Outdoor Question: Please Answer!

[shelby16]

I'm still new to the SLR camera, and I've been reading books about photography as well to help me. But, they talked about using flash outdoors when it's still light outside when shooting people because it can help with some of the harsh lighting and it gives good catchlights in the eyes?
The book talked about using an external flash, and aiming to the right or left.

Has anyone does this outside? Should I, or is it crazy?

I'm practicing on my sister, doing a photo shoot of her later and I don't know if I should use my flash or not.

Thank you!!

 

[kathyt]

Try it out and see what you think. Yes, it will fill in shadows if done properly. A reflector will do this as well.

 

[shelby16]

Try it out and see what you think. Yes, it will fill in shadows if done properly. A reflector will do this as well.

Thank you for the reply! I'll probably try it out, I've never heard of using flash when the sun is still out. Probably just because I'm a noob. haha

 

[ronlane]

I can't get to it from work but b&h has a great video about using a speedlight outdoors in the sun. you can find it on youtube.

 

[TCampbell]

I'm still new to the SLR camera, and I've been reading books about photography as well to help me. But, they talked about using flash outdoors when it's still light outside when shooting people because it can help with some of the harsh lighting and it gives good catchlights in the eyes?
The book talked about using an external flash, and aiming to the right or left.

Has anyone does this outside? Should I, or is it crazy?

I'm practicing on my sister, doing a photo shoot of her later and I don't know if I should use my flash or not.

Thank you!!

Yes - flash on. But don't point the flash away from your subject... this is one of the _few_ times that it works best when pointed straight AT your subject.

To get good results, you need to think about a concept called "flash contribution"...

The sun is pumping out a certain amount of continuous light. Your flash gives off a burst of light at a different power level (and only for a split second.) It is actually possible to use flashes that can be brighter than the sun -- which would give you the harsh bad lighting that we all hate. What you want is a power level that's weaker than the sun so that the highlights on your subject are really only created by the sun... but the shadows are "filled in" by the flash so that they're mild shadows instead of strong shadows.

If the "flash contribution" is 50% that means 50% of the light is coming from the sun and 50% is coming from the flash. What you want is something a bit weaker... I tend to prefer about a 30% flash contribution.

Orient your subject so that the sun is ahead of your subject... but off to one side (think of putting the sun behind YOUR right or left shoulder... perhaps a little more off to the side).

You're going to take a series of shots.

1) Take a shot with no flash at all.

2) Take a shot with the flash on automatic and let it take it's default settings.

3) Take a shot with the flash exposure compensation dialed down to -1

4) Take a shot with the flash exposure compensation dialed down to -2

Compare all of these (note you can increase or decrease flash power in 1/3rd stop increments but this little series should quickly give you the idea of what's going on with the balance of sun & flash.)

I don't now which camera model you have so I can't tell you how to alter the flash-exposure compensation setting. On a Canon they'll display a little lightning bolt with a little +/- on it.

You can also put the flash into completely manual mode. Shoot at full power, then 1/2 power, then 1/4 power, then 1/8th power, etc. until you find one you like BUT... if you do it this way, KEEP IN MIND that your distance from flash to subject is ALSO affecting power. Suppose you decide that 1/8th power looked best. You couldn't always just use 1/8th power and expect it to be best because if the next time you shoot in the sun you're a little farther away then less light from the flash will reach your subject. If you use a TTL mode (Canon E-TTL or Nikon iTTL) then the computer is compensating for that.

 

[jwbryson1]

 

[shelby16]

I'm still new to the SLR camera, and I've been reading books about photography as well to help me. But, they talked about using flash outdoors when it's still light outside when shooting people because it can help with some of the harsh lighting and it gives good catchlights in the eyes?
The book talked about using an external flash, and aiming to the right or left.

Has anyone does this outside? Should I, or is it crazy?

I'm practicing on my sister, doing a photo shoot of her later and I don't know if I should use my flash or not.

Thank you!!

Yes - flash on. But don't point the flash away from your subject... this is one of the _few_ times that it works best when pointed straight AT your subject.

To get good results, you need to think about a concept called "flash contribution"...

The sun is pumping out a certain amount of continuous light. Your flash gives off a burst of light at a different power level (and only for a split second.) It is actually possible to use flashes that can be brighter than the sun -- which would give you the harsh bad lighting that we all hate. What you want is a power level that's weaker than the sun so that the highlights on your subject are really only created by the sun... but the shadows are "filled in" by the flash so that they're mild shadows instead of strong shadows.

If the "flash contribution" is 50% that means 50% of the light is coming from the sun and 50% is coming from the flash. What you want is something a bit weaker... I tend to prefer about a 30% flash contribution.

Orient your subject so that the sun is ahead of your subject... but off to one side (think of putting the sun behind YOUR right or left shoulder... perhaps a little more off to the side).

