With that strong sidelighting from the low angle, your shadows would have likely had a notable blue cast in them from the overhead sky. The kiss of fill not only reduces the contrast/dr from an a exposure perspective, but it does a good job of reducing the blue/cyan cast ... with only a hint at it in a couple places the flash falls off or doesn\'t reach.
Even though the color temp of the fill may not fully match (see color shift @ foreground vs. bg falloff) the sun\'s direct light, it does a nice job of \"splitting the difference\" between the warmer (direct) sidelighting and the cooler (indirect) overhead light ... and allows for a better transition between them for the viewer ... as well as add some \"direct\" light to the subject rather than fully relying on the \"indirect\" light only. That too is a game changer @ \"pop\" factor.
Imo, THIS is the most compelling reason for using fill flash ... rather than simply letting the bg overexpose.
The color temp control that the fill flash imparts on the scene is something that is widely overlooked (imo) by most people. This is also the reason that \"full power\" fill flash gives that \"bad\" look ... the color temps are TOO different, whereas, a reduced amount of fill (5500K) \'bridges\' the diff of warm (4000K) & cool (7000K) areas without overexposing or making the transition TOO harsh.
NOTE: Warm & cool temp values are arbitrary for illustration only as they are rather dynamic throughout the \"golden hours\".
The proper use of fill light in outdoor settings really addresses THREE areas simultaneously:
Exposure / DR / Ratio
Mixed Lighting Color Temps
Diffuse / Specular Quality of Light
How much you want to impact these three areas will influence your decision on how much fill to use. As mentioned before, I use to use the -1 1/3 as a general rule of thumb that I would keep me in the ballpark. That was, of course, after doing some testing with MY GEAR to determine what was appropriate for my style & taste.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND setting up your own test shots to find what fits your gear & tastes. Once you\'ve got it \"dialed in\" the way you like it, then it is a really easy matter of turning your flash off for when you want to apply the \"blown bg\" technique or utilize the amount of fill that fits your style & taste ... i.e. best of both worlds ... your choice (i.e. command & control).
With that strong sidelighting from the low angle, your shadows would have likely had a notable blue cast in them from the overhead sky. The kiss of fill not only reduces the contrast/dr from an a exposure perspective, but it does a good job of reducing the blue/cyan cast ... with only a hint at it in a couple places the flash falls off or doesn\'t reach.
Even though the color temp of the fill may not fully match (see color shift @ foreground vs. bg falloff) the sun\'s direct light, it does a nice job of \"splitting the difference\" between the warmer (direct) sidelighting and the cooler (indirect) overhead light ... and allows for a better transition between them for the viewer ... as well as add some \"direct\" light to the subject rather than fully relying on the \"indirect\" light only. That too is a game changer @ \"pop\" factor.
Imo, THIS is the most compelling reason for using fill flash ... rather than simply letting the bg overexpose.
The color temp control that the fill flash imparts on the scene is something that is widely overlooked (imo) by most people. This is also the reason that \"full power\" fill flash gives that \"bad\" look ... the color temps are TOO different, whereas, a reduced amount of fill (5500K) \'bridges\' the diff of warm (4000K) & cool (7000K) areas without overexposing or making the transition TOO harsh.
NOTE: Warm & cool temp values are arbitrary for illustration only as they are rather dynamic throughout the \"golden hours\".
The proper use of fill light really addresses THREE areas simultaneously:
Exposure / DR / Ratio
Mixed Lighting Color Temps
Diffuse / Specular Quality of Light
How much you want to impact these three areas will influence your decision on how much fill to use. As mentioned before, I use to use the -1 1/3 as a general rule of thumb that I would keep me in the ballpark. That was, of course, after doing some testing with MY GEAR to determine what was appropriate for my style & taste.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND setting up your own test shots to find what fits your gear & tastes. Once you\'ve got it \"dialed in\" the way you like it, then it is a really easy matter of turning your flash off for when you want to apply the \"blown bg\" technique or utilize the amount of fill that fits your style & taste ... i.e. best of both worlds ... your choice (i.e. command & control).
Again ... nice job with the fill.
HTH
Mar 09, 2012 at 10:50 AM
Previous versions of RustyBug's message #10422582 « Fill Flash for Outdoors. Why? It looks bad. »
