I keep recommending that when you use TTL flash, you bounce it off walls or ceilings.
So what if there is no wall or ceiling?
Then you do the following.
- Ensure you expose the background well, with high ISO, open aperture, and slow shutter as needed.
- You may be able to bounce after all, when your ISO is high and aperture is open. Flash can reach farther than you think! So – try.
- You can move the subjects! Ask them to “move over here for a second” – near a wall. Every venue has some wall or other, or perhaps a low ceiling in one part of the room. No reason you cannot ask people to move!
- If that fails, bounce of “anything”, using a Fong lightsphere. Not creative light, so this is not your first choice, but it can save your behind.
- And if all else fails – direct flash, but perhaps still modified by a bounce card (or even a Fong thing aimed forward). And do not forget flash compensation.
So you see, there are always options.
