Need suggestions for photographing people with horses in harsh light.

[gsgary]

Take a look at this photographer Tim Flach

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6E6jtvfkkk

 

[Netskimmer]

Beautiful photos, though I don't think I'll be trying anything so exotic or abstract... at least not at the shoot in question.

 

[Mike_E]

What color is the barn?

Depending on the time of day, you could even use the barn as a reflector. That or use the barn to attach a bed sheet or two to use as a reflector.

If you can get shade, use it and reflect your light into it. If you can get a good deal on it white satin works really well as a reflector, sew two lengths of it together as tall as you like and then get some plastic clamps to clamp it to a PVC frame. If it's going to be fairly big use 3/4" or 1' PVC and you shouldn't glue the PVC although you might drill some pilot holes so that you could put a screw into each joint (8) if it starts to twist in order to disassemble it.

I'd think that 6 or 7 feet tall should do and it's usually 4 1/2 to 5 feet wide so that would make it around a 6X9, if you still aren't getting full coverage have an assistant push out a little in the middle of it from behind to make it convex, this will spread the reflection.

If you're a handy sort and have access to a table saw, cut an extra piece of the PVC into quarters and then screw those over the shorter sides to sandwich the material and hold it in place and then you only have to have a couple of clamps on the other sides to hold it. Probably not even that if you get the material tight enough when you put the thing together. Be sure to hem all of the sides of the satin as it's bad about fraying. When you're finished just roll the sides up like a scroll and store them for the next time.

HTH

 

[Netskimmer]

The barn is bright red so if I do use it as a reflector I would have to compensate for that. Thank you for the DIY tips for the reflector. I may give that a shot. I am a little concerned about using bedsheets or other large swaths of fabric around these horses. If I don't secure them well enough or someone's horse bumps into the rigging it could cause problems. Most horses wouldn't care but it only takes one.

 

[Mike_E]

The barn is bright red so if I do use it as a reflector I would have to compensate for that. Thank you for the DIY tips for the reflector. I may give that a shot. I am a little concerned about using bedsheets or other large swaths of fabric around these horses. If I don't secure them well enough or someone's horse bumps into the rigging it could cause problems. Most horses wouldn't care but it only takes one.

you are welcome.

If you use the screw down method and get it pretty tight there shouldn't be much flapping to scare the horses and having an assistant holding it (grab an onlooker if you need to, people are always willing to lend a hand to get into the 'show') in place (still) as the horse walks up should be OK too following GSGary's suggestion.