How do I take pictures of a candle-lit face?

[Tincho]

Hi everyone

I'm no professional photographer at all, and considering the different ISO sensitivities of Polaroid and Instax film, thought I'd ask this question here.

My mother's birthday will be in a few days, and I want to take pictures of her behind the birthday cake with candles lit.

So how do I achieve a photo where her face does not come out dark? I mean, the cake candles are a problem. Should I set the cameras to "darken"? Should I disable the flash (Fuji) or use the flash override shutter button (Polaroid)?

When I say that I don't want her face to come out dark I mean I don't want her face to be unrecognizable. A dark, yet lit face like this where detail is visible is ideal, I guess

Thanks in advance.

[MikeNavy]

Hello,
Since you have a large difference of exposure between lit candles and your mother face, the best way to take the photo is to reduce this difference: use flash or any source of light that could enlighten your mother's face.

[Tincho]

Hello,
Since you have a large difference of exposure between lit candles and your mother face, the best way to take the photo is to reduce this difference: use flash or any source of light that could enlighten your mother's face.

Thank you! I thought of that but I was unsure whether the flame(s) and/or the candle(s) (just like any other object at the forefront) would steal the flash.

[MikeNavy]

I don't think that candles will "steal the flash".
Best way would be to have undirect lighting, for example by flashing a white ceiling (if your flash cell allows this); this would avoid hard contrast and shadows.

[xya]

as mike said, the easiest way would be an indirect flash. it could be the other way, a direct flash could steal the candle light. the photo you refer to was certainly taken without flash. but it would need a long exposure time, a person and a camera that does not move during exposure. so it's a choice. or, with some instructions to your mother, you try both, with and without flash.

[Tincho]

Thanks, MikeNavy and xya!

I forgot to mention the cameras I have: Polaroid Supercolor 635CL and Fujifilm Instax 100. Neither have control over exposure time or detachable flash, so indirect flash is not an option I guess. I will try both with aqn without flash if I have enough pictures left (I don't remember). It's a shame I'll have to wait for around 20 minutes for the Polaroid to develop to see if the pics came out okay. I tried shooting without flash with the Pola in daylight and the picutres came out blurry How good is the Instax 100 with flash disabled?

[MikeNavy]

Thanks, MikeNavy and xya!

I forgot to mention the cameras I have: Polaroid Supercolor 635CL and Fujifilm Instax 100. Neither have control over exposure time or detachable flash, so indirect flash is not an option I guess. I will try both with aqn without flash if I have enough pictures left (I don't remember). It's a shame I'll have to wait for around 20 minutes for the Polaroid to develop to see if the pics came out okay. I tried shooting without flash with the Pola in daylight and the picutres came out blurry How good is the Instax 100 with flash disabled?

Try to use Instax 100, two different tries with flash enabled and disabled. At least you will have to wait only for some tens of seconds to have the result!

It is probable that witout flash it will not work, unless you have some powerful lighting (led lamp, halogen lamp) in the room where you take the photo.

With flash it will work, you will have a hard contrast and shadows. You can try to attenuate this by putting a white paper (from handkerchief) in front of the flash, with adhesive ribbon, or a half cut ping-pong ball. It will diffuse light and the result will be better.

Do some tests before "THE" photo!

[bimo]

Hi there,

I would also suggest to give it a try before the D-day, as it is a kind of one shot for an important event, and that cannot be done again later.
You can try with some candles, no need of a cake, and somebody to play your mother.

[xya]

as far as I know, the flash of the instax 100 cannot be disabled. you can cover it, as mike proposed with some white paper to get a softer light. do not put the paper directly on the surface of the flash, it may burn as the flash is quite powerful. tape it loosely around it and leave 3mm distance at least. as the photo cell doesn't know about the softer light, it may be necessary to put the setting to "lighten". bimo is right: have a test before...

[Tincho]

Thanks again MikeNavy, bimo and xya!

I'll post again after taking the shots.

About the flash, the Instax 100 has a Flash button. I thought the flash was enabled by default and the button is used to disable it. Am I wrong about that?

[MikeNavy]

It seems the flash is automatic. The button is here to force flash use. Flash cannot be disabled.