How to balance flash with ambient light for PERFECT Exposure EVERY TIME | 1 light flash Canon EOS R

[@CoffeeandPhotographyTalk]

I hope this technique will help with your outdoor flash portraits!

[@steadihut]

This was the one piece of the puzzle I had knocking around in my head that was bugging me about shutter speed and ambient light. I understood they were basically two different exposures and that shutter speed controls ambient light but as I would toy with the extremes of shutter speed I did notice my subjects began to be affected, namely in contrast. Not typically a huge deal but enough for me to feel uneasy about it. This technique really hit home. By using a faster shutter speed on the subject than on the ambient exposure and metering the flash for 125 as you said, the subject exposure is much more independent and you can have much more control over the process. Thanks so much!!!

[@CoffeeandPhotographyTalk]

Glad it helped!

[@frankdecock2735]

Crystal clear explanation and a good knowledge refreshment. Thanks for posting.

[@CoffeeandPhotographyTalk]

Thanks for watching!

[@usernamemykel]

A stunning model, indeed!

[@mjcz5853]

Really good video one thing by changing the F stop you will also change the ambient exposure not just the flash exposure.

[@1956wm]

I got my grandkids go out with me today and let me tell ya ... I was so happy with how they turned out ... THANKS SO MUCH for taking time to make this video

[@CoffeeandPhotographyTalk]

Fantastic!

[@Arripa-777]

So well explained ! Thank you 🙏

[@CoffeeandPhotographyTalk]

Thank you!

[@1956wm]

I enjoyed this video and it has really helped -- THANKS

[@CoffeeandPhotographyTalk]

Thanks for watching!

[@CoffeeandPhotographyTalk]

I think being able to use flash outdoors in ambient light is a SUPER important photographic skill - I hope this video helps you learn the basics!

[@stephencifka4629]

Really brilliant to use 1/60 as base shutter speed to give you head room to run up shutter speed when needed.

[@CoffeeandPhotographyTalk]

Thanks for watching!

[@jmartinianovlogging1482]

Thank You Sir!!! 🙏

[@CoffeeandPhotographyTalk]

Thanks for watching!

[@darrinlalla9008]

I have a love/hate relationship with flash. I work a lot of events where I cannot use flash and when I can, I find myself lacking in technique. Thanks for this.

[@CoffeeandPhotographyTalk]

thanks for watching!

[@stephencifka4629]

Advice on going with Flashpoint over Godox? This is really a helpful video.

[@CoffeeandPhotographyTalk]

They are really exactly the same except with flashpoint written on the side. Really just depends on who would rather buy from.

[@stephencifka4629]

Better warranty service from Adorama? @@CoffeeandPhotographyTalk

[@drpepper998]

You can set the exposure of the background in the viewfinder, set your flash to TTL and shoot an exposure. If it is good then lock the exposure on your trigger and start shooting. If it's not, now that the flash has the manual setting in it, just increase or decrease the flash as needed.

[@MikeT-yy3]

Hi, I shoot a lot of backlit people shots in fairly bright backlit sun at wide apertures f1.8 f2, or wider. I can't see anyway I can keep the shutter speeds in the 1/60 to 1/80 region etc because in order to darken the background my shutter speed will end up around 1/2000 or so to achieve the darker background resulting in having to use HSS I realise that you are talking about non HSS environments but I need to use HSS. Do you have similar or alternate advice when I use HSS Any advice would be most appreciated. Michael

[@teesee03]

Neutral density filter - a variable one will enable you to find a shutter speed that is down below your cameras's flash sync speed. Pay for a good one - cheap filters may introduce a colour cast, which you definitely don't want when photographing people.

[@terry2228]

Nice video but as someone who has not got the lighting stand just a built in flash how do you get the balance I gave up on photography becase of this problem pics never looked any good maybe if you can answer it I try again and show my camera the light of day again as its just gathering dust

[@CoffeeandPhotographyTalk]

The easiest short answer, especially if you don't have a flash meter, is to get the exposure for the background through your camera, and just manually increase the power of flash until the subject looks ok. Thats a VERY short answer, but thats the theory in a nutshell. Thanks for watching!

[@Pixelpeeps-69]

Great video 👍 what’s the best suitable light meter? For an enthusiast

[@CoffeeandPhotographyTalk]

You can't go wrong with any model of Sekonic... I have the link to the one I use in the comments... your budget really depends on how much you think you'll use it... they aren't cheap, but if you feel you will use it a lot getting something like the one I show will make working with it a lot easier. Thanks for watching!

[@suryadigital6707]

Right Tips.

[@CoffeeandPhotographyTalk]

Thanks for watching!

[@williamconfer9802]

Thanks... I'm sorry, I'm going to have to watch video a few times for this 84 year old head to articulate your knowledge.. pH org. Ohio

[@CoffeeandPhotographyTalk]

Actually, if you can just get your hands on the gear and DO it, its a LOT simpler than the explanation! It won't be my last flash video for sure - thanks for watching!

[@RickLincoln]

OK, without flash, if you shoot a portrait at 1/60th second and then change it to 1/125th second, you will see a one stop difference in exposure on your subject. If you run it up to sync speed, let's say 1/250th sec. on some cameras, you'll have a two stop difference. So then, why, after adding flash do people say that changing the shutter speed in a mixed (blended) ambient/flash shoot has no effect on the subjects exposure? Obviously, that isn't correct. In a studio setting where the flash has a 100% contribution, shutter speed at sync speed and below doesn't make a difference, but with mixed ambient/flash blending it does.

[@CoffeeandPhotographyTalk]

The subject exposure has to be AT LEAST at 1/125 (flash) and the background should be NO MORE than like 1/60 AND the subject should be somewhat shaded from whatever is lighting the background remember. Just try it for yourself... there is a variable wrong if it's not working for you... I do this very thing in 2-3 sessions per week constantly...

[@RickLincoln]

@@CoffeeandPhotographyTalk There are no variables that are wrong and my ambient/flash exposures work perfectly for me. You are blending ambient and flash. Your Sekonic L 478D meter will tell you that as you change shutter speed that you are also changing the percentage of ambient to flash on your subject which is contrast. Just look at it. It is telling you that the contrast is changing on your subject as well as between subject and background because you are either increasing or decreasing the ambient exposure on your subject and background simultaneously. All you are doing with the 1/60 / 1/125 formula is dropping the ambient exposure by a stop. If you change your shutter speed, you change the amount of ambient exposure falling on your background as well as that falling on your subject (regardless of subject luminance) are you not? I'm retired and well into my 70's. I don't shoot 2-3 sessions per week. But, I have tried this for myself...I have been shooting environmental portraits for over 60 years. Saying that subject exposure is not affected by shutter speed when combining ambient and flash is an oft repeated myth. It is wrong and looking at the contrast on your subject from different exposures will show it to be so.

[@CoffeeandPhotographyTalk]

@@RickLincoln ..."Saying that subject exposure is not affected by shutter speed when combining ambient and flash is an oft repeated myth"... not a myth, its a rule of thumb to help beginners WITHIN CERTAIN LIMITS... the ambient background MUST be below the subject and be 1/60 to 1/80 or so AND flash must be metered at the subject at 1/125, not lower. if shutter equalizes it will not work.