Getting the settings right

[tornado360]

Hi all,

I have just bought a Nikon D3000 and a Jessops 360AFDN flashgun. I am photographing a large piece of fabric 140cm x 120cm, the fabric is stapled in several places to get rid of any creases to a board that I constructed. I first of all took some shots out my back garden with the sun behind me. I then brought the subject (Fabric stapled to a board) in doors, I took some shots of the subject with the flashgun attached. Both in the garden and indoors I used the auto mode of the camera to take these shots as anything other than that is over my head.

As our good sunny weather is very limited I really need to get the photography right indoors. So far I have tried to photograph the subject with the flashgun pointed in different angles and all I seem to get is too much white or flash in one area I found with the flashgun pointing directly onto the ceiling that is the better of the pictures.

Could anyone tell me how and what setting on my Nikon D3000 I would need to apply in order to get a crisp, sharp and exact colour photo of the subject indoors?

[andy153]

Without seeing it in situ I think the answer will be "No" from all of us - you have too many unknown variables. But in order to try and set you on the right path here goes - Set up cloth - place camera on tripod. ensure that the back of the camera and the cloth on its board are parallel. Frame cloth in viewfinder with manual focus. In camera menu set WB for flash and switch on Active D Lighting take shot using the inbuilt camera flash - not the Jessops gun. See what you get. Then try using the flash gun with the same settings but bracket the shot -1; -1/2; 0; +1/2; +! and also reflect the shot off a white card or the built in reflector panel of the flash gun. Best of luck

[tornado360]

OK I will give that a go. Could you just let me know what this means "-1; -1/2; 0; +1/2; +!"?

[andy153]

Sorry, I mean setting the exposure at 1 stop over exposed, take a shot and then progressing to one stop under exposed, taking a shot each time - you can then stack the shots to even out the detail. Give me a pm if you want further advice.