How often do pros use lighting outdoors?

[KmH]

Simple question, simple answer. Whenever it is needed.

Which is most of the time, for a pro.

Many geting paid to do photography aren't actually professional photographers, in that they aren't experts at doing photography.

Few pro photographers have the luxury of waiting around for outdoor light to get 'right'.

 

[Carny]

To the OP: you probably need to define what you mean by "pros," as it looks like this is about to turn into another "what is a pro photographer?" thread. Do you mean someone that gets paid to take photographs or are you talking about stuff for major ads, magazines, etc.?

 

[Vtec44]

I'm no pro, but I always have multiple speed lights/strobes when shooting outdoor. If I'm just walking around and take snap shots then no, I don't really bring lights.

 

[Derrel]

What about pro sports shooters who shoot outdoor sports??? NFL football for example...it's ALL shot by whatever light is there....daylight or stadium lights, or a mix of the two...indoors might be either strobed or ambient light...

 

[Overread]

What about pro sports shooters who shoot outdoor sports??? NFL football for example...it's ALL shot by whatever light is there....daylight or stadium lights, or a mix of the two...indoors might be either strobed or ambient light...

Some will even grab better beamers and the like for flash lights outside


I think in the end when you ask "what does a pro do" its not really going to get a solid answer back. Different pros will shoot things differently and a great part of photography is ones artistic aspect.

I would argue that a pro uses the tools that they have in the situations that they shoot in to get the artistic result that they and their client wants - and when they can't get that they at least deliver a product that the client wants. Against this we also have to take the line that the "pro" in this case is choosing the gear that they are using and creating the shots they want from a background of understanding not a background of not understanding. What I mean by that is that they know how to use their lights, indoor, outdoor - one light or many.
They learn and experiment and broaden their horizons and then select that gear which they need or have at the time and get the best they can (no one get perfection ).

 

[c.cloudwalker]

^^^^^^

I thought that was very clear. Every time.

Only as a PJ, or landscape shooter, did I not use extra light outdoors.

Nothing personal Buckster, I appreciate you and your work. But as a pro, the outdoor light is never quite what is either needed or wanted and it's always going to be modified in some way. Either with strobes, reflectors or diffusers. And most often it's going to be a combo of those.

I have to debate that point with you Cloudwalker; granted most shots would benefit from at the least the use of a reflector, if not one or more lights, but it's not always. This shot was taken at a family photo shoot I did last summer - we'd moved from one location in the park to another, and Mom had put her daughter down, and I was in the process of turning to get something out of my kit, and saw her, dropped down to the ground and grabbed the shot. Is the lighting perfect? Absolutely not, BUT would I have got that shot, captured that expression if I'd spent a minute or two buggering around with reflectors and lights? Doubt it... Therefore, I submit that in this case it was NOT APPROPRIATE to use any sort of lighting, since it would have meant losing the shot.

Darn you tirediron, you are giving me a headache with this example.

1/ you are absolutely right. No, it is not perfect but close enough.

2/ You are absolutely right even though you are wrong. Yes, sometimes things come together close to perfect but that's pretty rare and I think this is one of those times.

3/ my first reaction was, this is not pro work. But I fast enough realized that what I talk about when I talk about pro work may not be what every one else talks about. And, yes, there's a big difference between pro-retail and pro-commercial.

And before anyone accuses me again of being a snob, let me put it this way, there are different levels of what is acceptable, depending on what it is you are shooting and, yes, I'm looking at things from a commercial point of view.

So, from my point of view this photo is cute and everything but hardly worth any mention if we are talking about a commercial shoot. But for the parents, yes, it is a good, very good one.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

What about pro sports shooters who shoot outdoor sports??? NFL football for example...it's ALL shot by whatever light is there....daylight or stadium lights, or a mix of the two...indoors might be either strobed or ambient light...

Some will even grab better beamers and the like for flash lights outside


I think in the end when you ask "what does a pro do" its not really going to get a solid answer back. Different pros will shoot things differently and a great part of photography is ones artistic aspect.

I would argue that a pro uses the tools that they have in the situations that they shoot in to get the artistic result that they and their client wants - and when they can't get that they at least deliver a product that the client wants. Against this we also have to take the line that the "pro" in this case is choosing the gear that they are using and creating the shots they want from a background of understanding not a background of not understanding. What I mean by that is that they know how to use their lights, indoor, outdoor - one light or many.
They learn and experiment and broaden their horizons and then select that gear which they need or have at the time and get the best they can (no one get perfection ).

Overread, in your immense ability to touch everyone at the same time, you are so often right. There is no right answer. There are only multiple answers that will not appeal to anyone in particular and will piss off everyone.

So be it.

That also means there is no way to please anyone whatsoever. So let them all fight for their little chunk of reality. Who cares?

The details are just so ridiculous...

