Some advice for a new flash user

technics100

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Adam
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Hi,

I have recently upgraded and bought a SB-800 for my D90, since then I have also bought a shoot through / reversible brolley. I have been playing with the off camera flash using the CLS system, but I'm having problems making any difference to my photos by varying shutter speed & or aperture.

I know that shutter speed controls the amount of ambient light in the photograph, but when I vary this from say 1/30 - 1/200 I see very little difference, is this because I have too much flash light lighting the background or just too much ambient light floating about?

I have attached a few shots I have taken which I think are reasonable, but it was pure flook and not sure how I got them. They are of my son Jack who is 23 months BTW.

The first one was taken outside in the evening with the flash firing through a diffuser.

1.jpg


This one I was using the brolly to camera left, again varying both the f/stop & shutter speed was making little difference.

01-08-2010No1.jpg


A few more here.

01-08-2010No3.jpg


01-08-2010No4.jpg


2.jpg


Also is there a basic rule of thumb for setting up a flash. e.g., if the room exposes correctly as say F/8 & 1/60, do I knock the shutter speed down to 1/200 and have a go or change the f/stop and see what happens. Or do you always start at 1/4 power with a flash or leave TTL etc..

Thanks for the help
 
Shutter speed makes no difference as it defaults to the settings as per the settings menu (normally 1/60 etc). Aperture is a key control so is moving off TTL and using manual flash :)

Try it out, you will see the difference quite quickly :)
 
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