the ambient light?? I'm confused!

 

[SCraig]

If you are getting motion blur or otherwise unsharp shots then you're going to have to use shutter speed to control it. Perhaps 1/250 is too fast but obviously 1/60 was too slow to.

You'll have to find what works for you, but as Tirediron said normally aperture and flash control the foreground subject while shutter speed and ambient light control the background. The exposure balance between the two depends on how you make your adjustments.