 

[KmH]

Pro sports shooters use some of the most expensive DSLR camera gear made because they are mostly restricted to using only available light outside.

I've seen pro sports shooters arrive at indoor venue's with a couple of shipped ahead pallets stacked high with their cameras, lenses, and lighting gear waiting for them.

 

[Derrel]

Overread--I have NEVER,ever seen a pro photographer using a Better Beamer or any other flash to cover an NCAA or NFL football game.

At NBA basketball games, almost all of the professionals are photographing using only ambient light, without ANY additional light, and only ONE media outlet is allowed to use strobes in the arena.

 

[splproductions]

To the OP: you probably need to define what you mean by "pros," as it looks like this is about to turn into another "what is a pro photographer?" thread. Do you mean someone that gets paid to take photographs or are you talking about stuff for major ads, magazines, etc.?

Sorry to start a war here...

The experience I have with people taking my photos (the friend of a friend situation) are girls who have websites, charge for their work, and usually also work at a stock photography company or do other design work. And not to sound sexist or anything, but these girls usually has a husband who is bringing home the bulk of the family money - they kind of do this "on the side". I would consider these people "semi-pro".

However, when I ask what a "pro" would do, I'm asking about the guy/gal whose work is quality enough to show up on a major magazine, get hired to shoot supermodels, etc...

Don't get me wrong, I not thinking I'm ever going to be one of these people. My question was really just to make sure that I wasn't going to buy all this lighting equipment and find out that nobody uses that kind of stuff outdoors. Like I said, my home is my "studio", and my indoor options are limited by that. But it's pretty apparent from all of your responses that I will definitely be utilizing my lighting equipment outdoors.

 

[table1349]

What about pro sports shooters who shoot outdoor sports??? NFL football for example...it's ALL shot by whatever light is there....daylight or stadium lights, or a mix of the two...indoors might be either strobed or ambient light...

Darrel, we sports shooters don't often use lights for outdoors sports. Never when the game is in progress. I would suggest however, re-reading the OP's first post. The OP was speaking about portrait photography.

 

[MrsLittle]

I prefer using my SL when shooting portraits. It's perfect for making my images sharp even in situations of slow shutter speeds.

 

[Rephargotohp]

To the OP: you probably need to define what you mean by "pros," as it looks like this is about to turn into another "what is a pro photographer?" thread. Do you mean someone that gets paid to take photographs or are you talking about stuff for major ads, magazines, etc.?

Sorry to start a war here...

The experience I have with people taking my photos (the friend of a friend situation) are girls who have websites, charge for their work, and usually also work at a stock photography company or do other design work. And not to sound sexist or anything, but these girls usually has a husband who is bringing home the bulk of the family money - they kind of do this "on the side". I would consider these people "semi-pro".

However, when I ask what a "pro" would do, I'm asking about the guy/gal whose work is quality enough to show up on a major magazine, get hired to shoot supermodels, etc...

Don't get me wrong, I not thinking I'm ever going to be one of these people. My question was really just to make sure that I wasn't going to buy all this lighting equipment and find out that nobody uses that kind of stuff outdoors. Like I said, my home is my "studio", and my indoor options are limited by that. But it's pretty apparent from all of your responses that I will definitely be utilizing my lighting equipment outdoors.

This was the context that my first reply was about.

I don't shoot fashion but I watch a lot of it get done because they do it in my backyard. TV and films also

When a Catalog Fashion shoot is done at the beach it's an all day affair, The girls changed outfits numerous times so there is no waiting for the perfect light. The changing room is usually a circular curtain held up by a Hola-hoop looking thing by some lucky grip. If it a bigger shoot the girls get a trailer

The first people to show up are the grip crew and they build basically a scrim hut. This is a 3 sided hut made of large scrims and diffuser panels. They may use all scrim panels or they may ad some Silks or diffuser panels to get some soft natural light in. The back is open and positioned so that they have a beautiful backdrop of the water or the beach. Then everything is lit with a combinations of strobes and reflectors. The light needs to be the same all day long, they can't have half look one one because the sun was out and the other half was behind the clouds.

When shot through the tent and lit correctly, you may never know they were. actually within this tent. Do they sometimes step out of the tent, yes they do, but again the light is very controlled with maybe a sunswatter overhead and reflectors and or strobes

Even when shooting TV, when you see that scene where a couple are lying on a blanket on the beach talking...There is a Huge scrim about 4-5 feet off the ground that they are actually under and all the light is controlled.

So in THIS context, for your question how often do Pros use lights, the answer is very often.

Other than that, it's up to the photog

 

[Buckster]

Another interesting example of an outdoor portrait using ONLY available light, no strobes, no reflectors, from one of our own forum members, Sw1tchFX:

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/film-discussion-q/270470-long-live-kodak.html#post2470384

Looks great to me!

 

[gsgary]

Even Overread use lighting now for his macro's