Tip for shooting interiors

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Sheldon - 09 Jul 2005 22:08 GMT

I've been playing with my new SB800 on a D70, and it can really help in
certain situations.

Many times we want to shoot an interior but also expose so you can see the
view out the window. No problem. Just expose for the scene out the window
and bounce the flash off the ceiling. I set the flash to TTL with the
diffuser and it worked like a charm first try.

Sheldon

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Ben Rosengart - 10 Jul 2005 06:48 GMT

> I've been playing with my new SB800 on a D70, and it can really help in
> certain situations.
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> and bounce the flash off the ceiling. I set the flash to TTL with the
> diffuser and it worked like a charm first try.

I read in _Looking at Photographs_ that the rule of thumb is to
set flash exposure so the view out the window is a stop brighter
than the interior. Ever heard that? Do you use that rule?

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Ben Rosengart (212) 741-4400 x215
Sometimes it only makes sense to focus our attention on those
questions that are equal parts trivial and intriguing.
--Josh Micah Marshall

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Sheldon - 10 Jul 2005 07:31 GMT

>> I've been playing with my new SB800 on a D70, and it can really help in
>> certain situations.
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> set flash exposure so the view out the window is a stop brighter
> than the interior. Ever heard that? Do you use that rule?

Well, I was just experimenting. I took one shot with the scene out the
window exposed (room dark), took another shot with the room exposed (perfect
room, light in windows blown out), and one with the flash and exposed for
the windows. I didn't do anything and the flash seemed to do all the work.
I do believe, however, it probably would have looked better if I had dialed
down the flash a bit and turned on the room lights. That shot probably
would have been perfect, so your "rule" is probably a good one.

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stefan patric - 10 Jul 2005 20:24 GMT

>> I've been playing with my new SB800 on a D70, and it can really help in
>> certain situations.
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> exposure so the view out the window is a stop brighter than the interior.
> Ever heard that? Do you use that rule?

Yes. A general rule of thumb, but not always applicable. It really
depends on the circumstances and the "focus" of the shot. For example,
say your shot is from inside a parlor or music room looking out a wall of
open French doors onto a beautiful garden. The garden is the focus of the
shot, the interior secondary. In this case, I would have the interior a
stop or so darker than the garden, which would be normally exposed.

Stefan

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Ben Rosengart - 11 Jul 2005 05:34 GMT

>> I read in _Looking at Photographs_ that the rule of thumb is to set flash
>> exposure so the view out the window is a stop brighter than the interior.
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> shot, the interior secondary. In this case, I would have the interior a
> stop or so darker than the garden, which would be normally exposed.

So when shooting to emphasize the room, you'd expose for the room,
while when shooting to emphasize the window scene, you'd expose for
the window scene -- but in either case you'd have the outside about
a stop brighter than the inside?

That makes sense ...

Signature

Ben Rosengart (212) 741-4400 x215
Sometimes it only makes sense to focus our attention on those
questions that are equal parts trivial and intriguing.
--Josh Micah Marshall

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