Last minute outdoor portraiture equipment suggestions

[Dom6663]

Hey community, I am doing some portraits as a favor to a couple friends of mine. I would love for them to turn out as nice as possible. I am curious if there are any suggestions for some last minute must have equipment for outdoor portraits in evening light. I have a camera store about 15 minutes from my residence, and the shoot is in 3 hours or so.

Currently I have(For portraits):
Canon 40D
70-200mm F4L / Takumar 55mm F1.8
5 in 1 Light reflector
A homemade soft box rig for my internal flash (Haven't invested in a proper external flash yet)

I have a budget of $500 right now, should I invest in a flash or any other equipment for this shoot or others to come, if so, what would be the best bang for my buck

 

[ronlane]

FWIW, I would look at a Canon speedlight and use it in conjunction with the reflectors, since you can use it off camera. That and a tripod and wireless shutter control would eat up the $500. (It's what I would do.)

 

[Big Mike]

It's usually a bad idea to buy new (untested and unfamiliar) gear, right before a shoot. It takes time and practice to get to know your gear and what you can do with it. You might be better off just going with what you know and save your money for when you're not in a rush to make a purchase.

That being said, portraits are all about lighting. Any sort of on-camera lighting is going to be blah. When I'm shooting portraits outdoors, I have an off-camera flash, mounted on a light stand, triggered with a radio trigger set. I have used an umbrella, but I prefer a soft box.

As an example...Midwest Photo Exchange Strobist® Pro Travel 1 Light Kit

 

[Sw1tchFX]

Just stick with what you've got, and concentrate on the available light around you. Find open shade, find a nice backlight it's not too hard, if you do that, then you'll be golden. You don't need more gear.