How to get properly exposed flash photos

By Steve Kirsch

I do a lot of lock the exposure and focus by pushing the button halfway down, then re compose the shot.

This fails when you use a flash because the flash will use the light values when you snap the photo, not when you compose.

So do two things before re-composing the shot.

Use partial metering (circle) or spot metering (dot) and compose on the person's face
Use the flash exposure lock when you compose the shot and center on the person's face. This locks the flash exposure based on the person's face.