...clipped discussion of white faces, black backgrounds of OTF flash...
How I get around this problem is more technique than technology, but I
rarely am disappointed. First of all, I try to maintain a flash-ambient
ratio of 2:1 to 4:1. Any more than that and you can almost guarantee bad
flash exposures if the primary subject is a small part of the picture.
How do you determine the ratio? The flash sync speed is 1/60 and our
beloved OM's will (with very few exceptions) stick with it while using the
flash. As you compose the scene, look at the metering scale and note what
shutter speed the ambient light is indicating. Turn the aperature (and/or
change films to a faster/slower film) to get an "auto-exposure" of 1/8 to
1/30. In a pinch you can go as low as 1/4 if you have a very wide
lattitude film, but the background starts to get pretty dark.
Second thing that works for me is that I use a Vivitar 5200 with
zoom/bounce head. (It has the OM-dedicated module for full OTF flash
control). Unless I'm doing tele work on frame filling subjects, I always
have the zoom head set on the wide-angle position. This throws more light
around to reflect off from walls, tables, floors, ceilings, etc. With 400
speed film and a 35-70/2.8 lens I can usually put the aperature at 5.6 or
6.7 and completely park my brains. At this point I can shoot parties and
receptions without having to worry about my exposures in anyway.
Ken
Kenneth E. Norton
Image66 Photography
image66@xxxxxxx
(515) 791-2306
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