C&C...or really a lighting question

[2WheelPhoto]

Hey when you guys do the strobist thing do you go a few nights before and shoot a few pics to get the light settings and off-cam flash placements? I went out tonight and shot a couple of friends I ride with but I haven't been through the lighting courses yet at school. Using a few flashes/umbrella or ambient just pulling up to a random place and shooting in the dark seems difficult and time consuming for me. Difficult to position the lights then ajusting the speedlights settings and f-stop close to right.

I'm wondering if its typical to figure it all out beforehand or close, then go the next night and shoot? Or what steps am I missing?

Ambient:

2 lights

2 lights

 

[tirediron]

You're not missing anything except experience. Of course a trial run beforehand is always nice, but with time and experience you will learn to estimate fairly accurately the what and where of lighting placement.

 

[KmH]

#1 has some serious white balance issues from the mixed lighting. She's green (as is all of the foreground), the background is orange.

 

[bazooka]

Yeah, you need to gel your lights to match ambient if you care about the ambient light color. Otherwise, color correct your white balance to the flash and let the rest of the image go wherever. You can use this to your advantage if you want to create striking sunsets or the like, but if you don't make a consious decision to gel or not to gel, it will usually work against you.