Big Half Moon Shadow on Pictures

[finwood]

I take pictures inside boat cabins and rooms in homes to use in web ads. Many times it is quite dark, and sometimes the electricity is off. I use a wide angle lens, and the flash. But, in my pictures there is a big half moon shadow at the bottom of the picture. I think this is caused by my wide angle lens? What can I do to prevent this from happening. I know...the obvious...take off the lens, but is there another way? My camera (Olympus C-770) has a place to put another flash, and different flash modes.

 

[linskyjack]

Yes, wide angle lenses and flashes are not a good match. If you can get the flash off the camera--brackets work very well..you should be able to rid yourself of the problem. I am not familiar with your camera so I can't really be more specific.

 

[buck52]

can you post an example... I do quite few boat interior shots with a 17-35 mm lens and on camera flash...good results

buck

 

[finwood]

This is inside a home - electricity off
and a boat.

 

[finwood]

I used software to minimize the shadow.

 

[xgerryx]

The only real way to stop it is to use an auxiliary flash, but you might be able to lesson the impact by placing something like a piece of cigarette paper over the flash to diffuse the light a bit.

 

[Rockn]

Does that annomoly happen when you are in direct sunlight using no flash or is it just with the telephoto lens and flash combo? You can also try to bounce the flash off of the ceiling if it is adjustable or putting a piece of flexible plastic sheet over the top of the flash to diffuse the flash towards the floor.

 

[Guyzer]

Try renting a bounce flash from your fav camera store. Then you can experiment without spending a fortune. or better yet, borrow one from a friend.

 

[finwood]

Rockn, it only happens when I use the wide angle lens inside in low light situations. I have to use an adapter to attach the lens to the camera. It is about 3" wide so it sticks up quite a bit. I have this thing (I don't know what it is called, but it is for camera use because it has aperture settings written on it)
that I bought at a thrift store for 45 cents. It is a metal bar about a foot long. It has a handle on it, and on each end there is a place for a light bulb. On the top it has a screw to screw the camera on to it. I think it would give me enough extra light coming from underneath the camera to do away with the shadow. I'll try it. For the boats, I probably don't need the lens inside the cabins. My camera has 10 X optical zoom.

 

[Rockn]

It is probably the adapter. I have one of those as well to allow for larger lenses on my SLR, but have never seen anything like that. The only time I have had problems with vignetting is on telephoto lenses with shades on them.

 

[buck52]

Howdy

No doubt the problem is with the flash angle being to close to the focal angle.... As has been said get the flash off/above the focus point/angle of the camera...

buck

 

[inuyasha320]

the levels in photohop can only get it to look like a stain on the floor and wall.



you may need to get a florescent flash.

i think they cost a lot though.

(they come in all shapes and sizes and fit around the lens area behind the area that you hold)

they make the light cover the entire area.

they kinda look like this

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...104-4677884-3214317?v=glance&s=photo&n=172447

that is a cheap one the more $$$ ones work best