Beginner In Need Of Lighting Help ASAP!!!

[ErinElizabeth]

Hi, all.

I'm doing my friend's maternity pictures for her this weekend. The shoot will take place outdoors in what is likely to be bright daylight.. backdrop will vary between trees, rocks, streams, all of the above. I will be using a Pentax K10D that I am not very familiar with and I am looking for any advice I can get in regards to achieving proper lighting throughout the shoot. Most of the images she wants in black and white but some will be bright colour, as she will have a winnie the pooh mural painted on her stomach by a local makeup artist. My technical photographic knowledge is painfully limited as a result of inept public highschool staff, therefore I need any advice I can get about shutter speed, aperture, sensitivity, how to properly use f-stops and ISO settings, and whichever other topics relate to my needs. I will likely be using a reflector for fill.. most likely silver or white as gold would, i think, alter the colours too much. Also, it is possible that I might use a flash, diffused or otherwise.. but my flash is harsh on my camera and I would prefer not to use it at all if possible

Any and all help is greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

 

[nyamy]

ok, this is a huge question. no one can give you all this information, let alone knowlege, in one thread. instead of blaming inept public highschool staff, why not go to the library, see if you can get your hands on Understanding Exposure and start reading? there are no shortcuts. I've been reading up on most of those topics for three years and still consider myself a newbie (havent even gotten to the rest of the topics you ask about).

but one quick tip...bright daylight is not your friend. see if you can shoot towards dusk. or early AM. go to your location before the shoot, figure out what you're doing with your lighting and get familiar with your camera. the manual will prove helpful.

 

[johnh2005]

Heh, my best friend's wife's maiden name is Arin Elizabeth. I thought you were her for just a second.

 

[ErinElizabeth]

I have been to my library.. also painfully limited, and I am aware that there are no shortcuts.. I'm not taking shortcuts at all, merely trying to get any and all information I can possibly get my hands on.. I am also aware that not everything I am wondering will be answered but if I don't ask, no one will know what info I am in need of. Been reading the camera manual front-to-back and have been to the location already to map it out. Having done all of this, I turned here to provide myself with whatever EXTRA information I can get.. just because I posted her doesn't mean that I haven't been using other resources. I started this thread for extra advice, not judgements made about whether or not I've looked for information via other sources.

 

[ErinElizabeth]

Haha Elizabeth's not my surname, but that's cool.. small world

 

[ghache]

ITS NOW TIME TO.

 

[Derrel]

Relax. You've got plenty of time. The weekend is a day and a half from now. Due to the inept public high school staff failing to impart technical knowledge to you, I would say maybe scour YouTube for some videos that will show, in motion pictures and with voice, how to shoot maternity photos. Surely there's gotta' be a handful of videos that will help you learn about shutter speed, aperture, sensitivity, and how to use f/stops and ISO settings, and how to utilize the light that is present. Doggone those inept high school teachers!!! I thought Canada had fantastic public schools, full of the best and brightest minds...huh...

Anyway, relax...my suggestion is to find an area, a big area, with broad, OPEN SHADE, like in a park, where tall trees shade the area mostly. Set the ISO to 400, and set the white balance control to SHADE. (Usually a building with a shadow on one side). THat ensures a warmer-than-daylight White Balance. Then, put the camera's mode dial on the Green P or the Green Box mode, or just P for Program, and try and compose carefully, and press the shutter releases smoothly and gently. Set the camera in Continuous advance mode, and shoot each picture as a 2- or 3-shot burst, which helps give variety, and prevents shutter button "jabbing" from causing blurring on the 2nd and 3rd shots. Tell her what the shot is going to be like, then help her pose, then "work" the shots. DO NOT LET THE ISO DROP INTO THE 200 RANGE...keep it at 400!!!!

When you convert to B&W, a little "noise" looks better than smooth, fakey-looking files. GOod luck. Stay relaxed. Keep your cool. Check out some videos, and just stay calm!

 

[ErinElizabeth]

ghacha, your helpfulness knows no bounds.... -.- please keep only to useful comments on this thread or don't comment at all.. I am looking for legitimate advice, not asinine comments.

 

[ErinElizabeth]

thanks, Derrel for the help and yes normally we do have a great public school system, but my perticular high school was not one of the better in the bunch, so to speak.. ended up working to graduate early just so i could leave without dropping out! lol.. but thank you for the advice helps alot

 

[gsgary]

ghacha, your helpfulness knows no bounds.... -.- please keep only to useful comments on this thread or don't comment at all.. I am looking for legitimate advice, not asinine comments.

