SB 600 Speedflash is washing out some photos...HELP!

[MelsBels]

Notice how the flash has drowned out the details in her dress, and some of her skin? (by the way, I have a Nikon D80) and I am not advanced enough to give you specific settings. But I do know I had the white balance on shade (cause it was a very dimly lit church). Any other numbers, I'll just tell you, I haven't 'grasped' yet. Shutter speed /iso/and such, I have taken classes, but I STILL don't get it....it will take some, no alot, of free time just shooting and reading over my notes.
Anyways....I also used a flash diffuser, just the white flat plastic one with the bend. Had the flash pointed up, reflecting off that, to 'tone it down a bit'. I feel the closer I was to the subject, the worse it was (I know..DUH!) ...but I just want you to know that most photos came out GREAT.
What can I do about this problem...cause it usually happens with the satin wedding dresses?

Here's another...notice how it's washed out!
Also..took some pictures of this little beauty:

HOW do you do flash fill? Have heard all about it...just don't know how to do it. Since I got this shadow, I created this with my GIMP software, which I LOVE:

What do you think? Anyways...I REALLY need help in this area! THANKS A BUNCH!:hail:

AGAIN..RUNDOWN
1) Why is my SB 600 Speedflash washing out my subject and flashy materials (even when using diffuser)?
2) How do I do fill flash to prevent shadows?

Shooting with a Nikon D80
Have basic advanced knowledge (but not on shutter/aperture/etc numbers and settings) I know HOW to do it, just don't 'get it' yet!:x

 

[JIP]

Well part of your problem is you just blasted them strraight on with the bare flash. The very first thing to try is if your flash comes with a little flip-down diffuser (I know the 800 does not sure about the 600) try that it might soften the light. The next solution is to simply turn your flash around and bounce it off of the wall behind you or the ceiling (always being cautios of the distance to the wall and the color). There are also lots of different diffusion devices available to soften your light to take away the "deer in the headlights" effect one sample might be Gary Fonge's sphere http://store.garyfonginc.com/lsu-cloud.html I use this and have had alot of luck with it it just takes a little practice. Looking back at your post you said you used a diffuser or a bounce card I would check you Exif data as the images you posted look alot like a straight on flash to me.

 

[RKW3]

Maybe just up your shutter speed a little more to avoid overexposing.. Or if you shot in raw I'm pretty sure the details of the first two shots you posted can be recovered.

 

[MelsBels]

Thanks for the tips...Just an FYI..I did have the diffuser flipped down. I think my mistake was not using my diffuser box instead of "bounce card", I thought it worked like a diffuser..but I my try the Fong Lightsphere...looks like it may be what I need.
Thanks Again

 

[Mav]

Set the flash compensation to about -0.7 or -1.0 and try that. This is separate from the exposure compensation. If you just left the flash compensation set at 0.0 and you were at close range, that would probably explain the blowouts.

 

[Sandspur]

1. Satin and other highly reflective materials are ALWAYS going to give you fits.
2. Set your white balance to Flash or Auto, NOT Shade!
3. The Fong diffuser is great. That little flip-over diffuser on the 600 is only meant for use when you're shooting very close.
4. Learn to adjust the flash output - on the camera. Make sure the flash is in DTTL mode.
Shoot in Program mode, or - if you MUST! - Aperture Priority.
5. In PP, make Levels adjustments on images such as these (well, all of them, of course) because you're going to have to expose for the highlights, and then be able to adjust the black point and midtones in order to correct the balance. I think you can do this in GIMP. But I strongly recommend that if you're going to do this professionally, you get and learn Photoshop ASAP. Elements 6 will be fine.

Check out my site below for some tutorials. Especially the one on Photoshop.

 

[kundalini]

Shoot in Program mode, or - if you MUST! - Aperture Priority.

Sorry Sandspur, I like your knowledge and input generally, but I must disagree with that comment.

With the D80 and SB-600, I have learned that I have much more consistancy with having the flash set to Manual. My camera is 99% of the time set to Manual btw.

Ooops, before I go any further, was your SB-600 mounted on the hotshoe or off camera. (This doesn't detract from my opinion of the Program mode.) The next bit of garble depends on that situation.

 

[JerryPH]

Maybe just up your shutter speed a little more to avoid overexposing.. Or if you shot in raw I'm pretty sure the details of the first two shots you posted can be recovered.

Not a good idea. Go too high and you start seeing 1/4 and 1/2 a frame captured, this is especially true on ALL cameras with a mechanical shutter (like a D200). Open the aperture up a bit to reduce amount of light coming in, if you must.

To get proper exposure with a flash, you set for your max sync speed and do the rest with iTTL (if you are not sure how to control your own flash) or learn how to control your own flash and then get that flash OFF the camera (aperture, distance, difusion dome, bounce, etc...).

Anytime you blast someone with an on-camera flash head-on, all you are doing is creating an environment that guarantees flat lighting, red-eye and poor quality pictures.

If you want to get serious about getting quality results, learn to get that flash off camera. http://strobist.blogspot.com has some answers for you, if you want to get serious about taking properly and artistically lit pictures.

 

[MelsBels]

Ha, yeah, I am 'getting' some of this info you guys are giving me, and I appreciate any input I can get, keep it coming. But, I am lost about some things you guys have mentioned like adjusting blackpoints and midtones. Remember the title of this forum...and I put my question here for a reason, cause I am a beginner. But, some things have given me a direction to go into to try to get my settings right (trying Program mode and Aperture priority modes). I cannot afford the Fong diffuser just now, but I will get it soon. Until then, I have purchased, on Ebay, a Ambiance diffuser. It is very similar and I am hoping it will give me the adjustment/filtering I need.
Keep the advise coming, though, as you feel the notion....I appreciate your time. Just understand I have only taken classes at Wolf Camera, and that's just the basics on camera operation, with hints of how to learn special programming settings (A,P, etc).
Thanks!:hail:

 

[MelsBels]

Not a good idea. Go too high and you start seeing 1/4 and 1/2 a frame captured, this is especially true on ALL cameras with a mechanical shutter (like a D200). Open the aperture up a bit to reduce amount of light coming in, if you must.

To get proper exposure with a flash, you set for your max sync speed and do the rest with iTTL (if you are not sure how to control your own flash) or learn how to control your own flash and then get that flash OFF the camera (aperture, distance, difusion dome, bounce, etc...).

Anytime you blast someone with an on-camera flash head-on, all you are doing is creating an environment that guarantees flat lighting, red-eye and poor quality pictures.

If you want to get serious about getting quality results, learn to get that flash off camera. http://strobist.blogspot.com has some answers for you, if you want to get serious about taking properly and artistically lit pictures.

What do you mean get the flash off the camera?...that blogspot has TONS of entries! Not sure where you wanted to head me.

 

[JIP]

Well, one of the suggestions I made in my first post wat to simply turn your flash around to face the wall or ceiling behind you. This will turn the whole room behind you into a huge diffuser and soften the light in a big way.

 

[sabbath999]

Well, one of the suggestions I made in my first post wat to simply turn your flash around to face the wall or ceiling behind you. This will turn the whole room behind you into a huge diffuser and soften the light in a big way.

Assuming, of course, the wall or ceiling isn't painted a color other than white.