Contrast and shadow fill

The object of this exercise is to demonstrate how contrast can be controlled more easily indoors than outdoors by using a simple reflective technique with readily available materials.

A simple still life shot was set up - in this case a vase of artificial tulips. I was interested to see how the shiny flowers and vase would appear, as well as reviewing the contrast.

I used the same camera set up as on previous exercise: Canon 400d with 24-105mm lens set to 50mm with Speedlite 430 EX II flash with cable. Again, a few test shots were required to establish the correct manual setting for the flash gun.

All images were taken at 1/90, f9.5, ISO 200. The manual flash was set to 1/16 power with no extraneous lighting and placed about 30 inches from the subject at right angles to the camera.

There is then a succession of photographs taken as follows:

1. No diffuser attached;
2. Diffuser attached (and remains on for following five images);
3. White card opposite the flash at about 3 feet;
4. White card opposite the flash at about 1.5 feet;
5. Aluminium foil covering card shiny side towards subject;
6. Aluminium foil covering card dull side towards subject;
7. Aluminium foil crumpled and covering card shiny side towards subject;

As one or two others have noted on their blogs, the exercise says 11 photographs but actually directs for only 7; I stuck with the 7, in common with others. It certainly seemed sufficient to demonstrate the point.

Comparing the results, one then sorts into order of contrast from the image with the most difference between lit and unlit sides to the image with the least.

Here is the order as I see it:

1 No diffuser

2 Diffuser attached

3 White card 3 feet

5 Aluminium shiny

 

6 Aluminium dull

7 Aluminium crumpled

4 White card 1.5ft

 I was not easy to discern a significant difference between the last three images and, interestingly there was a high degree of contrast in both the diffused and non diffused images. The contrast is greater in the non diffused shot because of the brightness on the right (some parts of the vase are burnt out).

As an adjunct to the exercise, it was pleasing to see that the degree of reflection from the left matched exactly what one would assume: greatest with shiny aluminium, then dull and crumpled more or less the same, with some limited reflection from the card.

From this exercise, I learnt how significantly one can change the contrast for indoor photography using some simple reflective techniques, and learnt again how much difference a diffuser can make to the level of contrast.