You're going to take a series of shots.

1) Take a shot with no flash at all.

2) Take a shot with the flash on automatic and let it take it's default settings.

3) Take a shot with the flash exposure compensation dialed down to -1

4) Take a shot with the flash exposure compensation dialed down to -2

Compare all of these (note you can increase or decrease flash power in 1/3rd stop increments but this little series should quickly give you the idea of what's going on with the balance of sun & flash.)

I don't now which camera model you have so I can't tell you how to alter the flash-exposure compensation setting. On a Canon they'll display a little lightning bolt with a little +/- on it.

You can also put the flash into completely manual mode. Shoot at full power, then 1/2 power, then 1/4 power, then 1/8th power, etc. until you find one you like BUT... if you do it this way, KEEP IN MIND that your distance from flash to subject is ALSO affecting power. Suppose you decide that 1/8th power looked best. You couldn't always just use 1/8th power and expect it to be best because if the next time you shoot in the sun you're a little farther away then less light from the flash will reach your subject. If you use a TTL mode (Canon E-TTL or Nikon iTTL) then the computer is compensating for that.

Wow thank you so much! I know where my exposure compensation button is, and that's what looks like a +/-, but no lightning bolt.

I have a Nikon D5100, so I'd love if you could help me find this setting. haha

 

[jwbryson1]

No lightning bolt. I have a Nikon D5100, so I'd love if you could help me find this setting. haha

Look at the left side of the face of your camera, up around the pop up flash.

 

[ABJayce]

a good example is to place your subject with their back to the sun. you'll see shadow on their face. use flash and you'll see the difference. Then you'll know what it does and can apply the principle in any way you like. I've seen people just use a trigger and hold their flash in their hand and point it at their subject and the pictures came out great.

 

[shelby16]

Thank you so much everyone! What should I set my WB to? Should I keep it at direct sunlight, or in the flash setting?

 

[TCampbell]

Wow thank you so much! I know where my exposure compensation button is, and that's what looks like a +/-, but no lightning bolt.

I have a Nikon D5100, so I'd love if you could help me find this setting. haha

It sounds like you found the "exposure compensation" rather than the "flash exposure compensation" -- they're not the same.

Exposure compensation will increase or decrease the overall exposure.
Flash Exposure compensation will increase or decrease how much flash power is contributed to the overall exposure.

See page 72 & 73 of the Nikon D5100 Reference Manual (not to be confused with the Nikon D5100 User's Manual -- which does not go into as much detail.) You can get a copy here if your is not handy:http://www.nikonusa.com/pdf/manuals/dslr/D5100RM_EN.pdf

You can adjust the flash compensation either via the menu system or by holding the down the flash-compensation button (page "1" of the reference manual has a diagram of the features on the front side of the body... it's #13 - a tiny button on the front-left side below the flash) while rotating the command dial.

I went over this same issue with a friend of mine who never liked taking photos in full-sun because of how harsh they are... then I showed him this feature. Now he (a) thinks it's great and (b) went out and bought a more powerful (shoe-mounted) flash.

 

[shelby16]

Wow thank you so much! I know where my exposure compensation button is, and that's what looks like a +/-, but no lightning bolt.

I have a Nikon D5100, so I'd love if you could help me find this setting. haha

It sounds like you found the "exposure compensation" rather than the "flash exposure compensation" -- they're not the same.

Exposure compensation will increase or decrease the overall exposure.
Flash Exposure compensation will increase or decrease how much flash power is contributed to the overall exposure.

See page 72 & 73 of the Nikon D5100 Reference Manual (not to be confused with the Nikon D5100 User's Manual -- which does not go into as much detail.) You can get a copy here if your is not handy:http://www.nikonusa.com/pdf/manuals/dslr/D5100RM_EN.pdf

You can adjust the flash compensation either via the menu system or by holding the down the flash-compensation button (page "1" of the reference manual has a diagram of the features on the front side of the body... it's #13 - a tiny button on the front-left side below the flash) while rotating the command dial.

I went over this same issue with a friend of mine who never liked taking photos in full-sun because of how harsh they are... then I showed him this feature. Now he (a) thinks it's great and (b) went out and bought a more powerful (shoe-mounted) flash.

You are a life saver!! Thank you so much.

 

[jwbryson1]

Here is another good video which you may find helpful...

 

[pgriz]

Think of it this way - your usual daytime shot is powered by one thermonuclear continuous source and creates some pretty awesome shadows. You then supply a second light source which will be visible in the shadow areas but not contribute substantially to the highlights (that's your fill flash). Once you start seeing everything in terms of main light, fill light, background light, it starts getting pretty obvious.

 

[Derrel]

GREAT responses in this thread!!!!