[ThuanDB]

When taking interior photos, I face this dilemma:  turn flash on helps balance windows and interior lighting yet results in "flashy" looking images mostly.  Without flash, I would easily have interior exposed properly but windows blown out, else under exposed interior.  Second, interior WB can be tricky and usually color cast.  Any effective solutions?

[jupiterboy]

Tripod for longer exposures.

Diffuser to diffuse the flash.

See if your camera has a white balance set feature that allows you to record a custom white balance right before you shoot by using the camera to shoot a piece of white paper.

[thunderbrick]

Samples?  You doing real estate pix?

For interiors a cloudy day will help some, since there's less contrast.  Later in the day will let you balance interior light levels with the outside illumination.

Try to compose shots to reduce the window area in your photos.

Jupiterboy is correct.  A shoe-mount flash that you can bounce off walls/ceiling would help,

[ThuanDB]

Tripod for longer exposures.

Diffuser to diffuse the flash.

See if your camera has a white balance set feature that allows you to record a custom white balance right before you shoot by using the camera to shoot a piece of white paper.

Thanks.  In addition to your sound advice, I'm thinking of adding another off-camera flash.

[ThuanDB]

Samples?  You doing real estate pix?

For interiors a cloudy day will help some, since there's less contrast.  Later in the day will let you balance interior light levels with the outside illumination.

Try to compose shots to reduce the window area in your photos.

Jupiterboy is correct.  A shoe-mount flash that you can bounce off walls/ceiling would help,

Right on, it's the RE photos.  Thank you both, I'll try them all, one by one.

[Devil Doc]

Try both, and bracket your exposures. It's not like you have to worry about burning up film

Doc

[Photon46]

If you aren't shooting RAW files and taking advantage of the image manipulation capabilities of Photoshop (or another powerful image processing program,) you're not likely get anything but amateurish looking images. I have Photoshop CS6, Lightroom, and Capture One Pro 7 but prefer Photoshop as the all purpose go to. Interiors are a tough subject. Sounds like you need a fast work flow, so I'd get a quick to set up tripod and fairly powerful off camera flash system. Off camera bounce flash looks far better than direct on-camera flash IMO. I shoot small sensor work with a Canon EOS 1DsII and Canon lenses, but I like Sunpack flashes for their value and features. Invest in a decent diffuser/bounce accessory system for the flash. Try to use the flash discretely as a fill only, usually 1-2 f/stops below what you'd use to get a proper exposure. The main thing is shooting RAW files and processing them optimally.

[Jon L]

Always shoot RAW for high-contrast, high-dynamic range shots like these and adjust white balance, bring up shadows, etc later in post. 

It would be nice to set up multiple powerful off-camera flashes with diffusers, but I just don't see too many people being able to carry all that stuff around, much less time to set them up optimally in each room. 

A faster strategy for me is to half-close window shutters, blinds, curtains, then turn on all interior lights to bring up ambient light before shooting with preferably full-frame DSLR, avoiding shooting directly at lights/sun.  Then post-process with simple curves and set pleasing white balance.

[thunderbrick]

A faster strategy for me is to half-close window shutters, blinds, curtains, then turn on all interior lights to bring up ambient light before shooting with preferably full-frame DSLR, avoiding shooting directly at lights/sun.  Then post-process with simple curves and set pleasing white balance.

Bingo!   

[ThuanDB]

Thank you guys.  Shooting RAW, bracketing, using flash efficiently and reasonably, using tripod and diffusers, re-arranging curtains, post process, they must be all good techniques.  Will also try to stay with lower ISO for low noise provided tripod available.  And yes, full frame sensor helps too.  While multiple flashes and/or a tripod can be impractical, I will at least bring along inside a desktop tripod, which is much more portable.

Any other more inputs and tips, however remotely helpful they might sound like, please feel free to chime in.

[Scott F.]

I'm not the greatest photog but on occasion I snap some decent pics. Here's my take on inside flash pics.

I use a Canon 30D with the 530EXii, shoe mount with a softbox, 9x9 strap on diffuser. When I shoot, I always angle the flash up and in back of me so I get even greater diffusion on the subjects in front of me. It takes a shot or two to get the 'right' amount of diffusion without noticible shadowing.

Here's in interior shot of my lovely bride on her 'real' 52nd birthday. She was born on leap day so she only gets a 'real' birthday every four years. This time we had a party and celebrated her 13th birthday. At 13 (she was born in 1960) that would have made it 1973 so we all got her presents appropriate for a 13 year old in 1973, hence the hippie outfit, clogs and rose colored glasses she was wearing.

Here's a pic I shot
 
Bouncing up and in back of you gives you really nice diffusion. Again, I'm using a soft box diffuser also which really cuts down hot spots. Though I don't have windows in this pic, here's one that does.


 

Not a great shot but it gives you an idea that the window isn't blown out and the subject isn't washed out by the flash. Again, bouncing the flash up and behind me with a softbox.

Those photos are raw with no post processing.

Hope that helps a bit.

[ThuanDB]

Even though my priority is taking still interior images, I appreciate your sharing the experience.  I too have an 8x8 soft box strapped on a 430ex II and got promising shots, indoor portraits and outdoor macros.  Am waiting for a good deal on a 600ex-rt next month.  Once I tried a 90-inch soft box but soon found out it was not for me:  too bulky and awkward to set up, let alone the complexity of radio trigger requirement.

[thunderbrick]

As ScottF. said, use the walls as your reflectors.

Architectural photography is one thing; RE typically demands a much lower effort.