Flash during the day & thanks TPF!

[Robin Usagani]

First of all I want to say thanks to all of you. I know haven't been the best guy to have around here. Argued a lot with some of you.. but hey.. that's part of the fun on the Internet right? I want to give special thanks to (in no particular order) BigMike, Derrel, Kundalini, OldMacMan, Ghache, BigTwinky, BitterJeweller, Kmh, gsgary, SrBiscuit, VillageIdiot, Overread. You guys have been great and helpful to everybody.

Anyway just to refresh your memory on an old shoot I did:
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...3-how-bad-these-family-photos-cc-welcome.html

Best lesson is to learn from the past mistakes. I am planning to do this again with a different family tomorrow. I will try my best again not to have blown backgrounds, but I wont do it too extreme. I will let more ambient light this time. This will be a paid shoot and I have never met this family (the link above, I know the mom already). A few things will be different this time:

1. I will be using 5D instead of 500D. 5D can go to ISO 50. So if the background is very bright, I dont have to rely too heavily on my aperture size because that is an extra full stop I dont have to take while keeping the shutter speed to 1/200 (sync speed).
2. I will use 70-200mm f/2.8L IS instead of 50mm f/1.4
3. I will use cowboy trigger to do off camera flash. It will be mounted about 7 ft tall with translucent modifier. Planning to put to put it maybe 7-10 ft from the family at maybe 45 degree to the side. I will stand farther with longer zoom.
4. I will use manual setting for consistency and of course manual flash
5. My editing PP has improved tremendously since then (I think anyway :lmao: )

Is there any other advice/comment you guys have? I dont have a handheld light meter(nor that I have used one before or know how to operate one) so I will rely heavily on my eyes (yes.. they are calibrated eyes LOL) and the preview screen. What kind of power level on my 550EX shall I start with? 1/4?

Thanks!

 

[Light Artisan]

Just want to say good luck, I hope all goes well for you - looking forward to the results.

 

[sobolik]

"4. I will use manual setting for consistency and of course manual flash"

There is a reason why camera manufacturers spent a bazillion years, a bazillion dollars and a bazillion man hours developing automated controls. What baffles me is the number of wives tales on photo forums that perpetuate the concept that manual is better.

You want better results then stop shooting manual all the Time. Only when needed.

 

[Village Idiot]

It your flash powerful enough to shoot outside at whatever time of day you have the shoot for and effectively work from 7'-10' away with a modifier?

 

[Village Idiot]

"4. I will use manual setting for consistency and of course manual flash"

There is a reason why camera manufacturers spent a bazillion years, a bazillion dollars and a bazillion man hours developing automated controls. What baffles me is the number of wives tales on photo forums that perpetuate the concept that manual is better.

You want better results then stop shooting manual all the Time. Only when needed.

If a person were to be using off camera TTL lighting, the whole scene's exposure could change from one shot to the next based on how the photographer was metering and what they were metering on.

There's generally a reason why portrait photographers don't use TTL lighting.

 

[Light Artisan]

You want better results then stop shooting manual all the Time. Only when needed.

FWIW - I tend to lean along this train of thought myself.

 

[Robin Usagani]

oh .. forgot about you VillageIdiot.. I'll add you to my thanks... You are very forgettable LOL JK.

I use AV, TV all the time on events. Yes.. I do need manual. The link I posted, my exposure went all over the place with automated setting.

 

[Robin Usagani]

It your flash powerful enough to shoot outside at whatever time of day you have the shoot for and effectively work from 7'-10' away with a modifier?

550EX, too far? Full power?

 

[gsgary]

Is anyone going with you ? if so you can have a practise. I use a flash meter to workout ambient then set flash to same readings then i play around with shutter speed until i get what i want. What you can do is take a shot without flash to get the background how you like it then add flash and adjust it to suit then have a play with shutter speeds

 

[Tbini87]

Is anyone going with you ? if so you can have a practise. I use a flash meter to workout ambient then set flash to same readings then i play around with shutter speed until i get what i want. What you can do is take a shot without flash to get the background how you like it then add flash and adjust it to suit then have a play with shutter speeds

Is it better to change ap and shutter sp than to change the flash power? Say you dial in the background to how you want... then throw in the flash and it is too powerful, you could change aperture or flash power right? Shutter speed would only really change the background right?

 

[Village Idiot]

Is anyone going with you ? if so you can have a practise. I use a flash meter to workout ambient then set flash to same readings then i play around with shutter speed until i get what i want. What you can do is take a shot without flash to get the background how you like it then add flash and adjust it to suit then have a play with shutter speeds

Is it better to change ap and shutter sp than to change the flash power? Say you dial in the background to how you want... then throw in the flash and it is too powerful, you could change aperture or flash power right? Shutter speed would only really change the background right?

Problem with shooting outdoor is being able to get the shutter speed high enough without going over the camera's x sync and not having too high of an aperture that will kill the flash.

 

[Robin Usagani]

Right.. I understand. Well.. I am a little worried with trying to keep it 1/200 second and off camera flash. The aperture is just so small and I am not liking how detailed the background is. Maybe Ill scrap the idea of using OCF and stick with only reflector.

 

[Blake.Oney]

I would go a little earlier and try taking photo's of yourself if you're alone. Try the flash at different powers and distances from subject. If you don't get the results you want just put the flash away and get set with the reflector.

 

[Robin Usagani]

Yeah.. I have been experimenting.. They looked pretty good. Wish me luck!

 

[gsgary]

Right.. I understand. Well.. I am a little worried with trying to keep it 1/200 second and off camera flash. The aperture is just so small and I am not liking how detailed the background is. Maybe Ill scrap the idea of using OCF and stick with only reflector.

Use it on camera HSS or use a lead, these were shot at midday on canera HSS bare flash