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How to brighten up my pictures


4 years 5 months ago #665104 by debbiebitton
I am shooting a group of 14 people at night, indoors with one on camera speedlight using bounce flash. At iso 800, f5.6,  1/100 I got a decent exposure. How can I make my photo a bit brighter without widening the aperture and risking blurry pictures. The flash only works on ttl. I am shooting with a 50mm lens. I also have a reflector and 2 shoot through umbrellas available to me (without stands)

Thanks!!
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4 years 5 months ago #665108 by garyrhook
Your choices are limited: you either increase the ISO, or add light.

Adding an inexpensive speedlite that can be optically triggered is one option. Basic Yongnuo units are not terribly expensive, for example.
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4 years 5 months ago #665112 by Ozzie_Traveller
+1 for Yongnuo flashguns

I have several of them used for topics such as this - they work quite well when fired via the camera's small built-in flash too

Phil from Downunder
Phil from the great land Downunder
www.flickr.com/photos/ozzie_traveller/sets/
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4 years 5 months ago #665136 by debbiebitton
Is there nothing to do with what I actually have? Could I do anything with the reflector?
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4 years 5 months ago #665213 by garyrhook

debbiebitton wrote: Is there nothing to do with what I actually have? Could I do anything with the reflector?


Consider: You have 14 people. How big is your reflector? And how are you going to aim your flash into it without losing what light you're already getting? Also: reflectors are for adding fill light that is diffuse and soft. But you still require a light source.

Unless you decide to use a tripod, light and shoot each person individually (or in small groups), then composite in post, your choices are limited.

So, no, something has to give.
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4 years 5 months ago #665253 by KCook

debbiebitton wrote: Is there nothing to do with what I actually have? Could I do anything with the reflector?

If your speedlight can be aimed straight up, you could do that, while holding the reflector (I hope it's silver) directly above the light at a 45 deg angle.  So the light from the flash goes straight up and is bounced horizontally by the reflector toward the people.  If the reflector is white instead of silver then the reflector really won't make much difference at all.

Kelly
Canon 50D, Olympus PL2
kellycook.zenfolio.com/
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4 years 5 months ago #665297 by Shadowfixer1
If the group is far enough away from the background, you can use the flash straight on without ill effects. You will probably be back a good bit from a group of that size so you can get away with straight on flash. Just hold it up higher than the camera. Example below of using flash straight on from a distance. 

img\def
www.betterphoto.com/?ramshots
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