Effect Help

[siiLent]

Hey all, I've just recently gotten into photography and I'm already addicted. I've been trying to get this effect, in daylight where the background is dark and the subject is lit. From the research I've done, you have to get the exposure of the background and then under expose it, then use a light or flash on the subject. I could be wrong. I've been trying but with no success, the whole image turns out the same exposure.
Is it possible to do this with an built in flash or external lights are a must?
Here is an example of an image

http://www.flickr.com/photos/98609590@N00/2848379075/

Any help will be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.

[Janet Petty]

Call me thick, but I just don't get exactly what you are asking. In daylight, with light at the back of the subject, you want to have the background dark? Am I correct?

If not, then put your subject in front of something dark and do one or more of the following things. Move in close, meter the subject, and then step back. Make sure the exposure readings remain the same as what you metered. Or, use some kind of fill flash or soft box. Or use a reflector when you meter the subject for added fill light.

The subject you cited with the flickr url, was done with post production. That too is a viable option.

Good luck.

Janet

[CJ Swartz]

Originally Posted by siiLent

"... I've just recently gotten into photography ... I've been trying to get this effect, in daylight where the background is dark and the subject is lit. From the research I've done, you have to get the exposure of the background and then under expose it, then use a light or flash on the subject. I could be wrong. I've been trying but with no success, the whole image turns out the same exposure.
Is it possible to do this with an built in flash or external lights are a must?

SiiLent, if you are just starting to learn photography, now is a great time to learn that lighting is the key to good photography, and that your camera's built-in flash is limited in its ability to add light where you want it and in the amount that you want. External lighting is not a must, but if you are interested in portrait photography (as in your example), it will be a must for many situations.

Do yourself a favor, and start reading info at the Strobist.com website including these links:
Balancing strobe and ambiant light

Lighting 101

[siiLent]

Originally Posted by Janet Petty

Call me thick, but I just don't get exactly what you are asking. In daylight, with light at the back of the subject, you want to have the background dark? Am I correct?

If not, then put your subject in front of something dark and do one or more of the following things. Move in close, meter the subject, and then step back. Make sure the exposure readings remain the same as what you metered. Or, use some kind of fill flash or soft box. Or use a reflector when you meter the subject for added fill light.

The subject you cited with the flickr url, was done with post production. That too is a viable option.

Good luck.

Janet

Thats exactlly what I'm asking.
If you're doing an outdoor shoot, in daylight.
How do you get the subject lit, and the background dark?

[Verywierd]

Not knowing what camera you are using, it is a bit difficult to be sure, but it sounds like your camera is shooting in "fill" mode and automatically cutting back on the flash intensity to match the background exposure.

[siiLent]

I'm using a Canon Rebel XT.

[MaximMorin]

hey there
just remember, if you are using a strob, that your apperture is controlling the density of exposition for the strob and your speed the ambiant... so you might have to go around f.11 for the flash, and then adjust, as you'll like the speed to darken of lighten the background.... an external posemeter is a big help here, but if you dont have one, just try and correct.

hope it help a little bit

[neumanns]

I couldn't get the link to load so i cannot see your example.

But if your working with an XT and built in flash you can try and see if you have enoufgh power.

In the custom functions set your Av sync speed to 1/200 ( it think that is the max of the xt)

Now with your camera in AV mode your flash will pop at full power with a 1/200 shutter speed. Now you can adjust the AV until your flash is the primary light source. As you increase the aperture (larger #) the background will go darker and the effective distance will be reduced. you will need to balance these attributes to suit your taste and subject.

You are not gonna over power a subject backlight with the sun but you can turn many backgrounds dark.

But...The built in flash is gonna give harsh result's.