Photo-shoot at Noon

[gerardo2068]

This next weekend a couple of friends want me to take portrait photos of them. It's a husband and his pregnant wife. They want simple portrait photos,

I just have a DSLR, sb-600 nikon flash, 35mm 1.8, 85mm 1.4 and 18-105mm 4-5.6.

The only thing is that they just have free time to do it at noon. I know they sunlight is harsh at that time and I've heard is not the optimal time to do a photo-soot

Wat do you recommend I should take? reflectors or one of those portable soft boxes that fit on the flash unit?

What other advise would you recommend ? and what would you recommend base on the gear I have at the moment.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Patrice]

Here are one or two suggestions to get the ball rolling.

You do this indoors near a north facing window and bounce your flash for either main or fill. Or you can do this outside. If you are outside try and position your subject where the direct light of the sun is not falling on your subjects and use your flash as a fill light. You can use your reflector to advantage to direct she of the sunlight back to your subject. I've never found those little portable soft boxes of much use for anything other than illuminating small objects up close and as a hair light.

Whichever way you go watch your background, don't let it distract the viewer. Try and get as much separation as you can between your subjects and the background. Is there anything around you could use as a nice backdrop?

Pay attention to your depth of field. It's nice when the whole of both subjets faces are in focus.

 

[gerardo2068]

Thanks for the info. Also for fill-flash, would better to have the external flash on camera or slightly to the side with a short extension cable between flash and camera? Also the small soft box don't help much? I thought it did. I see many photographers use it or the plastic cup. Also should I add gel plastic cover to the flash? Thank for the info. It helps a lot.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

skip the flash, put them in open shade or have the sun to their back, meter for the shadows and adjust the color balance. Considering what you've got, stick with the 85mm for most and the 35 when you want the wide shot. Leave the 18-105 and the speedlight home.

The hardest part will be posing them.

 

[gerardo2068]

I see. Would that blow out the background? Or is that the intended effect? Thanks!

 

[gerardo2068]

Or how I take photo without flash at noon?

 

[DiskoJoe]

Or how I take photo without flash at noon?

Its not that hard. You'll do fine. You can shoot in shadows during midday with no flash. A lot will depend on your setting. Do some quick test shots when yall get there to see. Or suggest to them that this is not a great time of day for shooting and reschedule.

 

[gerardo2068]

Thanks!

 

[MReid]

Sounds like you don't have great knowledge about your equipment or flash.
Shoot with your 85 1.4. Set it on F4, iso 400.
Set your camera on spot metering.
Focus/meter off their faces, let the background blow if necessary.
It is not that difficult to find settings out of the sun with a nice undistracting background.
Try not to shoot in a green setting in the shade, white balance will be a problem.

Best option is to reschedule for an evening shoot with better light.....if you can.

 

[gerardo2068]

Thanks. I shoot more indoors and evening. I have not shoot at noon so I'm not completely sure about the settings at that time. Thanks for the help!

 

[dakkon76]

Sounds like you don't have great knowledge about your equipment or flash.
Shoot with your 85 1.4. Set it on F4, iso 400.
Set your camera on spot metering.
Focus/meter off their faces, let the background blow if necessary.
It is not that difficult to find settings out of the sun with a nice undistracting background.
Try not to shoot in a green setting in the shade, white balance will be a problem.

Best option is to reschedule for an evening shoot with better light.....if you can.

I'm very interested in knowing how you can positively tell someone what ISO to shoot at without being there and knowing the exact lighting conditions and how they might dictate the shutter speed you'd have to use based on that ISO.

 

[2WheelPhoto]

Indoors and shade plus a flash fill solution are simple. No need to panic

 

[gerardo2068]

Thanks all for your help. I have some basic understanding. I'm curious to see what other photographer recommend. May be will clarify something or remind of other things to keep in mine. Thanks!

 

[KmH]

If your profile indicated your location, some of us would have an idea of where in the sky the Sun will be at noon.

 

[gerardo2068]

I'm on the reading on the phone. I will update when I get on the computer. I'm I'm San Antonio, Texas. The last couple of days has been overcast with light rain. Will see how it's gonna be on Sunday. Also it's hard to find green settings here. Lol