Controlling ambient light

[Derek Zoolander]

This is something I would normally try and figure out on my own, but I'm at work and don't have any of my equipment here to do trial and error.

When using flash, what needs to be done to dial down on the ambient light? I was looking through strobist and one of the posts was about a street photographer who uses a snoot to shoot. He shoots during the day, yet his pictures come out as though it was darker out.

Is it aperture number that dictates ambient light? so bigger aperture, lower ambient light? if that's the case, how do you compensate for flash?

 

[Samanax]

What shooting with flash the shutter speed affects/controls ambient light and aperture affects/controls the flash.

Flash Photography Techniques

 

[IgsEMT]

What shooting with flash the shutter speed affects/controls ambient light and aperture affects/controls the flash.

ditto

 

[Derek Zoolander]

That's what I was thinking, but according to David Hobby in this post: Strobist: Today's Special: Gourmet Speedlights Al Fresco

he says:

"Next, keep your shutter speed where it is, and start to underexpose your ambient light by dialing down your aperture and chimping the back of the camera. This will set the mood and contrast range of your photo. What you are doing is basically setting an ambient "floor" on your overall exposure via your chosen aperture."

What does chimping back of the camera mean? dont really get the floor comment either...

 

[KmH]

That's what I was thinking, but according to David Hobby in this post: Strobist: Today's Special: Gourmet Speedlights Al Fresco

he says:

"Next, keep your shutter speed where it is, and start to underexpose your ambient light by dialing down your aperture and chimping the back of the camera. This will set the mood and contrast range of your photo. What you are doing is basically setting an ambient "floor" on your overall exposure via your chosen aperture."

What does chimping back of the camera mean? dont really get the floor comment either...

Chimping is slang for looking at images on the camera's LCD. People hunch over and murmur, Ooooo, Oooooo, Oooooo.

To understand "ambient floor" keep reading Strobist 101, you'll get there.