Good to know the 35mm equivalent focal length !

What's the approx distance Naim? I'll assume the flash head zoom was automatic, so the setting would have been 70mm. With those settings the flash range possible is 1.8 to 17.8 metres.

So a big range, but actually the lower limit of 1.8 metres can easily be exceeded indoors, so I advise for direct flash indoors a maximum of ISO 200/f5.6 to ensure no overexposure .... For wider apertures then ISO100.

For bounced flash them ISO 400-1600 is ok.

Of course it doesn't look like flash range is the problem here, but it is something to consider to rule out any"operator error" .

Thanks Peter ....i was surprised that even at F13-16 the depth of field was quite small ay such close focus distances. I think it's helped bring out the best if the lens however....

Naim, it would be helpful if you could give the settings details ....ISO , aperture, flash head zoom setting, flash compensation, and approx. flash to subject distance.

This would allow an assessment from the guide number table as to whether good exposure is a realistic possibility, .

In general, for automatic P-TTL, this type of scene with a lot of white wall, will cause underexposure, so without some plus compensation then the result from the Pentax flash seems about right.

What was the flash range indication on the flash prior to taking the shot? You should have the distance within this range.

There have been issues with Metz flashes and the K1, and it doesn't look like your one is communicating properly with the camera at all. There may be a firmware fix from Metz, and I'm sure there will be some Metz users here who will know.

Music photographers using K1s will therefore be able to use PhotoShops "add noise" filter! I always wondered what on earth it could be for. .....

Thanks Kebriano, Stuart, Naim and Mike ....

I'm kind of gravitating towards the mono one on the beach, strangely for colour fanatic me! Just seems to suit the situation and surrounds .....

I really enjoyed giving the 18-55 a good blast, and it got worked through a wide range of apertures, from F5.6 to F16.

Yes, that works well! The bright highlights coming through the leaves could really play total havoc without firm exposure control. I imagine you needed to stop down quite a bit, given the 1/180th max sync speed. But it looks fine. The dark skin generally needs minus compensation and the tone looks natural here.

Some strong atmosphere being brought out, especially the stage ones with the diagonal light beams and smoke! The colour balance looks natural, and there are some bold colours and depth to the tones. Very interesting to see what can be done on film ....being limited to ISO 400 means you really do need the light gathering capacity of your lens!

I am impressed by the variety and strength of compositions given the fixed focal length.

There is a fair bit of noise in the blacks and other smooth areas.... is this film grain or is it coming from the digital scan? If so I wonder if the scanner software has some NR function that might improve it?

Ha! Well, give it some time and you'll be back up to speed ! Seeing them from behind only entices the curiosity ....

Desperate times Stub!

More good points here, but with this talk of "pros" and reflectors this thread is being transported from reality to fantasy ...

It starts out with a common reality ..... it's about an amateur Pentax DSLR user who's camera has a built-in flash, a Dad out with a kid, the only adult, not intending on taking portraits, spots an unexpected opportunity, but wanting to get some control over the contrast and DR in the scene, to bring out the depth and colours of the surrounds and bring the subjects face to life. It's about a technical approach to doing that, and what is achievable quickly given the available resources.

Ultimately it's about encouraging other Pentax Users who get into similar situations to have a go and try and get that control over things and see if it helps .... see if it brings photos with a sparkle and life that a non- flash approach could not .....and of course to try and get the most out of the equipment we have to hand already.

There are indeed limitations and negatives about direct pop-up flash, but there are ways to minimise it, such as leaving space behind and trying to get a mix of natural and flash light combined together onto the subject.

This would be a great place for others to have a go and show some results and see if they can create good looking pics under similar circumstances, and for us to think about what made them work well.

Post processing techniques and professional off camera lighting are probably things for a different topic .....

That first one with the starburst is my favourite .... great autumn feel and colour!

Now, instead of that dog, I wish you'd been game enough to get portraits of those two buggy mums!