The Art of Using Fill Flash-help me please

[DMurray407]

Last weekend, I took 198 photos of my grandson's 2nd BD party. It was a very sunny day and there were lots of shadows (12 noon party time). The main entertainment of the party was a big firetruck that some friends of my son brought over for the kids to explore. I got some great photos but have two problems. One is that the color red of the firetruck is fairly contrasty and needs to be toned down a bit. The other problem is that I have tons of shadows and dark spots when the kids were inside the cab of the firetruck or in it's shadow. This is going to require lots of time using shadows and highlights to repair. I know that if fill flash is used properly (I didn't use flash at all), I wouldn't have this problem. I have a Canon Rebel XT and am wondering if you kind folks can give me some pointers on properly using fill flash in situations like this.

Thanks in advance!

[ljameso1]

Fill flash is usually done with an external flash(one that sits in the hot shoe mount-rather than the built-in pop-up). These flashes allow you to dial back the intensity so it doesn't overwhelm the ambient light. If wish to attempt with built in, suggest either full auto or night portrait modes(even at high noon). Bear in mind the built in won't have a lot of range or broad coverage. Your rebel xt handbook has a chart that tells what type of coverage to expect depending on the focal length of the lens.

[DMurray407]

Thanks, Linda!

[baycruisers]

If you use your pop-up flash consider using a diffuser, especially with people shots. It will soften and disburse the flash, reducing harsh shadows. Fong's "Puffer." You can get it from Amazon, Gary Fong, or larger Ritz Camera stores.

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=t&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T5GGLL_en___US261&q=gary+fong+puffer

[lexcell]

A really good resource for flash photography is....
www.strobist.com (http://www.strobist.com)
There are all kinds of tutorials on using flash.