How do you handle lighting for outdoor portrait shoots?

[EtherArts]

What's your approach to managing lighting for outdoor portraits? Share tips for balancing natural light and dealing with harsh or low-light conditions.

 

[mike.cambridge]

I used on camera flash for the outdoor parts of weddings, either using ettl with it turned down about 2 stops or manual with experimentation if I've got time.

I've tried reflectors but it normally needs another pair of hands and even more time to get right.

 

[Mike_d]

For portrait, choose a time when the sun is low enough to use as a light source, either rim or key, without blinding the subject. Use flash, off camera if possible, as fill or key, depending on how you're using the sun.

 

[Well Bonded]

What's your approach to managing lighting for outdoor portraits? Share tips for balancing natural light and dealing with harsh or low-light conditions.

If possible I will use reflectors, but push come to shove I will fall back on a couple of Photogenic 1500's run off of a portable power supply which is good for about a couple of hours before needing a recharge.

 

[Wilt]

When sun is out, flash is on-camera Fill, with about -1EV contribution relative to the sun contribution, to reduce the contrast.
When overcast, flash is off camera and +1EV brighter than ambient in order to be the apparent Main, to increase the contrast.

 

[Capn Jack]

@ImageMaker !

 

[ImageMaker]

I use something called HySync. My trigger supports flash all the way to 1/8000 second shutter speed. So I control ambient with shutter speed and control flash with aperture.

I just dial flash power at an f-stop and shutter speed to manage ambient light. The secret is to use a slower burning flash bulb. The strobe fires normally not TTL multi firing.

Here’s flash at around 800ws and shutter around 1/2000 at f3.1. Background ambient dropped a few stops. Morning sun hit model like a rim light. Strobe as 30-35 feet from model camera right.

 

[ImageMaker]

Here’s humming birds outdoors 6 pm in the shade. Shutter speed 1/5000 f 5.6 flash was pretty hi powered as well. Shutter speed turned ambient to midnight total darkness.

With HySync dial shutter to taste for background.

 

[ImageMaker]

One more. 1/2000 f2.8 otherwise noon sun would have her face in deep shadow under that hat.

 

[Capn Jack]

One more. 1/2000 f2.8 otherwise noon sun would have her face in deep shadow under that hat.
View attachment 141370

The flash was to our left, and level with her face, in this image? All of these are nice examples.

This is the first "serious" time I used more than the pop-up flash, which wasn't quite strong enough to overpower the background. The composition was intended to show the context of the image, rather than simply being a portrait. I should have removed the polarizing lens so the window behind everyone wouldn't have had those annoying dark and light areas. This demonstrates how to handle bright sun, even indoors. My second flash was on the floor as I had nothing else to hold it. It took me several attempts to set the flash, but someone with experience would have imaged them more quickly. Their cell phones only gave silhouettes. I also could have asked them to move to my right to put the window pane pillar between them.

 

[aeon]

When I have an assistant, they manage a Kupo handheld boom with an 85cm softbox or magnum reflector and 600ws of power.

When I have to manage it all, I use a couple of Godox handles to elevate an extension head with 200ws driving either a Profoto Clic Fresnel, or more often, a Godox AD-S3 12" silver dish.

If I need more power, I use a ProMediaGear handle with a Kupo 6" baby pin extension, with 600ws on an extension head driving a magnum reflector, or 65cm softbox.

That’s all for mobile situations. If I can use a light stand(s), then I typically use 600ws with all kinds of modifiers, typically reflectors, wind allowing.

I have set up a 6×6 with TRP Magic Cloth as a sun diffuser, but it was too fiddly for me to repeat. The Lastolite Halo Compact difflector is absolute gold for outdoor portraits when traveling light.

In those times when I want to shoot more wide open in sun, I use ND filters. Regardless of the light, I like the Schneider-Kreuznach Radiant Black cine filter for that nip of halation and skin kiss.

For outdoor portraits, I use 40mm, 105mm, 180mm, and 200mm, depending on what my subject is looking for.

Cheers,
Ian

 

[ImageMaker]

Kupo…. When I get back to Taiwan in July, I’m heading over to a very large KUPO store in Taipei…. It’s gonna be a fun day.