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How to Set a Fill Flash

Contributor
By Steve Smith
eHow Contributing Writer
(0 Ratings)

Setting a fill flash involves correctly over exposing for the effect of the fill flash. You also need to consider the effect of ambient light on your subject. In general you should follow the settings on the auto fill flash monitor, or just leave the fill flash set to auto. However, if you want to set the fill flash yourself, you should set it to about half the setting reading on your meter. The shutter speed typically doesn't come in to play in terms of light value. Your shutter and flash should sync up, as long as your camera can operate at the shutter speed on your flash.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  1. Step 1

    Compose your subject and take a light meter reading for the area you want to fill.

  2. Step 2

    Set the fill flash to manual, so you can adjust the flash setting.

  3. Step 3

    Set the fill flash to one or two f stops below the reading on the light meter. If the meter is reading f11, try an f8. This tells the flash that you are actually shooting at a wider f-stop setting (a lower f-stop number means a wider aperture). The flash will not be as powerful.

  4. Step 4

    Shoot your subject. If using a film camera, develop and then adjust your setting accordingly. If you want a higher contrast with a darker background, let the fill flash "take over". Compensate a quarter of an exposure, instead of half.

  5. Step 5

    Change your camera setting by reducing the aperture on the camera itself. Stop down a step or two, from an f11 to f8, or f5.6. Leave the fill flash at a manual setting.

Tips & Warnings
  • The auto mode will give the most balanced exposure with the fill flash adding very interesting contrasts and shadows to your subject. Always take a shot of the subject on the auto setting first, and then compare the results. This is the best way to learn how to compensate for the fill flash.
  • Stopping down your setting on a fill flash could reduce the quality of your shot. Too much fill flash light will leave a very white, bleached shot. This could flatten interesting shadows.
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