full sun portraits

[Ravenscroft]

how do you take full sun portraits while avoiding heavy shadows in the eyes?

 

[Sharkbait]

Fill-flash is your friend. :thumbsup:

 

[ksmattfish]

Or a reflector. I use 2 pieces of white foam core clamped together with small spring clamps.

 

[Ravenscroft]

thanks but what if your in the middle of a river (wading) and dont have access to that stuff?
case in point:

 

[Artemis]

Use photoshop to add fill in?

 

[ksmattfish]

thanks but what if your in the middle of a river (wading) and dont have access to that stuff?

If you can't control the light, well then, you can't control the light.

You can use any piece of white paper, t shirt, etc... as a reflector. Unfold a cigarette pack or candy box, have the subject hold it out in front of them just out of the frame.

All you need is a flash for fill flash. What camera are you using? Most cameras with built in flash do it automatically if you force the flash in daylight.

This is how I do fill flash: set the aperture I want, meter ambient light to determine shutter speed, set flash for a 1 or 2 stop under exposure from that. This is pretty easy if your flash can be adjusted for power (full, 1/2, 1/4, 1/16...), and your camera has a high flash sync speed. If you're stuck with full power and a low sync speed then it's trickier.

 

[Ravenscroft]

I have a fujifilm S5100 (digital 4.0 mp) it has a flash but i never thought about force flash. i figured in full sun a flash wouldnt be noticable. i shall have to try all of your suggestions. thanks for everyones advice

 

[Sharkbait]

You'd be amazed what that flash can do even in full sunlight. :thumbsup:

 

[Big Mike]

Actually, built-in flashes are better used in day-light than when it's dark.

In the sun, they can be used to get great fill light...but when the flash is the only light source, the lighting is flat and it gives you subjects that caught in the head lights look...plus there's red eye.

 

[Ravenscroft]

the other thing is she was about 20 feet away when i took the pictue. i imagine that a built in flash woundnt be much use at such a distance. another question: how do you know what the sync rate for your flash is? my camera has 6 flash settings auto, red-eye reduction, forced flash, slow synchro, suppressed (which is off - press the flash housing down to temporarily turn the flash off) and red-eye slow synchro. thats all the control i have over the flash.

 

[hp60035]

Can someone please go into more detail about what the different sync speeds are for. I am curious as to what slow synchro mode on my camera is used for. Sorry if this question is a bit broad, thanks.

 

[mentos_007]

fuji does the job pretty well, I own a fuji cam and the built-in flash is great. You can determine a "force" of it.

 

[RickyN29]

Can someone please go into more detail about what the different sync speeds are for. I am curious as to what slow synchro mode on my camera is used for. Sorry if this question is a bit broad, thanks.

Same here, can someone explain? Thanks