Outdoor portrait lighting ( flash )

[Ironlegs]

Hello,

I am focusing on outdoor portrait photography and i am starting to think about using flash [ i never did that before ( i have metz 58 AF-1 ) ] and i am not sure how to use it. Should i get a flashbender and mount the flash on camera ? Or should i get the sync things and use the flash on tripod ? Any tips ? I cant decide.

 

[sscarmack]

 

[Designer]

1. Yes, you should probably use some kind of modifier to soften the light, but then it depends on how hard or soft you want the light.

2. Yes, getting the flash away from the lens will give you the shadows that make a more pleasing light.

So both LOL!

 

[Ironlegs]

1. Yes, you should probably use some kind of modifier to soften the light, but then it depends on how hard or soft you want the light.

2. Yes, getting the flash away from the lens will give you the shadows that make a more pleasing light.

So both LOL!

I just want a soft light to fill some bad shadows, what would you recommend ?

 

[Designer]

"Fro" apparently uses an umbrella and they are inexpensive.

 

[tirediron]

I'm a big fan of Lastolite's Ezybox line. I have several and the 30" size works really well with a regular speedlight for 1-2 person upper-body portraits.

 

[Ironlegs]

Seems like i will buy tripod, flashbender ( or something similar ) and the sync things. Thanks for help.

 

[cynicaster]

Seems like i will buy tripod, flashbender ( or something similar ) and the sync things. Thanks for help.

The only reason you'd need the "sync things" would be if you planned on shooting with the flash off-camera. If that's the case then you're going to want some means of diffusing that off-camera flash. The best bang-for-buck way of doing this (IMO) is with an umbrella, as shown in that afro video.

The flashbender--which, if I'm thinking of the correct product, is just a piece of bendy reflective material you affix to your flash--is probably a decent tool to have in the box for run-n'-gun shooting in a large open area with no bounce surfaces, but I think I'd file it more under "better than nothing" than a bona fide "good way" of getting nice light.

 

[lambertpix]

If you're shooting outdoors and using mainly ambient light, leaving the flash on-camera probably isn't the worst thing in the world. The light coming from a bare flash will be fairly harsh, but if you're using it at low intensity (FEC, right?) to fill some shadows, you can start with some pretty basic modifiers -- even just a diffuser on the flash.

The more important your artificial lighting is to the exposure of the photo, the more important it'll become to control the shape of that lighting -- thus, the umbrellas, etc.

Strobist.com might be a good place to browse for ideas, too.