He gave you good advice because this is going to end up like a train crash

 

[ErinElizabeth]

ghacha, your helpfulness knows no bounds.... -.- please keep only to useful comments on this thread or don't comment at all.. I am looking for legitimate advice, not asinine comments.

He gave you good advice because this is going to end up like a train crash

I really couldn't care less what you think.. I'm only looking for advice, the people turning this thread into a train wreck are the posters like yourself who feel the need to be infuriatingly useless, so kindly refrain from posting at all unless you intend to make yourself useful.

 

[zstatus]

Relax. You've got plenty of time. The weekend is a day and a half from now. Due to the inept public high school staff failing to impart technical knowledge to you, I would say maybe scour YouTube for some videos that will show, in motion pictures and with voice, how to shoot maternity photos. Surely there's gotta' be a handful of videos that will help you learn about shutter speed, aperture, sensitivity, and how to use f/stops and ISO settings, and how to utilize the light that is present. Doggone those inept high school teachers!!! I thought Canada had fantastic public schools, full of the best and brightest minds...huh...

Anyway, relax...my suggestion is to find an area, a big area, with broad, OPEN SHADE, like in a park, where tall trees shade the area mostly. Set the ISO to 400, and set the white balance control to SHADE. (Usually a building with a shadow on one side). THat ensures a warmer-than-daylight White Balance. Then, put the camera's mode dial on the Green P or the Green Box mode, or just P for Program, and try and compose carefully, and press the shutter releases smoothly and gently. Set the camera in Continuous advance mode, and shoot each picture as a 2- or 3-shot burst, which helps give variety, and prevents shutter button "jabbing" from causing blurring on the 2nd and 3rd shots. Tell her what the shot is going to be like, then help her pose, then "work" the shots. DO NOT LET THE ISO DROP INTO THE 200 RANGE...keep it at 400!!!!

When you convert to B&W, a little "noise" looks better than smooth, fakey-looking files. GOod luck. Stay relaxed. Keep your cool. Check out some videos, and just stay calm!

Whats the reasoning for not dropping the iso below 400 in this situation?

 

[Chriss]

I really gotta say I'm getting pissed off at people like you, ghache. This gig may bomb completely due to the lack of photographic knowledge of the OP, but you have two options when it comes to that:

A) Ignore the thread, and don't post your useless bull****.
B) Tell the person that the shoot will most likely not go well because of that same lack of knowledge, and the person should therefore either make a decision to pass on the gig, or to stay up all night trying to read up on photography and its fundamentals.

This photo forum has turned into a bunch of useless, judgmental **** filled with drama. And a good amount of you posters are so ****ing self-absorbed that you can't even own up to the fact that you are being complete assholes. And I can already see replies to this post: "Your the one being the asshole, blah blah blah." I don't give a damn. I was going to leave this forum anyway. There are quite a few people on here who are helpful, smart, and are willing to share their knowledge by all means. Look at the difference between your post and Derrel's post, ghache. Really?

Thanks for lettin me rant. You can ban me now, or however you deal with profanity.

 

[ghache]

I say shoot outdoor, in a park, seek some shade and work the light as much as you can, use the sun as back lightning, fill with a reflector and shoot wide open. We cant just give you what setting to use since every situation is different. I shoot all my portraits wide open to get that short dof. There is no need to shoot at iso 400 like derrel said. If you need to crank you ISO up do so but outdoor you should be allright, keep it as low as possible. you will be fine.


and PRAY

 

[ghache]

I really gotta say I'm getting pissed off at people like you, ghache. This gig may bomb completely due to the lack of photographic knowledge of the OP, but you have two options when it comes to that:

A) Ignore the thread, and don't post your useless bull****.
B) Tell the person that the shoot will most likely not go well because of that same lack of knowledge, and the person should therefore either make a decision to pass on the gig, or to stay up all night trying to read up on photography and its fundamentals.

This photo forum has turned into a bunch of useless, judgmental **** filled with drama. And a good amount of you posters are so ****ing self-absorbed that you can't even own up to the fact that you are being complete assholes. And I can already see replies to this post: "Your the one being the asshole, blah blah blah." I don't give a damn. I was going to leave this forum anyway. There are quite a few people on here who are helpful, smart, and are willing to share their knowledge by all means. Look at the difference between your post and Derrel's post, ghache. Really?

Thanks for lettin me rant. You can ban me now, or however you deal with profanity.

haha!! you dont have much sence of humour dont you? have a good day sir.