Need some tips on post wedding photo shoot at hard light

[k.udhay]

Hi,

I am planning to do an outdoor photo shoot of a recently married couple. I have got about a months time to prepare and want to make use of it. Here are the conditions:

Location - Mahapalipuram, Chennai, India
Place of beaches (East coast) with and without some rocks, beautiful sculptures and temples.

Weather - Most probably scorching sun. Very hard lighting.

Accessories I have - Nikon D3200 with 18 - 105 mm lens.
2 external yongnuo flashes
Reflector
Color gels

Timing - One full day available.


Request you to provide me some tips on the following:
1. Composing the frame.
2. Lighting with above accessories.
3. Poses.
4. Any thumb rule on aperture values.
5. Post processing techniques.

Thanks!

 

[SquarePeg]

You say you have a full day available so get out there at dawn and get the soft morning light or get out there just before for sunset and you will resolve your harsh light issue.

 

[Destin]

We can't help you with composition, as we aren't there. You'll have to figure that our on your own once you get there. It comes with experience and takes lots of practice.

Lighting with 2 yongnuo speedlights in mid day sun will be nearly impossible as they aren't powerful enough and likely don't support HSS. Aperture value depends on how much depth of field you want vs exposure requirements. This is a creative decision that again, needs to be made on the fly that day.

Watch some youtube videos on portrait photography and off camera flash techniques to help you prepare. That's the best advice I can give you.

 

[PersistentNomad]

I agree with @SquarePeg, avoid the high sun times that day, it will be way too bright and cause you some harsh exposure.

 

[Designer]

1. Get close to your subjects. Lots closer than you might think. Frame tight or crop tight in post, leaving a small margin for framing.

2. If you have someone available to hold the reflector, use that. If you're shooting one person, have the other person hold the reflector. Try to illuminate the eye sockets and under the chin. If you can't use the reflector, then use your speedlights. Gel if you want to and have time to do that, but certainly not every shot.

3. Avoid stiff, straight-on poses. Angle your subjects toward each other, while looking at the camera. Ask your subjects to do something with their hands, such as pointing or gesturing toward something interesting.

4. The aperture controls (among other things) the depth of field, so blur out the background if it is uninteresting, such as rocks. Keep the background recognizable if it is interesting, such as a statue or other landmark.

5. Avoid over-processing. Try to make everything look normal in the finished edit. Do the minimum, such as; straighten, crop, adjust white balance, and sharpen. Anything more is probably too much.

 

[pixmedic]

yongnuo 568EX flashes support HSS and i found them to be just as good as my nikon SB700's, and better than my SB600's.
if your flashes do not support HSS, you would have to use a much smaller aperture to compensate for a low shutter speed compatible with the flashes sync speed...which would give you a larger DoF. if this is the case, you could also isolate the subject and stand back farther, keeping the foreground as most of your focus plane, which would still render the background OOF.
much of this depends on your understanding of DOF. i suggest getting a DOF app on your phone.
your 18-105 lens is a variable aperture lens, so the aperture will change depending on the focal length.
if you have the room, i would shoot at the longer end, keep the aperture at 5.6, and adjust shutter speed as needed. (use a DOF calculator to determine how far back you will need to be to get the OOF area you want in the right spot)
time of day, sun position, and weather conditions will also affect settings.
good luck with the shoot. looking forward to seeing the results.

 

[k.udhay]

Thank you all. Really happy to see so many responses. I will try to rehearse on weekends before I make the true show. Will keep you all updated! Thanks once again!

 

[robbins.photo]

Not sure if anyone has suggested it or not but a good quality CPL (Circular polarizing filter) might be worth a look as well.

 

[Braineack]

Not sure if anyone has suggested it or not but a good quality CPL (Circular polarizing filter) might be worth a look as well.

I don't agree with this for portraits. It will effectively reduce the sun's highlights making your subjects look flat and uninteresting. Light on faces, is just as important as shadows. If anything just and ND filter here would be better to reduce the overall amount of light--evenly--to allow wider apertures with realistic cameras settings.

I personally would look into a sun-scrim, to keep subject out of direct sun, then add in your flashes or a reflector to bring them back. This is a good read: Scrim It and Light It - How to Photograph in Hard, Direct Sunlight | Fstoppers

here's an article that's pro-CPL for portraits. I think the example shot using the polarize is flat and boring. The reduction of speculator highlights on her cheek and forehead is to blame. The background is now usually dark and there's a lack of vibrancy throughout. Skies are not dark blue--it looks unnatural.

Use a Polarizer for Purer Portraits and Less Retouching

 

[chuasam]

labour is cheap there...hire a crew to hold up white silks for the diffusion.
Or find some open shade

 

[chuasam]

Not sure if anyone has suggested it or not but a good quality CPL (Circular polarizing filter) might be worth a look as well.

That's because it wouldn't work. You'll be dulling reflections and specular highlights.

 

[robbins.photo]

Not sure if anyone has suggested it or not but a good quality CPL (Circular polarizing filter) might be worth a look as well.

That's because it wouldn't work. You'll be dulling reflections and specular highlights.

Which means it wouldn't normally be my first recommendation, but in a situation like this where you have harsh lighting coupled with highly reflective surface like light colored sand, it might actually be of benefit to have one on hand.

As usual, YMMV.

 

[Vtec44]

That's a lot of things to figure out in 1 month. Best of luck to you, friend!

 

[k.udhay]

That's a lot of things to figure out in 1 month. Best of luck to you, friend!

Sure!

 

[k.udhay]

Not sure if anyone has suggested it or not but a good quality CPL (Circular polarizing filter) might be worth a look as well.

I don't agree with this for portraits. It will effectively reduce the sun's highlights making your subjects look flat and uninteresting. Light on faces, is just as important as shadows. If anything just and ND filter here would be better to reduce the overall amount of light--evenly--to allow wider apertures with realistic cameras settings.

I personally would look into a sun-scrim, to keep subject out of direct sun, then add in your flashes or a reflector to bring them back. This is a good read: Scrim It and Light It - How to Photograph in Hard, Direct Sunlight | Fstoppers

here's an article that's pro-CPL for portraits. I think the example shot using the polarize is flat and boring. The reduction of speculator highlights on her cheek and forehead is to blame. The background is now usually dark and there's a lack of vibrancy throughout. Skies are not dark blue--it looks unnatural.

Use a Polarizer for Purer Portraits and Less Retouching

That link was nice. Will try scrimming!