[Leica] flash photography techniques

[gregj.lorenzo at shaw.ca (GREG LORENZO)]

Howard Sanner writes in part: 

> 
> The party is being held in a horrible room. One wall is a 
> floor-to-ceiling window that faces southwest. So, no matter what 
> you do, you have the backlight from Hell. (Don't suggest closing 
> the curtains. Nobody'll go for it. Changing the room is also not 
> an option.) The artificial light comes from 100W incandescent 
> light bulbs recessed in individual soffits in the ceiling. They 
> provide *extremely* contrasty light that points straight down.
> 
>       On ASA 400 film, exposure would be something like f/2.0 at 1/30, 
> and the pictures would still look horrible because of the 
> contrasty light. (I've been there and done that.)
> 
>       I'm going to use my M6 and whatever lenses seem appropriate, 
> probably mostly the 35mm f/1.4 Summilux. I have a Vivitar 285 flash.
> 
> I know, having tried it, that bouncing the flash off the ceiling 
> (fortunately white) will produce less bad pictures than direct 
> flash with its shadowy "halo" around objects. What I'm mostly 
> worried about is the light in the background falling off. I've 
> done some photography there previously with an M3 and the Vivitar 
> 285 angled at 45 degrees. The results weren't too bad, but I wish 
> there had been more light in the background.
> 
> Any suggestions? 

Hi Howard,

If getting the shots you want with the window light behind won't work you 
may want to consider borrowing or renting a couple of Metz flashes and Nikon 
SC-17 flash controllers. More light may be a better solution than less 
light. Nikon also makes some wireless flash modules that work very well with 
Metz flashes and a Leica TTL camera (check the archives). Is you camera the 
non TTL version?

I'd do a few tests by pointing all flashes (meaning 2 or 3) at the ceiling 
and or walls.

Regards,

Greg