First, I apologize if this question is too basic for this forum…please tell
me if it is and I will refrain from asking other questions like it.
I have a question about using flash for macro. My equipment consists of an
Elan 7, a 100mm f2.8 Canon macro lens and a 420 EX flash unit off shoe and
hand held in the position described by Shaw in his close-Ups in Nature book.
I am unsure as to the optimal method to use flash in this circumstance and
experimented for the first time last night. I don't really want exposed
background since I was indoors and using a piece of black cardboard several
feet behind a flower. I wanted maximal depth of field. First I shot in Av
mode at f22. However, as you all know, this resulted in extremely long
shutter speeds since the camera was trying to expose the background and the
room was lit with regular light bulbs, most of which I turned off after
focusing as I wanted the daylight color balance of the flash. So I tried
manual mode and set the diaphragm to f22, but didn't know what to set the
shutter to. I empirically picked 1/30 (camera on a tripod), but realize that
the exposure would be set by the very short flash duration. Could I have
used 1/125, for example?
What is the optimal way to use flash in this setting?
If I were to be so close up that flower filled the entire viewfinder would Av
be OK since there is no 'background' that the camera will try to expose
correctly, just subject?
Just as an experiment, I tried to bounce flash from the side by putting a
large bright white cardboard board about a foot to the side of the flower and
tried holding the flash just 2 or 3 inches from the board…but the indicator
on the flash indicated that there was not enough light generated for correct
exposure. Why didn't that work?
While I was shooting, the exposure indicator in the viewfinder was at -2
stops and flashing and I couldn't quite figure out why, though I believe the
indicator on the flash said the flah exposure was adequate. Is this supposed
to happen.
Thanks.
Howard
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