Photographing a friend's dog in about 3 hours...

[Don]

I have my Rebel XS, the kit (17-55mm F/3.5-5.6) lens, a 430 EX II with a small white card strapped vertically to the back of the flash to direct a dab of flash directly at the subject when I bounce off the ceiling, and a tripod. Shots will likely be indoors, after sunset, so no natural light to shoot with.

Any tips to ensure my pictures come out as well as possible, with the gear I have on hand?

 

[PerfectlyFlawed]

Can't ensure anything....its all about how well you know how to *use* your equipment...not what u *have*...

Good luck.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

bummer. just wing it, adapt to the situation, that's why they asked yu to do this.

 

[KmH]

I have my Rebel XS, the kit (17-55mm F/3.5-5.6) lens, a 430 EX II with a small white card strapped vertically to the back of the flash to direct a dab of flash directly at the subject when I bounce off the ceiling, and a tripod. Shots will likely be indoors, after sunset, so no natural light to shoot with.....

You're nowhere near North America if it will be past sunset in 2 hours.

All the light you will be using inside in will be natural light - a photon, is a photon, is a photon. It doesn't matter if the photons comes from the Sun, an incandescent light bulb, or a camera mounted speedlight.

The only real difference is you will have a lot more control over your main light by using a speedlight.

Your main source of problems would be from using mixed light. Your speedlight will produce light at a color temperature very close to 5500° K.
If tungsten is the available light, they will be at a color temperature somewhere in the range of 2700° K to 3300° K (before lampshade color is considered).
If they are flourescent they will range from 3500° K to 5500° K.

Either the speedlight can be gelled to match the available light or the available light can be gelled to match the speedlight. Gelling the speedlight is usually easiest.

Are you planning on letting the camera make all the decisions by using TTL flash? Or were you going to handle exposure by using manual mode for both the camera and the speedlight?

 

[Don]

I have my Rebel XS, the kit (17-55mm F/3.5-5.6) lens, a 430 EX II with a small white card strapped vertically to the back of the flash to direct a dab of flash directly at the subject when I bounce off the ceiling, and a tripod. Shots will likely be indoors, after sunset, so no natural light to shoot with.....

You're nowhere near North America if it will be past sunset in 2 hours.

All the light you will be using inside in will be natural light - a photon, is a photon, is a photon. It doesn't matter if the photons comes from the Sun, an incandescent light bulb, or a camera mounted speedlight.

The only real difference is you will have a lot more control over your main light by using a speedlight.

Your main source of problems would be from using mixed light. Your speedlight will produce light at a color temperature very close to 5500° K.
If tungsten is the available light, they will be at a color temperature somewhere in the range of 2700° K to 3300° K (before lampshade color is considered).
If they are flourescent they will range from 3500° K to 5500° K.

Either the speedlight can be gelled to match the available light or the available light can be gelled to match the speedlight. Gelling the speedlight is usually easiest.

Are you planning on letting the camera make all the decisions by using TTL flash? Or were you going to handle exposure by using manual mode for both the camera and the speedlight?

Well, I'm actually in Virginia, but I'm leaving in three hours, then have a drive, and we're meeting for dinner, then going to his house to catch up on old times and then I'm going to shoot the dog, but I was leaving out my life story for simplicity . If I get lucky and we time it so there is early evening light available, that will be wonderful, but I'm not counting on it.

Unfortunately, I have no gels for the speedlight, so it will likely be a mix of tungsten and the flash. I figured that we'd dim the available light to the point that we can see enough to move around, and I'll try to overpower it with my flash.

I was planning on shooting all manual so I can get consistently lit results, and concentrate on good composition.

 

[Geaux]

When shooting photographs of animals, especially dogs, you just have to adapt. I had to use a dog during an engagement shoot a few weeks back, you gotta just take what the dog gives ya lol. I laid on my back and had the 'grandma' of the dog grab his attention, but when you sit and work on something and try to figure out a way to get a shot ... and you actually get one, it's all worth it.

Here is my golden shot of the dog: (linked so I'm not 'hijacking' just giving an example)
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4142/4829794362_f7d349fbd6_b.jpg