Fill Light

[mandabec]

What is the best way to use my speedlight as fill light. I keep getting that harsh on camera flash look. Do I just need to bounce it or turn the flash down a few stops? Help!

 

[JerryPH]

www.strobist.com

 

[Big Mike]

To have it as 'fill' light...you need to have a main light source that isn't the flash.

If you are in a dark room with little other light...you pretty much have to use your flash as the main light...but you can bounce it or diffuse it somehow, to make it softer.

You can always adjust the FEC...to adjust the level of exposure the flash will give you...but unless you have another light source...if you adjust it down, you will likely get under exposed shots.

If you shoot in full auto modes (P or green box) the camera/flash will usually assume it to be the main light and use a lot of flash power (with not a lot of ambient). If, however, you use Av or Tv mode, the camera will set it's exposure to the ambient light and the flash will attempt to act as fill, rather than main light (may have to adjust FEC to taste).

I always shoot in manual, when using flash. The flash is still in E-TTL mode, so it will meter and give you enough light for the aperture you have chosen. The shutter speed (and the ISO) is used to affect the amount of ambient light that is recorded.

And in any mode, if you bounce the flash, you will get softer light that doens't looks so much like 'deer in the headlights'